View source for George Washington Hays

{{short description|American politician}}
{{redirect-distinguish|George W. Hays|George W. Hayes}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = George Hays
|image              = George W. Hays (Arkansas governor).jpg
|caption            = ''Dearborn Independent'', September 25, 1926
| order               = 24th [[List of Governors of Arkansas|Governor of Arkansas]]
| term_start          = August 6, 1913
| term_end            = January 10, 1917
| predecessor         = [[Junius Marion Futrell]] (acting)
| successor           = [[Charles Hillman Brough]]
| birth_name          = George Washington Hays
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1863|9|23}}
| birth_place         = [[Camden, Arkansas]], U.S.
| death_date          = {{death date and age|1927|9|15|1863|9|23}}
| death_place         = [[Little Rock, Arkansas]], U.S.
| party               = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| spouse              = 
| children            = 2
| education           = [[Washington and Lee University]]
}}
'''George Washington Hays''' (September 23, 1863{{spaced ndash}}September 15, 1927) was an American politician who served as the 24th [[governor of Arkansas]] from 1913 to 1917.

==Biography==
Hays was born in [[Camden, Arkansas]]. He attended public schools in Camden and worked as a farmer, store clerk and teacher. Hays studied law at [[Washington and Lee University]] in [[Lexington, Virginia]], and opened his own law practice in Camden.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=107|title= George Washington Hays (1863–1927)|publisher= The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture|access-date=August 20, 2012}}</ref> He was married to Ida Virginia Yarborough and had 2 children.

==Career==
Hays was probate and county judge for [[Ouachita County, Arkansas]] between 1900 and 1905. Hays served as a judge with the Thirteenth Circuit Court from 1906 to 1913.

When Governor [[Joseph Taylor Robinson]] resigned in 1913 to serve in the United States Senate, a special election was held and Hays was elected governor.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_arkansas/col2-content/main-content-list/title_hays_george.html|title= Arkansas Governor George Washington Hays |publisher= National Governors Association |access-date=August 20, 2012}}</ref> His administration focused on road improvement and enactment of a statewide [[prohibition]] law. The Hays administration also enacted various labor laws<ref>[https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/labor-legislation-1912-32-3905/labor-legislation-1915-476852 Title: Labor Legislation of 1915 : Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 186, P.77-83]</ref> and completed construction of the new state capitol building. Hays won reelection in a contested election in 1914.

Hays returned to private law practice in Little Rock after his term as governor, and published several articles in national periodicals, including ''Scribner's''.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.oldstatehouse.com/exhibits/virtual/governors/the_progressive_era/hays.aspx |title= George Washington Hays (1913-1917) |publisher= Ohio State House Museum |access-date= August 20, 2012 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121114101832/http://www.oldstatehouse.com/exhibits/virtual/governors/the_progressive_era/hays.aspx |archive-date= November 14, 2012 |df= mdy-all }}</ref>

==Death==
Hays died in [[Little Rock, Arkansas]] of [[influenza]] and [[pneumonia]] and is buried in [[Camden, Arkansas]] in Greenwood Cemetery.

==See also==
{{Portal|United States|Politics}}
*[[List of governors of Arkansas]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=107 Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121114101832/http://www.oldstatehouse.com/exhibits/virtual/governors/the_progressive_era/hays.aspx Old Statehouse Museum]
* [http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_arkansas/col2-content/main-content-list/title_hays_george.html National Governors Association]

{{start box}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Joseph Taylor Robinson]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[List of Governors of Arkansas|Governor of Arkansas]]|years=[[1913 Arkansas gubernatorial special election|1913]], [[1914 Arkansas gubernatorial election|1914]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Charles Hillman Brough]]}}
{{s-off}}
{{succession box
|before=[[Junius Marion Futrell]] <br />Acting Governor
|title=[[List of Governors of Arkansas|Governor of Arkansas]]
|years=1913&ndash;1917
|after=[[Charles Hillman Brough]]
}}
{{end box}}

{{Governors of Arkansas}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hays, George Washington}}
[[Category:Democratic Party governors of Arkansas]]
[[Category:1863 births]]
[[Category:1927 deaths]]
[[Category:County judges in Arkansas]]
[[Category:People from Camden, Arkansas]]
[[Category:Washington and Lee University School of Law alumni]]
[[Category:Deaths from influenza in the United States]]
[[Category:Deaths from pneumonia in Arkansas]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American politicians]]