List of Governors of Missouri
Encyclopedia
Following is a list of Governors of Missouri
since its territory became part of the United States
.
{| class=wikitable style="float:right;margin:0 0 0.5em 1em;"
|+Number of Governors of Missouri by party affiliation
! Party !! Governors
|-
| Democratic
| align=right | 38
|-
| Republican
| align=right | 13
|-
| Democratic-Republican
| align=right | 3
|-
| Liberal Republican
| align=right | 1
|}
Missouri was part of the Louisiana Purchase
in which the United States purchased from France
in 1803. In its first year it was part of Louisiana. In 1804 all of the territory above what is modern day Louisiana was broken off and administered by a governor based in St. Louis, Missouri
until statehood.
Prior to the purchase both France and Spain administered the territory in a similar manner. France initially had a commandant in charge of Upper Louisiana. Spain around 1770 began having a lieutenant governor in St. Louis and governor in New Orleans, Louisiana
ruling the whole territory . For a list of governors under Spanish and French rule see Louisiana Governor. For a list of lieutenant governors ruling Upper Louisiana under French and Spanish control see List of commandants of the Illinois Country.
Since the state capitol moved to Jefferson City in 1826 the governor has lived on the same block in the Missouri Governor's Mansion
a block east of the Missouri State Capitol
(although the current mansion is the third one).
The current governor of Missouri is Jay Nixon
.
Commandant of Louisiana
{| class="wikitable"
! # !! Name !! Appointed !! Left office !! Appointed by
|-
| 1 || Amos Stoddard
(commandant) || March 10, 1804 || October 1, 1804 || Thomas Jefferson
|}
became the Territory of Orleans; land north of the 33rd parallel, the District of Louisiana
. The act took effect October 1, 1804, upon which the District of Louisiana was placed under the governance of Indiana Territory
, then governed by William Henry Harrison
.
{| class="wikitable"
! # !! Name !! Appointed !! Left office !! Appointed by
|-
| 1 || William Henry Harrison
|| October 1, 1804 || July 4, 1805 || Thomas Jefferson
|}
. Power was vested in a governor who was appointed by the President to a term of 3 years. During times of vacancy, the secretary would act as governor.
On June 4, 1812, the Territory of Louisiana was renamed to the Territory of Missouri
to avoid confusion with the newly admitted state of Louisiana
. Later, Arkansas Territory
was separated from the Territory of Missouri on July 4, 1819.
{| class="wikitable"
! # !! Governor !! Appointed !! Left office !! Appointed by
|-
| 1 || James Wilkinson
|| July 4, 1805 || March 3, 1807 || Thomas Jefferson
|-
| 2 || Meriwether Lewis
|| March 3, 1807 || October 11, 1809 || Thomas Jefferson
|-
| 3 || Benjamin Howard
|| April 17, 1810 || October 31, 1812 || James Madison
|-
| 4 || William Clark || July 1, 1813 || September 18, 1820 || James Madison, James Monroe
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! #
! class=unsortable |
! style="border-left-style:hidden;padding:0.1em 0em" | Governor
! Took office !! Left office
! Party
! class=unsortable |
! style="border-left-style:hidden;padding:0.1em 0em" | Lieutenant Governor
! Terms
|-
| 1
| bgcolor= |
| Alexander McNair
| September 18, 1820
| November 15, 1824
| Democratic-Republican
| bgcolor= |
| William Henry Ashley
| 1
|-
| 2
| bgcolor= |
| Frederick Bates
| November 15, 1824
| August 4, 1825
| Democratic-Republican
| bgcolor= |
| Benjamin Harrison Reeves
| ⅓
|-
| 3
| bgcolor= |
| Abraham J. Williams
| August 4, 1825
| January 20, 1826
| Democratic-Republican
|
| vacant
| ⅓
|-
| 4
| bgcolor= |
| John Miller
| January 20, 1826
| November 19, 1832
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Daniel Dunklin
| 1⅓
|-
| 5
| bgcolor= |
| Daniel Dunklin
| November 19, 1832
| September 30, 1836
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Lilburn W. Boggs
| ½
|-
| 6
| bgcolor= |
| Lilburn W. Boggs
| September 30, 1836
| November 16, 1840
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Franklin Cannon
| 1½
|-
| 7
| bgcolor= |
| Thomas Reynolds
| November 16, 1840
| February 9, 1844
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Meredith Miles Marmaduke
| ½
|-
| 8
| bgcolor= |
| Meredith Miles Marmaduke
| February 9, 1844
| November 20, 1844
| Democratic
|
| vacant
| ½
|-
| 9
| bgcolor= |
| John C. Edwards
| November 20, 1844
| November 20, 1848
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| James Young
| 1
|-
| 10
| bgcolor= |
| Austin Augustus King
| November 20, 1848
| January 3, 1853
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Thomas Lawson Price
| 1
|-
|11
| bgcolor= |
| Sterling Price
| January 3, 1853
| January 5, 1857
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Wilson Brown
| 1
|-
| 12
| bgcolor= |
| Trusten Polk
| January 5, 1857
| February 27, 1857
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Hancock Lee Jackson
| ⅓
|-
| 13
| bgcolor= |
| Hancock Lee Jackson
| February 27, 1857
| October 22, 1857
| Democratic
|
| vacant
| ⅓
|-
| 14
| bgcolor= |
| Robert Marcellus Stewart
| October 22, 1857
| January 3, 1861
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Hancock Lee Jackson
| ⅓
|-
| 15
| bgcolor= |
| Claiborne Fox Jackson
| January 3, 1861
| July 23, 1861
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Thomas Caute Reynolds
| ⅓
|-
| 16
| bgcolor= |
| Hamilton Rowan Gamble
| July 31, 1861
| January 31, 1864
| Republican
| bgcolor= |
| William Willard Preble Hall
| ⅓
|-
| 17
| bgcolor= |
| Willard Preble Hall
| January 31, 1864
| January 2, 1865
| Republican
|
| vacant
| ⅓
|-
| 18
| bgcolor= |
| Thomas Clement Fletcher
| January 2, 1865
| January 12, 1869
| Republican
| bgcolor= |
| George Rappeen Smith
| 1
|-
| 19
| bgcolor= |
| Joseph W. McClurg
| January 12, 1869
| January 4, 1871
| Republican
| bgcolor= |
| Edwin O. Stanard
| 1
|-
| 20
| bgcolor= |
| B. Gratz Brown
| January 4, 1871
| January 3, 1873
| Liberal Republican
| bgcolor= |
| Joseph J. Gravely
| 1
|-
| 21
| bgcolor= |
| Silas Woodson
| January 3, 1873
| January 12, 1875
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Charles Phillip Johnson
| 1
|-
| 22
| bgcolor= |
