List of governors of Georgia

Information about List of governors of Georgia

Number of Governors of Georgia by party affiliation
Party Governors
Democratic47
None or non-party Whig23
Democratic-Republican18
Republican3
Whig2
Military1
The following is a list of Governors of the State of Georgia and governors of the British colony of Georgia.

Colonial governors

  • James Oglethorpe, Resident Trustee, 1733 - 1743 (Oglethorpe County)
  • William Stephens, President, 1743 - 1751
  • Henry Parker, President, 1751 - 1752
  • Patrick Graham, President, 1752 - 1754
  • John Reynolds, 1754 - 1757
  • Henry Ellis, 1757 - 1760
  • James Mark Prevost, 1779
  • James Wright, 1760 - 1776, 1779 - 1782

Governors of Georgia

Name Took office Left office Party Namesake Lt. Governor[1] Notes
William Ewen[2]June 22 1775December 11 1775Whig[3]None
George Walton<ref name="safety" />December 11 1775February 20 1776Whig<ref name="whig" />Walton CountyNone
William Ewen<ref name="safety" />February 20 1776May 1 1776Whig<ref name="whig" />None
Archibald Bulloch[4]May 1 1776March 4 1777Whig<ref name="whig" />Bulloch CountyNone[5]
Button Gwinnett<ref name="president" />March 4 1777May 8 1777Whig<ref name="whig" />Gwinnett CountyNone[6]
John A. TreutlenMay 8 1777January 10 1778Whig<ref name="whig" />Treutlen CountyNone
John HoustounJanuary 10 1778January 7 1779Whig<ref name="whig" />Houston CountyNone
William Glascock[7]January 7 1779July 24 1779Whig<ref name="whig" />None
Seth John Cuthbert[8]July 24 1779August 6 1779Whig<ref name="whig" />None[9]
John Wereat<ref name="supreme" />August 6 1779November 4 1779Whig<ref name="whig" />None
George WaltonNovember 4 1779January 4 1780Whig<ref name="whig" />Walton CountyNone
Richard HowlyJanuary 4 1780February 16 1780Whig<ref name="whig" />None
Humphrey WellsFebruary 16 1780February 18 1780Whig<ref name="whig" />None[10]
Stephen Heard<ref name="exec" />February 18 1780August 1780Whig<ref name="whig" />Heard CountyNone
Myrick Davies<ref name="exec" />August 1780August 18 1781Whig<ref name="whig" />None
Nathan BrownsonAugust 18 1781January 3 1782noneNone
John MartinJanuary 3 1782January 8 1783noneNone
Lyman HallJanuary 8 1783January 9 1784noneHall CountyNone
John HoustounJanuary 9 1784January 6 1785noneHouston CountyNone
Samuel ElbertJanuary 6 1785January 9 1786noneElbert CountyNone
Edward TellfairJanuary 9 1786January 9 1787noneTelfair CountyNone
George MathewsJanuary 9 1787January 26 1788noneNone
George HandleyJanuary 26 1788January 7 1789noneNone
George WaltonJanuary 7 1789November 9 1790Democratic-RepublicanWalton CountyNone
Edward TelfairNovember 9 1790November 7 1793Democratic-RepublicanTelfair CountyNone
George MathewsNovember 7 1793January 15 1796Democratic-RepublicanNone
Jared IrwinJanuary 15 1796January 12 1798Democratic-RepublicanWashington CountyNone
James JacksonJanuary 12 1798March 3 1801Democratic-Republican, Jackson factionJackson CountyNone[11]
David EmanuelMarch 3 1801November 7 1801Democratic-Republican, Jackson factionEmanuel CountyNone[12]
Josiah Tattnall, Jr.November 7 1801November 4 1802Democratic-Republican, Jackson factionTattnall CountyNone[13]
John MilledgeNovember 4 1802September 23 1806Democratic-Republican, Jackson factionMilledgevilleNone<ref name='res-senate' />
Jared IrwinSeptember 23 1806November 10 1809Democratic-Republican, Jackson factionIrwin CountyNone<ref name='presfilled' />
David B. MitchellNovember 10 1809November 5 1813Democratic-Republican, Jackson factionNone
Peter EarlyNovember 5 1813November 20 1815Democratic-Republican, Jackson factionEarly CountyNone
David B. MitchellNovember 20 1815March 4 1817Democratic-Republican, Jackson factionNone[14]
William RabunMarch 4 1817October 24 1819Democratic-Republican, Troup faction[15]Rabun CountyNone<ref name='presfilled' /><ref name='died' />
Matthew TalbotOctober 24 1819November 5 1819Democratic-Republican, Clark factionTalbot CountyNone<ref name='presfilled' />
John ClarkNovember 5 1819November 7 1823Democratic-Republican, Clark factionNone
