Oliver Perry Temple was born on January 27, 1820, to James and Mary Craig Temple near Greeneville (Greene County) Tennessee. He graduated from Washington College in 1844 and studied law under Judge Robert McKinney before being admitted to the Bar in 1846. After an unsuccessful run for Congress in 1847, Temple moved to Knoxville, Tennessee. In 1850, President Millard Fillmore appointed him to serve on a commission to conciliate Native American tribes in New Mexico, Arizona, and California. After his return to Knoxville in about 1851, Temple married Scotia Caledonia Hume (1832-1889). The couple had one daughter, Mary Boyce Temple.

When the Civil War broke out, Temple remained loyal to the Union and worked tirelessly in aid of East Tennessee Unionists and the East Tennessee Relief Association. In later years, he organized the East Tennessee Farmer's Convention, was appointed Chancellor of Tennessee's 8th district (1866-1878), and served as a trustee for East Tennessee University. He was convinced of East Tennessee's economic potential and advocated regional development in addition to supporting higher education.

William Gannaway Parson Brownlow was an influential East Tennessee minister, journalist, and governor. He was born August 29, 1805 in Wythe County, Virginia. At age 11 he was orphaned and was sent to live with a relative. In 1825 he attended a meeting in which he had a spiritual rebirthing and decided to become a Methodist minister. This profession later brought him to Maryville, Tennessee. In the late 1830s he became a journalist and launched a newspaper in support of the Whig Party. After the Civil War ended, Brownlow became the Governor of Tennessee and served in office for six years. Brownlow died February 25, 1869.