| Charles Henry Hardin
| January 12, 1875
| January 8, 1877
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Norman Jay Coleman
| 1
|-
| 23
| bgcolor= |
| John Smith Phelps
| January 8, 1877
| January 10, 1881
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Henry Clay Brockmeyer
| 1
|-
| 24
| bgcolor= |
| Thomas Theodore Crittenden
| January 10, 1881
| January 12, 1885
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Robert Alexander Campbell
| 1
|-
| 25
| bgcolor= |
| John S. Marmaduke
| January 12, 1885
| December 28, 1887
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Albert P. Morehouse
| ½
|-
| 26
| bgcolor= |
| Albert P. Morehouse
| December 28, 1887
| January 14, 1889
| Democratic
|
| vacant
| ½
|-
| 27
| bgcolor= |
| David R. Francis
| January 14, 1889
| January 9, 1893
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Stephen Hugh Claycomb
| 1
|-
| 28
| bgcolor= |
| William Joel Stone
| January 9, 1893
| January 11, 1897
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| John Baptiste O'Meara
| 1
|-
| 29
| bgcolor= |
| Lawrence Vest Stephens
| January 11, 1897
| January 14, 1901
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| August Henry Bolte
| 1
|-
| rowspan="2" | 30
| rowspan="2" bgcolor= |
| rowspan="2" | Alexander Monroe Dockery
| rowspan="2" | January 14, 1901
| rowspan="2" | January 9, 1905
| rowspan="2" | Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| John Adams Lee
| rowspan="2" | 1
|-
| bgcolor= |
| Thomas L. Rubey
|-
| 31
| bgcolor= |
| Joseph W. Folk
| January 9, 1905
| January 11, 1909
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| John C. McKinley
| 1
|-
| 32
| bgcolor= |
| Herbert S. Hadley
| January 9, 1909
| January 13, 1913
| Republican
| bgcolor= |
| Jacob Friedrich Gmelich
| 1
|-
| 33
| bgcolor= |
| Elliot Woolfolk Major
| January 13, 1913
| January 8, 1917
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| William Rock Painter
| 1
|-
| 34
| bgcolor= |
| Frederick D. Gardner
| January 8, 1917
| January 10, 1921
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Wallace Crossley
| 1
|-
| 35
| bgcolor= |
| Arthur M. Hyde
| January 10, 1921
| January 12, 1925
| Republican
| bgcolor= |
| Hiram Lloyd
| 1
|-
| 36
| bgcolor= |
| Samuel Aaron Baker
| January 12, 1925
| January 14, 1929
| Republican
| bgcolor= |
| Phillip Allen Bennett
| 1
|-
| 37
| bgcolor= |
| Henry S. Caulfield
| January 14, 1929
| January 9, 1933
| Republican
| bgcolor= |
| Edward Henry Winter
| 1
|-
| 38
| bgcolor= |
| Guy Brasfield Park
| January 9, 1933
| January 11, 1937
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Frank Gaines Harris
| 1
|-
| 39
| bgcolor= |
| Lloyd C. Stark
| January 11, 1937
| February 26, 1941
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Frank Gaines Harris
| 1
|-
| 40
| bgcolor= |
| Forrest C. Donnell
| February 26, 1941
| January 8, 1945
| Republican
| bgcolor= |
| Frank Gaines Harris
| 1
|-
| 41
| bgcolor= |
| Phil M. Donnelly
| January 8, 1945
| January 10, 1949
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Walter Naylor Davis
| 1
|-
| 42
| bgcolor= |
| Forrest Smith
| January 10, 1949
| January 12, 1953
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| James T. Blair, Jr.
| 1
|-
| 43
| bgcolor= |
| Phil M. Donnelly
| January 12, 1953
| January 14, 1957
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| James T. Blair, Jr.
| 1
|-
| 44
| bgcolor= |
| James T. Blair, Jr.
| January 14, 1957
| January 9, 1961
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Edward V. Long
| 1
|-
| 45
| bgcolor= |
| John M. Dalton
| January 9, 1961
| January 11, 1965
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Hilary A. Bush
| 1
|-
| rowspan="2" | 46
| rowspan="2" bgcolor= |
| rowspan="2" | Warren E. Hearnes
| rowspan="2" | January 11, 1965
| rowspan="2" | January 8, 1973
| rowspan="2" | Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Thomas F. Eagleton
| rowspan="2" | 2
|-
| bgcolor= |
| William S. Morris
|-
| 47
| bgcolor= |
| Christopher "Kit" Bond
| January 8, 1973
| January 10, 1977
| Republican
| bgcolor= |
| William C. Phelps
| 1
|-
| 48
| bgcolor= |
| Joseph P. Teasdale
| January 10, 1977
| January 12, 1981
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| William C. Phelps
| 1
|-
| 49
| bgcolor= |
| Christopher "Kit" Bond
| January 12, 1981
| January 14, 1985
| Republican
| bgcolor= |
| Kenneth J. Rothman
| 1
|-
| rowspan="2" | 50
| rowspan="2" bgcolor= |
| rowspan="2" | John Ashcroft
| rowspan="2" | January 14, 1985
| rowspan="2" | January 11, 1993
| rowspan="2" | Republican
| bgcolor= |
| Harriett Woods
| rowspan="2" | 2
|-
| bgcolor= |
| Mel Carnahan
|-
| 51
| bgcolor= |
| Mel Carnahan
| January 11, 1993
| October 16, 2000
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Roger B. Wilson
| 1½
|-
| 52
| bgcolor= |
| Roger B. Wilson
| October 17, 2000
| January 8, 2001
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Joe Maxwell
| ½
|-
| 53
| bgcolor= |
| Bob Holden
| January 8, 2001
| January 10, 2005
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Joe Maxwell
| 1
|-
| 54
| bgcolor= |
| Matt Blunt
| January 10, 2005
| January 12, 2009
| Republican
| bgcolor= |
| Peter Kinder
| 1
|-
| 55
| bgcolor= |
| Jay Nixon
| January 12, 2009
| "Incumbent"
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Peter Kinder
| 1
|}
Missouri secession
Missouri was officially recognized as a Confederate state by the Confederate government and was represented in the Confederate Congress and by a star on the Confederate flag. During the War, Missouri was also claimed by the Union and had two competing state governments. This unusual situation also existed to some degree in the border state of Kentucky.
Missouri Provisional Government
The first Missouri secession convention voted to remain in the Union in January 1861, but a series of military conflicts ensued. Missouri Unionists and the federal government
eventually gained control of the state capitol and established a provisional state government in July that remained loyal to the Union. Meanwhile, the Missouri legislature, made up largely of Southern sympathizers, passed a resolution to secede and join the Confederacy, which was signed by Governor Jackson in October.