George M. TroupNovember 7 1823November 7 1827Democratic-Republican, Troup factionTroup CountyNone
John ForsythNovember 7 1827November 4 1829Democratic-Republican, Troup factionForsyth CountyNone
George R. GilmerNovember 4 1829November 9 1831Democratic-Republican, Troup factionGilmer CountyNone
Wilson LumpkinNovember 9 1831November 4 1835Union (Democratic)Lumpkin CountyNone
William SchleyNovember 4 1835November 8 1837Union (Democratic)Schley CountyNone
George R. GilmerNovember 8 1837November 6 1839State Rights (Whig)Gilmer CountyNone
Charles J. McDonaldNovember 6 1839November 8 1843Union (Democratic)None
George W. CrawfordNovember 8 1843November 3 1847WhigCrawford CountyNone
George W. TownsNovember 3 1847November 5 1851DemocraticTowns CountyNone
Howell CobbNovember 5 1851November 9 1853Constitutional Union (Democratic)(not Cobb County)None
Herschel V. JohnsonNovember 9 1853November 6 1857DemocraticJohnson CountyNone
Joseph E. BrownNovember 6 1857June 17 1865DemocraticNone[16]
James JohnsonJune 17 1865December 14 1865DemocraticNone[17]
Charles J. JenkinsDecember 14 1865January 13 1868DemocraticJenkins CountyNone[18]
Thomas H. RugerJanuary 13 1868July 4 1868MilitaryNone[19]
Rufus B. BullockJuly 4 1868October 30 1871RepublicanNone[20]
Benjamin ConleyOctober 30 1871January 12 1872RepublicanNone[21]
James M. SmithJanuary 12 1872January 12 1877DemocraticNone
Alfred H. ColquittJanuary 12 1877November 4 1882Democratic(not Colquitt County)None
Alexander H. StephensNovember 4 1882March 5 1883DemocraticStephens CountyNone<ref name='died' />
James S. BoyntonMarch 5 1883May 10 1883DemocraticNone<ref name='presnext' />
Henry D. McDanielMay 10 1883November 9 1886DemocraticNone
John B. GordonNovember 9 1886November 8 1890Democratic(not Gordon County)None
William J. NorthenNovember 8 1890October 27 1894DemocraticNone
William Y. AtkinsonOctober 27 1894October 29 1898DemocraticAtkinson CountyNone
Allen D. CandlerOctober 29 1898October 25 1902DemocraticCandler CountyNone
Joseph M. TerrellOctober 25 1902June 29 1907Democratic(not Terrell County)None
Hoke SmithJune 29 1907June 26 1909DemocraticNone
Joseph M. BrownJune 26 1909July 1 1911DemocraticNone
Hoke SmithJuly 1 1911November 16 1911DemocraticNone<ref name='res-senate' />
John M. SlatonNovember 16 1911January 25 1912DemocraticNone<ref name='presfilled' />
Joseph M. BrownJanuary 25 1912June 28 1913DemocraticNone
John M. SlatonJune 28 1913June 26 1915DemocraticNone
Nathaniel E. HarrisJune 26 1915June 30 1917DemocraticNone
Hugh M. DorseyJune 30 1917June 25 1921DemocraticNone
Thomas W. HardwickJune 25 1921June 30 1923DemocraticNone
Clifford WalkerJune 30 1923June 25 1927DemocraticNone
Lamartine G. HardmanJune 25 1927June 27 1931DemocraticNone
Richard Russell, Jr.June 27 1931January 10 1933DemocraticNone
Eugene TalmadgeJanuary 10 1933January 12 1937DemocraticNone
Eurith D. RiversJanuary 12 19371941DemocraticNone
Eugene TalmadgeJanuary 14 1941January 12 1943DemocraticNone
Ellis ArnallJanuary 12 1943January 14 1947DemocraticNone
Herman TalmadgeJanuary 14 1947March 18 1947DemocraticMelvin E. Thompson[22]
Melvin E. ThompsonMarch 18 1947November 17 1948DemocraticVacant<ref name="talmadge" />
Herman TalmadgeNovember 17 1948January 11 1955DemocraticMarvin Griffin<ref name="talmadge" />
Marvin GriffinJanuary 11 1955January 13 1959DemocraticErnest Vandiver
Ernest VandiverJanuary 13 1959January 15 1963DemocraticGarland T. Byrd
Carl E. SandersJanuary 15 1963January 11 1967DemocraticPeter Zack Greer
Lester MaddoxJanuary 11 1967January 12 1971DemocraticGeorge T. Smith
Jimmy CarterJanuary 12 1971January 14 1975DemocraticLester Maddox
George BusbeeJanuary 14 1975January 11 1983DemocraticZell Miller
Joe Frank HarrisJanuary 11 1983January 13 1991DemocraticZell Miller
Zell MillerJanuary 13 1991January 11 1999DemocraticPierre Howard
Roy BarnesJanuary 11 1999January 13 2003DemocraticMark Taylor
Sonny PerdueJanuary 13 2003IncumbentRepublicanMark Taylor[23] style="background:#FFE8E8" |Casey Cagle