{| class="wikitable"
!rowspan="2"|Name
!rowspan="2"|Gubernatorial term
!colspan="2"|U.S. Congress
!rowspan="2"|Other offices held
|-
!House
!Senate
|-
|Benjamin Howard
|1809–1812 (territorial)
|
|
|U.S. Representative from Kentucky
|-
|John Miller
|1826–1832
|align="center"|H
|
|
|-
|John C. Edwards
|1844–1848
|align="center"|H
|
|
|-
|Austin Augustus King
|1848–1853
|align="center"|H
|
|
|-
|Sterling Price
|1853–1857
|align="center"|H
|
|
|-
|Trusten Polk
|1857
|
|align="center"|S*
|
|-
|Willard Preble Hall
|1864–1865
|align="center"|H
|
|
|-
|Joseph W. McClurg
|1869–1871
|align="center"|H
|
|
|-
|B. Gratz Brown
|1871–1873
|
|align="center"|S
|
|-
|John S. Phelps
|1877–1881
|align="center"|H
|
|Military Governor of Arkansas
|-
|Thomas Theodore Crittenden
|1881–1885
|align="center"|H
|
|
|-
|David R. Francis
|1889–1893
|
|
|Ambassador to Russia, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
|-
|William J. Stone
|1893–1897
|align="center"|H
|align="center"|S
|
|-
|Alexander Monroe Dockery
|1901–1905
|align="center"|H
|
|
|-
|Arthur M. Hyde
|1921–1925
|
|
|U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
|-
|Henry S. Caulfield
|1929–1933
|align="center"|H
|
|
|-
|Forrest C. Donnell
|1941–1945
|
|align="center"|S
|
|-
|Christopher "Kit" Bond
|1973–1977, 1981–1985
|
|align="center"|S
|
|-
|John Ashcroft
|1985–1993
|
|align="center"|S
|U.S. Attorney General
|-
|Mel Carnahan
|1993–2000
|
|
|Posthumously elected U.S. Senator
|}
(1977–1981, born 1936). The most recent governor to die was Warren E. Hearnes
(1968–1973), August 16, 2009.
{| class="wikitable"
!Name!!Gubernatorial term!!Date of birth
|-
|Christopher "Kit" Bond
|1973–1977, 1981–1985
|March 06, 1939 (age 72)
|-
|Joseph P. Teasdale
|1977–1981
|March 29, 1936 (age 75)
|-
|John Ashcroft
|1985–1993
|May 09, 1942 (age 69)
|-
|Roger B. Wilson
|2000–2001
|October 10, 1948 (age 63)
|-
|Bob Holden
|2001–2005
|August 24, 1949 (age 62)
|-
|Matt Blunt
|2005–2009
|November 20, 1970 (age 41)
|}
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
since its territory became part of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
{| class=wikitable style="float:right;margin:0 0 0.5em 1em;"
|+Number of Governors of Missouri by party affiliation
! Party !! Governors
|-
| Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
| align=right | 38
|-
| Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
| align=right | 13
|-
| Democratic-Republican
| align=right | 3
|-
| Liberal Republican
Liberal Republican Party (United States)
The Liberal Republican Party of the United States was a political party that was organized in Cincinnati in May 1872, to oppose the reelection of President Ulysses S. Grant and his Radical Republican supporters. The party's candidate in that year's presidential election was Horace Greeley, longtime...
| align=right | 1
|}
Missouri was part of the Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
in which the United States purchased from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1803. In its first year it was part of Louisiana. In 1804 all of the territory above what is modern day Louisiana was broken off and administered by a governor based in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
until statehood.
Prior to the purchase both France and Spain administered the territory in a similar manner. France initially had a commandant in charge of Upper Louisiana. Spain around 1770 began having a lieutenant governor in St. Louis and governor in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
ruling the whole territory . For a list of governors under Spanish and French rule see Louisiana Governor. For a list of lieutenant governors ruling Upper Louisiana under French and Spanish control see List of commandants of the Illinois Country.
Since the state capitol moved to Jefferson City in 1826 the governor has lived on the same block in the Missouri Governor's Mansion
Missouri Governor's Mansion
The Missouri Governor's Mansion is a historic U.S. residence in Jefferson City, Missouri. It is located at 100 Madison Street. On May 21, 1969, it was added to the U.S...
a block east of the Missouri State Capitol
Missouri State Capitol
The Missouri State Capitol is located in the U.S. state of Missouri. Housing the Missouri General Assembly, it is located in the state capital of Jefferson City at 201 West Capitol Avenue. The domed building was designed by the New York architectural firm of Tracy and Swartwout and completed in 1917...
(although the current mansion is the third one).
The current governor of Missouri is Jay Nixon
Jay Nixon
Jeremiah Wilson "Jay" Nixon, Sr. is the 55th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Missouri. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as Missouri's Attorney General before his election in 2008.-Political career:...
.
Commandant of LouisianaLouisiana PurchaseThe Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
{| class="wikitable"! # !! Name !! Appointed !! Left office !! Appointed by
|-
| 1 || Amos Stoddard
Amos Stoddard
Amos Stoddard was born on October 26, 1762 to Anthony and Phebe Stoddard in Woodbury, Connecticut. He married Catherine Tallman. He died at Fort Meigs on May 11, 1813, where he was the artillery commander. Before this, he was commandant of Upper Louisiana.-Military and political career:He served...
(commandant) || March 10, 1804 || October 1, 1804 || Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
|}
Governor of the District of Louisiana
On March 26, 1804, an act of congress divided Louisiana into two territories or districts: land south of the 33rd parallel33rd parallel north
The 33rd parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 33 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America and the Atlantic Ocean....
became the Territory of Orleans; land north of the 33rd parallel, the District of Louisiana
District of Louisiana
The District of Louisiana, or Louisiana District, was an official, temporary, United States government designation for the portion of the Louisiana Purchase that had not been organized into the Orleans Territory. It officially existed from March 10, 1804 until July 4, 1805, when it was incorporated...
. The act took effect October 1, 1804, upon which the District of Louisiana was placed under the governance of Indiana Territory
Indiana Territory
The Territory of Indiana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1800, until November 7, 1816, when the southern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Indiana....
, then governed by William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
.
{| class="wikitable"
! # !! Name !! Appointed !! Left office !! Appointed by
|-
| 1 || William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
|| October 1, 1804 || July 4, 1805 || Thomas Jefferson
|}
Governors of Louisiana and Missouri Territory
The citizens of the District of Louisiana, unhappy with the governance specified by the act of 1804, set about immediately to petition congress for a return to a military-style government to which they were accustomed under Spanish rule. Congress responded by passing an act on March 3, 1805 which changed the name of the District of Louisiana to the Territory of LouisianaLouisiana Territory
The Territory of Louisiana or Louisiana Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1805 until June 4, 1812, when it was renamed to Missouri Territory...
. Power was vested in a governor who was appointed by the President to a term of 3 years. During times of vacancy, the secretary would act as governor.
On June 4, 1812, the Territory of Louisiana was renamed to the Territory of Missouri
Missouri Territory
The Territory of Missouri was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 4, 1812 until August 10, 1821, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Missouri.-History:...
to avoid confusion with the newly admitted state of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. Later, Arkansas Territory
Arkansas Territory
The Territory of Arkansas, initially organized as the Territory of Arkansaw, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1819 until June 15, 1836, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Arkansas.-History:The...
was separated from the Territory of Missouri on July 4, 1819.
{| class="wikitable"
! # !! Governor !! Appointed !! Left office !! Appointed by
|-
| 1 || James Wilkinson
James Wilkinson
James Wilkinson was an American soldier and statesman, who was associated with several scandals and controversies. He served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, but was twice compelled to resign...
|| July 4, 1805 || March 3, 1807 || Thomas Jefferson
|-
| 2 || Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer, soldier, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition also known as the Corps of Discovery, with William Clark...
|| March 3, 1807 || October 11, 1809 || Thomas Jefferson
|-
| 3 || Benjamin Howard
Benjamin Howard (Missouri)
Benjamin Howard was a Congressman from Kentucky, governor of Missouri Territory and a brigadier general in the War of 1812....
|| April 17, 1810 || October 31, 1812 || James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
|-
| 4 || William Clark || July 1, 1813 || September 18, 1820 || James Madison, James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
|}
Governors of Missouri
! #
! class=unsortable |
! style="border-left-style:hidden;padding:0.1em 0em" | Governor
! Took office !! Left office
! Party
! class=unsortable |
! style="border-left-style:hidden;padding:0.1em 0em" | Lieutenant Governor
! Terms
|-
| 1
| bgcolor= |
| Alexander McNair
Alexander McNair
Alexander McNair was an American frontiersman and politician. He was the first Governor of Missouri from its entry as a state in 1820, until 1824....
| September 18, 1820
| November 15, 1824
| Democratic-Republican
| bgcolor= |
| William Henry Ashley
William Henry Ashley
William Henry Ashley was a pioneering fur trader, entrepreneur, and politician. Though a native of Virginia, Ashley had already moved to St. Genevieve in what was then called Louisiana, when it was purchased by the United States from France in 1803...
| 1
|-
| 2
| bgcolor= |
| Frederick Bates
Frederick Bates
Frederick Bates , older brother of Edward Bates and James Woodson Bates, was an American attorney and politician. He was elected in 1824 as the second governor of Missouri and died in office in 1825...
| November 15, 1824
| August 4, 1825
| Democratic-Republican
| bgcolor= |
| Benjamin Harrison Reeves
| ⅓
|-
| 3
| bgcolor= |
| Abraham J. Williams
Abraham J. Williams
Abraham J. Williams was an American politician from Boone County, Missouri. He was the third Governor of Missouri in 1825 and 1826....
| August 4, 1825
| January 20, 1826
| Democratic-Republican
|
| vacant
| ⅓
|-
| 4
| bgcolor= |
| John Miller
John Miller (Missouri)
John Miller was an American publisher and politician from St. Louis, Missouri. He was the fourth Governor of Missouri...
| January 20, 1826
| November 19, 1832
| Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
| bgcolor= |
| Daniel Dunklin
Daniel Dunklin
Daniel Dunklin was the fifth Governor of Missouri from 1832 to 1836. He was born in 1790 in Greenville, South Carolina, and died in 1844 near Herculaneum, Missouri, where he is buried. His grave is a state historic site and interprets Dunklin's role as the Father of Public Schools, as well as...
| 1⅓
|-
| 5
| bgcolor= |
| Daniel Dunklin
Daniel Dunklin
Daniel Dunklin was the fifth Governor of Missouri from 1832 to 1836. He was born in 1790 in Greenville, South Carolina, and died in 1844 near Herculaneum, Missouri, where he is buried. His grave is a state historic site and interprets Dunklin's role as the Father of Public Schools, as well as...
| November 19, 1832
| September 30, 1836
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Lilburn W. Boggs
| ½
|-
| 6
| bgcolor= |
| Lilburn W. Boggs
| September 30, 1836
| November 16, 1840
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Franklin Cannon
| 1½
|-
| 7
| bgcolor= |
| Thomas Reynolds
Thomas Reynolds (Governor)
Thomas Reynolds was the seventh Governor of Missouri from 1840 to 1844. He belonged to the Democratic Party....
| November 16, 1840
| February 9, 1844
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Meredith Miles Marmaduke
Meredith Miles Marmaduke
Meredith Miles Marmaduke was Missouri's eighth Governor, serving in 1844. He was a Democrat. He was also Lieutenant Governor of Missouri 1840–1844.-Life and career:...
| ½
|-
| 8
| bgcolor= |
| Meredith Miles Marmaduke
Meredith Miles Marmaduke
Meredith Miles Marmaduke was Missouri's eighth Governor, serving in 1844. He was a Democrat. He was also Lieutenant Governor of Missouri 1840–1844.-Life and career:...
| February 9, 1844
| November 20, 1844
| Democratic
|
| vacant
| ½
|-
| 9
| bgcolor= |
| John C. Edwards
John C. Edwards
John Cummins Edwards was the ninth Governor of Missouri from 1844 to 1848. He belonged to the Democratic Party. He was born in Frankfort, Kentucky and died in Stockton, California....
| November 20, 1844
| November 20, 1848
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| James Young
| 1
|-
| 10
| bgcolor= |
| Austin Augustus King
| November 20, 1848
| January 3, 1853
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Thomas Lawson Price
Thomas Lawson Price
Thomas Lawson Price was a United States Representative from Missouri.Born near Danville, Virginia, Price attended public schools. He moved to Missouri in 1831 and settled in Jefferson City. He conducted stage lines and engaged in manufacturing and mercantile pursuits. He was the first mayor of...
| 1
|-
|11
| bgcolor= |
| Sterling Price
Sterling Price
Sterling Price was a lawyer, planter, and politician from the U.S. state of Missouri, who served as the 11th Governor of the state from 1853 to 1857. He also served as a United States Army brigadier general during the Mexican-American War, and a Confederate Army major general in the American Civil...
| January 3, 1853
| January 5, 1857
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Wilson Brown
| 1
|-
| 12
| bgcolor= |
| Trusten Polk
Trusten Polk
Trusten Polk served as both the 12th Governor of Missouri in 1857 and U.S. Senator from 1857 to 1862.-Biography:...