Notes

1. ^ The office of Lieutenant Governor was created in 1945, first being filled in 1947.
2. ^ President of Council of Safety.
3. ^ Not a formal political party, and not to be confused with the 19th-century Whig Party.
4. ^ President.
5. ^ Died in office.
6. ^ Died in office; after losing his bid for re-election, Button Gwinnett was wounded in a duel with Lachlin McIntosh on May 6 1777, and died of his wounds two days later.
7. ^ President of Executive Council.
8. ^ President of Supreme Executive Council.
9. ^ Temporary governor.
10. ^ Resigned in favor of Stephen Heard.
11. ^ Resigned to take elected seat in the United States Senate.
12. ^ As president of the state senate, filled unexpired term.
13. ^ Resigned due to declining health.
14. ^ Resigned to be agent to the Creek Indians.
15. ^ The Troup party was essentially the continuation of the Jackson faction (followers of James Jackson).
16. ^ Resigned following the defeat of the Confederate States of America.
17. ^ Provisional governor appointed by President Andrew Johnson following American Civil War.
18. ^ Removed from office by the military because he refused to allow state funds to be used for a racially integrated state constitutional convention; the state was still under military occupation during Reconstruction.
19. ^ Provisional governor appointed by General George Meade.
20. ^ Resigned; Rufus Bullock fled the state to avoid impeachment; he was arrested in 1876 and found not guilty of embezzlement.
21. ^ As president of the state senate, became governor until election.
22. ^ Eugene Talmadge was elected to a third term in 1946, but died before taking office. Ellis Arnall, governor at the time, claimed the office, as did Lieutenant Governor Melvin Thompson. The state legislature chose Eugene Talmadge's son, Herman Talmadge, to be governor, but the state supreme court declared this unconstitutional and declared Thompson rightful governor, and Talmadge stepped down after 67 days. Talmadge later defeated Thompson in a special election.
23. ^ Governor Purdue's second term expires January 10 2011; he is term limited.

Other high offices held

This is a table of congressional seats, other federal offices, and Confederate offices held by governors. All representatives and senators mentioned represented Georgia. * denotes those offices which the governor resigned to take.