| January 5, 1857
| February 27, 1857
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Hancock Lee Jackson
Hancock Lee Jackson
Hancock Lee Jackson was an American lawyer and politician. As Lieutenant Governor he was the 13th Governor of Missouri in 1857, taking office after previous Democratic Governor Trusten Polk resigned on February 27, 1857. Jackson was succeeded by fellow Democrat Robert Marcellus Stewart...
| ⅓
|-
| 13
| bgcolor= |
| Hancock Lee Jackson
Hancock Lee Jackson
Hancock Lee Jackson was an American lawyer and politician. As Lieutenant Governor he was the 13th Governor of Missouri in 1857, taking office after previous Democratic Governor Trusten Polk resigned on February 27, 1857. Jackson was succeeded by fellow Democrat Robert Marcellus Stewart...
| February 27, 1857
| October 22, 1857
| Democratic
|
| vacant
| ⅓
|-
| 14
| bgcolor= |
| Robert Marcellus Stewart
Robert Marcellus Stewart
Robert Marcellus Stewart was the 14th Governor of Missouri from 1857 to 1861, during the critical years just prior to the American Civil War.-Early years:...
| October 22, 1857
| January 3, 1861
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Hancock Lee Jackson
| ⅓
|-
| 15
| bgcolor= |
| Claiborne Fox Jackson
Claiborne Fox Jackson
Claiborne Fox Jackson was a lawyer, soldier, and Democratic politician from Missouri. He was the 15th Governor of Missouri in 1861, then governor-in-exile for the Confederacy during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
| January 3, 1861
| July 23, 1861
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Thomas Caute Reynolds
Thomas Caute Reynolds
Thomas Caute Reynolds was a lawyer and politician. He was Lieutenant Governor of Missouri as the state considered secession and then was the second Confederate Governor of Missouri...
| ⅓
|-
| 16
| bgcolor= |
| Hamilton Rowan Gamble
Hamilton Rowan Gamble
Hamilton Rowan Gamble was the chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court at the time of the Dred Scott Decision in 1852, when his colleagues voted to overturn the 28-year precedent in Misssouri of "once free always free". He wrote a dissenting opinion...
| July 31, 1861
| January 31, 1864
| Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
| bgcolor= |
| William Willard Preble Hall
| ⅓
|-
| 17
| bgcolor= |
| Willard Preble Hall
Willard Preble Hall
William Willard Preble Hall was an American lawyer and politician. He served as the 17th Governor of Missouri from 1864 to 1865 during last years of the American Civil War.-Early years:...
| January 31, 1864
| January 2, 1865
| Republican
|
| vacant
| ⅓
|-
| 18
| bgcolor= |
| Thomas Clement Fletcher
Thomas Clement Fletcher
Thomas Clement Fletcher was the 18th Governor of Missouri during the latter stages of the American Civil War and the early part of Reconstruction. He was the first Missouri governor to be born in the state....
| January 2, 1865
| January 12, 1869
| Republican
| bgcolor= |
| George Rappeen Smith
| 1
|-
| 19
| bgcolor= |
| Joseph W. McClurg
Joseph W. McClurg
Joseph Washington McClurg was the 19th Governor of Missouri in the decade following the American Civil War. His stepfather was William Murphy.-Biography:...
| January 12, 1869
| January 4, 1871
| Republican
| bgcolor= |
| Edwin O. Stanard
Edwin O. Stanard
Edwin Obed Stanard was a nineteenth century politician, businessman and teacher from Missouri.Born in Newport, New Hampshire, Stanard moved to Iowa Territory with his parents in 1836, completed preparatory studies and moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 1853. He taught school in Illinois in 1854 and...
| 1
|-
| 20
| bgcolor= |
| B. Gratz Brown
B. Gratz Brown
Benjamin Gratz Brown was an American politician. He was a Senator, the 20th Governor of Missouri, and the Liberal Republican and Democratic Party Vice presidential candidate in the presidential election of 1872.-Early life:...
| January 4, 1871
| January 3, 1873
| Liberal Republican
Liberal Republican Party (United States)
The Liberal Republican Party of the United States was a political party that was organized in Cincinnati in May 1872, to oppose the reelection of President Ulysses S. Grant and his Radical Republican supporters. The party's candidate in that year's presidential election was Horace Greeley, longtime...
| bgcolor= |
| Joseph J. Gravely
Joseph J. Gravely
Joseph Jackson Gravely was a nineteenth century politician, lawyer and teacher from Virginia and Missouri.-Biography:...
| 1
|-
| 21
| bgcolor= |
| Silas Woodson
Silas Woodson
Silas Woodson was the 21st Governor of Missouri, United States, between January 8, 1873 and January 12, 1875. He was notable for being the first Democrat elected to that position since the Civil War. No Republican would reach the office for over 30 years after Woodson's election. He was born in ...
| January 3, 1873
| January 12, 1875
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Charles Phillip Johnson
| 1
|-
| 22
| bgcolor= |
| Charles Henry Hardin
Charles Henry Hardin
Charles Henry Hardin was one of the eight founders of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. Born in 1820 in Trimble County, Kentucky, he graduated from Miami University in 1840 and received his LL.D. from William Jewell College in 1890. He later became the 22nd Governor of Missouri between 1875 and 1877 and...
| January 12, 1875
| January 8, 1877
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Norman Jay Coleman
| 1
|-
| 23
| bgcolor= |
| John Smith Phelps
| January 8, 1877
| January 10, 1881
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Henry Clay Brockmeyer
| 1
|-
| 24
| bgcolor= |
| Thomas Theodore Crittenden
Thomas Theodore Crittenden
Thomas Theodore Crittenden was a United States colonel during the American Civil War, and served as the 24th Governor of Missouri from 1881 to 1885.-Early life and education:...
| January 10, 1881
| January 12, 1885
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Robert Alexander Campbell
| 1
|-
| 25
| bgcolor= |
| John S. Marmaduke
John S. Marmaduke
John Sappington Marmaduke was a career military man and a West Point graduate. He is known for his service as a Confederate Major general during the American Civil War...
| January 12, 1885
| December 28, 1887
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Albert P. Morehouse
Albert P. Morehouse
Albert Pickett Morehouse was the 26th Governor of Missouri from 1887 to 1889.Morehouse was born in Delaware County, Ohio and moved to Maryville, Missouri in 1856. He was admitted to the bar and began practice in Montgomery County, Iowa.At the beginning of the American Civil War, he moved back to...
| ½
|-
| 26
| bgcolor= |
| Albert P. Morehouse
Albert P. Morehouse
Albert Pickett Morehouse was the 26th Governor of Missouri from 1887 to 1889.Morehouse was born in Delaware County, Ohio and moved to Maryville, Missouri in 1856. He was admitted to the bar and began practice in Montgomery County, Iowa.At the beginning of the American Civil War, he moved back to...