Name Gubernatorial term U.S. Congress Other offices held
House Senate
George Walton1775–1776, 1779–1780, 1789–1790HSContinental Delegate
Archibald Bulloch1776–1777Continental Delegate
Button Gwinnett1777Continental Delegate
John Houstoun1778–1779, 1784–1785Continental Delegate
John Wereat1779Continental Delegate
Richard Howly1780Continental Delegate
Nathan Brownson1781–1782Continental Delegate
Lyman Hall1783–1784Continental Delegate
Samuel Elbert1785–1786Continental Delegate
Edward Telfair1786–1786, 1790–1793Continental Delegate
George Mathews1787–1788, 1793–1796H
James Jackson1798–1801HS*
Josiah Tattnall1801–1802S
John Milledge1802–1806HS*
Peter Early1813–1815H
George Troup1823–1827HS
John Forsyth1827–1829HSU.S. Secretary of State
George R. Gilmer1829–1831, 1837–1839H
Wilson Lumpkin1831–1835HS
William Schley1835–1837H
George W. Crawford1843–1847HU.S. Secretary of War
George W. Towns1847–1851H
Howell Cobb1851–1853HSpeaker of the House, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Acting President of the Confederate States
Herschel V. Johnson1853–1857SConfederate Senator
Joseph E. Brown1868–1870S
James Johnson1865H
James Milton Smith1872–1877Confederate Representative
Alfred H. Colquitt1877–1882HS
Alexander H. Stephens1882–1883HConfederate Representative, Vice President of the Confederate States; elected to the U.S. Senate but was refused his seat
John Brown Gordon1886–1890S
Allen D. Candler1898–1902H
Joseph M. Terrell1902–1907S
Hoke Smith1907–1909, 1911S*U.S. Secretary of the Interior
Thomas W. Hardwick1921–1923HS
Richard Russell, Jr.1931–1933SPresident pro tempore of the Senate
Herman Talmadge1947, 1948–1955S
Jimmy Carter1971–1975President of the United States
Zell Miller1991–1999S

Living former governors

As of August 2007, five former governors were alive, the oldest being Jimmy Carter (1971–1975, born 1924). The most recent governor to die was Ernest Vandiver (1959–1963), on February 21 2005. The most recently-serving governor to die was George Busbee (1975–1983), on July 16 2004.

Name Gubernatorial term Date of birth
Carl Sanders1963–1967May 15 1925
Jimmy Carter1971–1975October 1 1924
Joe Frank Harris1983–1991February 16 1936
Zell Miller1991–1999February 24 1932
Roy Barnes1999–2003March 11 1948

Source

  • A History of Georgia, second ed. Kenneth Coleman, general editor. University of Georgia Press: 1991.
United States of America

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State of Georgia

Flag of Georgia Seal of Georgia
Nickname(s): Peach State, Empire State of the South
Motto(s): Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation

Official language(s) English

Capital Atlanta

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The Province of Georgia (also Georgia Colony) was one of the Southern colonies in British North America. It was the last of the Thirteen original colonies established by Great Britain in what later became the United States.
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James Oglethorpe (December 22 1696 – June 30 1785) was a British general, a philanthropist, and was the founder of the colony of Georgia. He was born in London, the son of Sir Theophilus Oglethorpe (1650-1702) of Westbrook Place, Godalming in the county of Surrey.
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Oglethorpe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population is 12,635. The 2005 Census Estimate shows a population of 13,609 [1] . The county seat is Lexington, Georgia6.
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Henry Ellis (1721 — 1806) was an explorer, author, and second colonial Governor of Georgia.

Ellis was born in County Monaghan, Ireland. He was educated in law at the Temple Church in London.
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Sir James Wright (May 8, 1716 – November 20, 1785) was an American lawyer and jurist who was the last British Royal Governor of Georgia.

James Wright was born in London to Robert Wright.
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George Walton (1749 or 1750–February 2, 1804) signed the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Georgia and also served as Governor of that state.

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George Walton was born in Cumberland County, Virginia.
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December 11 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

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Walton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 60,687. The 2006 Census Estimate shows a population of 79,388 [1] . The county seat is Monroe, Georgia6.
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Archibald Bulloch (c.1730– February 22, 1777) was a lawyer, soldier, and statesman from Georgia during the American Revolution.

Biography

Bulloch was born and educated in Charleston, South Carolina, the son of James Bulloch and Jean Stobo Bulloch.
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