| December 28, 1887
| January 14, 1889
| Democratic
|
| vacant
| ½
|-
| 27
| bgcolor= |
| David R. Francis
David R. Francis
David Rowland Francis was an American politician. He served in various positions including Mayor of Saint Louis, the 27th Governor of Missouri, and United States Secretary of the Interior. He was the U.S. Ambassador to Russia between 1916 and 1917, during the Russian Revolution of 1917...
| January 14, 1889
| January 9, 1893
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Stephen Hugh Claycomb
| 1
|-
| 28
| bgcolor= |
| William Joel Stone
| January 9, 1893
| January 11, 1897
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| John Baptiste O'Meara
| 1
|-
| 29
| bgcolor= |
| Lawrence Vest Stephens
Lon Vest Stephens
Lawrence "Lon" Vest Stephens was a U.S. politician from Missouri. He served as State Treasurer of Missouri from 1890 to 1897, and as the 29th Governor of Missouri from 1897 to 1901.-Early life and education:...
| January 11, 1897
| January 14, 1901
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| August Henry Bolte
| 1
|-
| rowspan="2" | 30
| rowspan="2" bgcolor= |
| rowspan="2" | Alexander Monroe Dockery
Alexander Monroe Dockery
Alexander Monroe Dockery was a United States Representative and the 30th Governor of Missouri....
| rowspan="2" | January 14, 1901
| rowspan="2" | January 9, 1905
| rowspan="2" | Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| John Adams Lee
| rowspan="2" | 1
|-
| bgcolor= |
| Thomas L. Rubey
Thomas L. Rubey
Thomas Lewis Rubey was a U.S. Representative from Missouri.Born in Lebanon, Missouri, Rubey attended the common schools. He graduated from the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri in 1885 and served as Superintendent of schools of Lebanon from 1886 to 1891...
|-
| 31
| bgcolor= |
| Joseph W. Folk
Joseph W. Folk
Joseph "Holy Joe" Wingate Folk was an American lawyer, reformer, and politician from St. Louis, Missouri.Raised in a strict Baptist household in Brownsville, Tennessee, Folk first made his reputation as a lawyer for transit workers in the St. Louis Streetcar Strike of 1900...
| January 9, 1905
| January 11, 1909
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| John C. McKinley
John C. McKinley
John C. McKinley was a lawyer and Republican politician from the state of Missouri. He was the state's 26th Lieutenant Governor as well as a member of the Missouri Senate.-Personal history:...
| 1
|-
| 32
| bgcolor= |
| Herbert S. Hadley
Herbert S. Hadley
Herbert Spencer Hadley was an American lawyer and a Republican Party politician from St. Louis, Missouri. Born in Olathe, Kansas, he was Missouri Attorney General from 1905 to 1909 and was the 32nd Governor of Missouri from 1909 to 1913. As Attorney General, he successfully prosecuted Standard Oil...
| January 9, 1909
| January 13, 1913
| Republican
| bgcolor= |
| Jacob Friedrich Gmelich
| 1
|-
| 33
| bgcolor= |
| Elliot Woolfolk Major
Elliot Woolfolk Major
Elliot Woolfolk Major was an American lawyer and Democratic politician from Pike County, Missouri.-Biography:...
| January 13, 1913
| January 8, 1917
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| William Rock Painter
William Rock Painter
William Rock Painter was a Democratic politician from the state of Missouri. He was the state's 28th Lieutenant Governor and later a State Senator.-Personal history:...
| 1
|-
| 34
| bgcolor= |
| Frederick D. Gardner
Frederick D. Gardner
Frederick "Fred" Dozier Gardner , an American businessman and coffin and hearse manufacturer from St. Louis, Missouri, served as the 34th Governor of Missouri from 1917 to 1921.-Political career:...
| January 8, 1917
| January 10, 1921
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Wallace Crossley
Wallace Crossley
Wallace Crossley was a Missouri lieutenant governor and publisher of The Daily Star-Journal in Warrensburg, Missouri.Crossley was born in Bellair, Missouri in Cooper County, Missouri....
| 1
|-
| 35
| bgcolor= |
| Arthur M. Hyde
Arthur M. Hyde
Arthur Mastick Hyde was an American Republican politician who served as the 35th Governor of Missouri and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.-Biography:...
| January 10, 1921
| January 12, 1925
| Republican
| bgcolor= |
| Hiram Lloyd
| 1
|-
| 36
| bgcolor= |
| Samuel Aaron Baker
Sam Aaron Baker
Samuel Aaron Baker was an American teacher and Republican politician from Jefferson City, Missouri. Born in 1874 in Patterson, Missouri, he served Missouri as the state superintendent of schools from 1919 to 1923 and was the 36th Governor of Missouri from 1925 until 1929...
| January 12, 1925
| January 14, 1929
| Republican
| bgcolor= |
| Phillip Allen Bennett
| 1
|-
| 37
| bgcolor= |
| Henry S. Caulfield
Henry S. Caulfield
Henry Stewart Caulfield was an American lawyer and Republican politician from St. Louis, Missouri. He represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 1907 to 1909 and was the 37th Governor of Missouri from 1929 to 1933...
| January 14, 1929
| January 9, 1933
| Republican
| bgcolor= |
| Edward Henry Winter
Edward Henry Winter
Edward Henry Winter was an American politician and newspaper publisher from the state of Missouri. He served as the states 32nd Lieutenant Governor as well as in the Missouri General Assembly. Winter was a member of the Republican Party.-Personal history:Edward H...
| 1
|-
| 38
| bgcolor= |
| Guy Brasfield Park
Guy Brasfield Park
Guy Brasfield Park was a politician from the U.S. State of Missouri.Park was born in Platte City, Missouri and he graduated from law school at the University of Missouri. Park practiced law in Platte City, twice winning election to be the prosecuting attorney for Platte County...
| January 9, 1933
| January 11, 1937
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Frank Gaines Harris
Frank Gaines Harris
Frank Gaines Harris was a Democratic politician from the state of Missouri. He was the state's 33rd Lieutenant Governor and held that office longer than anyone else to date.-Personal history:...
| 1
|-
| 39
| bgcolor= |
| Lloyd C. Stark
Lloyd C. Stark
Lloyd Crow Stark was the 39th Governor of the U.S. state of Missouri. He was a Democrat.Stark was born in Louisiana, Missouri. Stark is a 1908 graduate of the United States Naval Academy. After serving four years as a naval officer, Stark went into the family business, the Stark Brothers...
| January 11, 1937
| February 26, 1941
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Frank Gaines Harris
| 1
|-
| 40
| bgcolor= |
| Forrest C. Donnell
Forrest C. Donnell
Forrest C. Donnell was a United States Senator and the 40th Governor of Missouri. He was a Republican.-Early life:Donnell was born in Quitman, Missouri....
| February 26, 1941
| January 8, 1945
| Republican
| bgcolor= |
| Frank Gaines Harris
| 1
|-
| 41
| bgcolor= |
| Phil M. Donnelly
Phil M. Donnelly
Philip Matthew Donnelly was the 41st and 43rd Governor of Missouri. He was a Democrat. Donnelly and Christopher S. "Kit" Bond are unique in being the only Missouri governors to serve two non-consecutive terms....
| January 8, 1945
| January 10, 1949
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Walter Naylor Davis
Walter Naylor Davis
Walter Naylor Davis was a Democratic politician from the state of Missouri. He was the state's 34th Lieutenant Governor and a former commissioner of the Missouri Supreme Court.-Personal history:...
| 1
|-
| 42
| bgcolor= |
| Forrest Smith
Forrest Smith
Forrest Smith was the 42nd Governor of Missouri. He was a Democrat.-Personal:Forrest Smith was born February 14, 1886 near Hardin in Ray County, Missouri. After receiving his secondary education at Woodson Institute in Richmond, Missouri, Smith attended Westminster College...
| January 10, 1949
| January 12, 1953
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| James T. Blair, Jr.
James T. Blair, Jr.
James Thomas Blair, Jr. was a Democratic politician from the state of Missouri. He was the 44th Governor of Missouri as well as serving as Lieutenant Governor of Missouri and a member of the Missouri House of Representatives....
| 1
|-
| 43
| bgcolor= |
| Phil M. Donnelly
Phil M. Donnelly
Philip Matthew Donnelly was the 41st and 43rd Governor of Missouri. He was a Democrat. Donnelly and Christopher S. "Kit" Bond are unique in being the only Missouri governors to serve two non-consecutive terms....
| January 12, 1953
| January 14, 1957
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| James T. Blair, Jr.
| 1
|-
| 44
| bgcolor= |
| James T. Blair, Jr.
James T. Blair, Jr.
James Thomas Blair, Jr. was a Democratic politician from the state of Missouri. He was the 44th Governor of Missouri as well as serving as Lieutenant Governor of Missouri and a member of the Missouri House of Representatives....
| January 14, 1957
| January 9, 1961
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Edward V. Long
Edward V. Long
Edward Vaughn Long was a United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Democratic Party. He served in the United States Senate from 1960 until 1968....
| 1
|-
| 45
| bgcolor= |
| John M. Dalton
John M. Dalton
John Montgomery Dalton was a Democratic politician from the state of Missouri. He was the 45th Governor of Missouri and the states' 34th Attorney General.-Personal history:...
| January 9, 1961
| January 11, 1965
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Hilary A. Bush
Hilary A. Bush
Hilary Ashby Bush was a Democratic Party politician who was Jackson County, Missouri prosecutor in the 1940s and 1950s and Missouri's Lieutenant Governor in the 1960s....
| 1
|-
| rowspan="2" | 46
| rowspan="2" bgcolor= |
| rowspan="2" | Warren E. Hearnes
Warren E. Hearnes
Warren Eastman Hearnes was an American politician and the 46th Governor of Missouri from 1965 to 1973. He was the first Missouri Governor eligible to serve two consecutive four year terms, and a lifelong Democrat...
| rowspan="2" | January 11, 1965
| rowspan="2" | January 8, 1973
| rowspan="2" | Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Thomas F. Eagleton
| rowspan="2" | 2
|-
| bgcolor= |
| William S. Morris
|-
| 47
| bgcolor= |
| Christopher "Kit" Bond
Kit Bond
Christopher Samuel "Kit" Bond is a former United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, he defeated Democrat Harriett Woods by a margin of 53%-47%. He was re-elected in 1992, 1998, and 2004...
| January 8, 1973
| January 10, 1977
| Republican
| bgcolor= |
| William C. Phelps
| 1
|-
| 48
| bgcolor= |
| Joseph P. Teasdale
Joseph P. Teasdale
Joseph Patrick Teasdale is an American politician. He served as the 48th Governor of Missouri from 1977 to 1981. He is member of the Democratic Party....
| January 10, 1977
| January 12, 1981
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| William C. Phelps
| 1
|-
| 49
| bgcolor= |
| Christopher "Kit" Bond
Kit Bond
Christopher Samuel "Kit" Bond is a former United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, he defeated Democrat Harriett Woods by a margin of 53%-47%. He was re-elected in 1992, 1998, and 2004...
| January 12, 1981
| January 14, 1985
| Republican
| bgcolor= |
| Kenneth J. Rothman
| 1
|-
| rowspan="2" | 50
| rowspan="2" bgcolor= |
| rowspan="2" | John Ashcroft
John Ashcroft
John David Ashcroft is a United States politician who served as the 79th United States Attorney General, from 2001 until 2005, appointed by President George W. Bush. Ashcroft previously served as the 50th Governor of Missouri and a U.S...
| rowspan="2" | January 14, 1985
| rowspan="2" | January 11, 1993
| rowspan="2" | Republican
| bgcolor= |
| Harriett Woods
Harriett Woods
Harriett Woods was an American politician and activist, a two-time Democratic nominee for the United States Senate from Missouri, and a former Lieutenant Governor of Missouri...
| rowspan="2" | 2
|-
| bgcolor= |
| Mel Carnahan
Mel Carnahan
Melvin Eugene "Mel" Carnahan was an American politician. A Democrat, he served as the 51st Governor of Missouri from 1993 to 2000. He died in a plane crash on the Pevely and Hillsboro, Missouri border during a campaign for the U.S...
|-
| 51
| bgcolor= |
| Mel Carnahan
Mel Carnahan
Melvin Eugene "Mel" Carnahan was an American politician. A Democrat, he served as the 51st Governor of Missouri from 1993 to 2000. He died in a plane crash on the Pevely and Hillsboro, Missouri border during a campaign for the U.S...
| January 11, 1993
| October 16, 2000
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Roger B. Wilson
Roger B. Wilson
Roger B. Wilson is an American politician who was the 52nd Governor of Missouri from October 16, 2000 to January 8, 2001. He is a Democrat.- Early Life and education :...
| 1½
|-
| 52
| bgcolor= |
| Roger B. Wilson
Roger B. Wilson
Roger B. Wilson is an American politician who was the 52nd Governor of Missouri from October 16, 2000 to January 8, 2001. He is a Democrat.- Early Life and education :...
| October 17, 2000
| January 8, 2001
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Joe Maxwell
Joe Maxwell
Joe Maxwell is an American attorney and former Lieutenant Governor for the state of Missouri. He is a Democrat who also served in the Missouri House of Representatives and the Missouri Senate.-Personal history:...
| ½
|-
| 53
| bgcolor= |
| Bob Holden
Bob Holden
Robert Lee "Bob" Holden, Jr. is an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as the 53rd Governor of Missouri.-Early life:...
| January 8, 2001
| January 10, 2005
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Joe Maxwell
| 1
|-
| 54
| bgcolor= |
| Matt Blunt
Matt Blunt
Matthew Roy Blunt served as the 54th Governor of Missouri from 2005 to 2009. Before his election as governor, Blunt served ten years in the United States Navy, was elected to serve in the Missouri General Assembly in 1998 and as Missouri's Secretary of State in 2000.A Republican, Blunt was elected...
| January 10, 2005
| January 12, 2009
| Republican
| bgcolor= |
| Peter Kinder
Peter Kinder
Peter D. Kinder is an American politician from the U.S. state of Missouri. He was elected Lieutenant Governor of Missouri in 2004 as Matt Blunt was elected Governor. Kinder was reelected in 2008 at the same time Jay Nixon was elected Governor. Kinder is a member of the Republican Party...
| 1
|-
| 55
| bgcolor= |
| Jay Nixon
Jay Nixon
Jeremiah Wilson "Jay" Nixon, Sr. is the 55th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Missouri. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as Missouri's Attorney General before his election in 2008.-Political career:...
| January 12, 2009
| "Incumbent"
| Democratic
| bgcolor= |
| Peter Kinder
| 1
|}
Missouri secessionMissouri secessionDuring the American Civil War, the secession of Missouri was controversial because of the disputed status of the state of Missouri . During the war, Missouri was claimed by both the Union and the Confederacy, had two competing state governments, and sent representatives to both the United States...
(Confederate)
Missouri was officially recognized as a Confederate state by the Confederate government and was represented in the Confederate Congress and by a star on the Confederate flag. During the War, Missouri was also claimed by the Union and had two competing state governments. This unusual situation also existed to some degree in the border state of Kentucky.- 1861-1862 - Claiborne Fox Jackson
- 1862-1865 - Thomas Caute ReynoldsThomas Caute ReynoldsThomas Caute Reynolds was a lawyer and politician. He was Lieutenant Governor of Missouri as the state considered secession and then was the second Confederate Governor of Missouri...
Missouri Provisional GovernmentMissouri Constitutional Convention (1861-63)The Missouri Constitutional Convention was a constitutional convention held in the state of Missouri during the American Civil War. The convention was elected in early 1861, and voted against secession...
(Union)
The first Missouri secession convention voted to remain in the Union in January 1861, but a series of military conflicts ensued. Missouri Unionists and the federal governmentFederal government
The federal government is the common government of a federation. The structure of federal governments varies from institution to institution. Based on a broad definition of a basic federal political system, there are two or more levels of government that exist within an established territory and...
eventually gained control of the state capitol and established a provisional state government in July that remained loyal to the Union. Meanwhile, the Missouri legislature, made up largely of Southern sympathizers, passed a resolution to secede and join the Confederacy, which was signed by Governor Jackson in October.
- 1861-64 - Hamilton Rowan Gamble
- 1864-65 - Willard Preble Hall
Other high offices held
This is a table of congressional, other governorships, and other federal offices held by governors. All representatives and senators mentioned represented Missouri except where noted. * denotes those offices which the governor resigned to take.{| class="wikitable"
!rowspan="2"|Name
!rowspan="2"|Gubernatorial term
!colspan="2"|U.S. Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
!rowspan="2"|Other offices held
|-
!House
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
!Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
|-
|Benjamin Howard
Benjamin Howard (Missouri)
Benjamin Howard was a Congressman from Kentucky, governor of Missouri Territory and a brigadier general in the War of 1812....
|1809–1812 (territorial)
|
|
|U.S. Representative from Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
|-
|John Miller
John Miller (Missouri)
John Miller was an American publisher and politician from St. Louis, Missouri. He was the fourth Governor of Missouri...
|1826–1832
|align="center"|H
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|John C. Edwards
John C. Edwards
John Cummins Edwards was the ninth Governor of Missouri from 1844 to 1848. He belonged to the Democratic Party. He was born in Frankfort, Kentucky and died in Stockton, California....
|1844–1848
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|Austin Augustus King
|1848–1853
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|Sterling Price
Sterling Price
Sterling Price was a lawyer, planter, and politician from the U.S. state of Missouri, who served as the 11th Governor of the state from 1853 to 1857. He also served as a United States Army brigadier general during the Mexican-American War, and a Confederate Army major general in the American Civil...
|1853–1857
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|Trusten Polk
Trusten Polk
Trusten Polk served as both the 12th Governor of Missouri in 1857 and U.S. Senator from 1857 to 1862.-Biography:...
|1857
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|Willard Preble Hall
Willard Preble Hall
William Willard Preble Hall was an American lawyer and politician. He served as the 17th Governor of Missouri from 1864 to 1865 during last years of the American Civil War.-Early years:...
|1864–1865
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|Joseph W. McClurg
Joseph W. McClurg
Joseph Washington McClurg was the 19th Governor of Missouri in the decade following the American Civil War. His stepfather was William Murphy.-Biography:...
|1869–1871
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|B. Gratz Brown
B. Gratz Brown
Benjamin Gratz Brown was an American politician. He was a Senator, the 20th Governor of Missouri, and the Liberal Republican and Democratic Party Vice presidential candidate in the presidential election of 1872.-Early life:...
|1871–1873
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|John S. Phelps
John S. Phelps
John Smith Phelps was a politician, soldier during the American Civil War, and the 23rd Governor of Missouri.-Early life and career:...
|1877–1881
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|Military Governor of Arkansas
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|Thomas Theodore Crittenden
Thomas Theodore Crittenden
Thomas Theodore Crittenden was a United States colonel during the American Civil War, and served as the 24th Governor of Missouri from 1881 to 1885.-Early life and education:...
|1881–1885
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|David R. Francis
David R. Francis
David Rowland Francis was an American politician. He served in various positions including Mayor of Saint Louis, the 27th Governor of Missouri, and United States Secretary of the Interior. He was the U.S. Ambassador to Russia between 1916 and 1917, during the Russian Revolution of 1917...
|1889–1893
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|Ambassador to Russia, U.S. Secretary of the Interior
United States Secretary of the Interior
The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
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|William J. Stone
William J. Stone
William Joel Stone was a Democratic politician from Missouri who represented his state in the United States House of Representatives from 1885 to 1891, and in the U.S...
|1893–1897
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|Alexander Monroe Dockery
Alexander Monroe Dockery
Alexander Monroe Dockery was a United States Representative and the 30th Governor of Missouri....
|1901–1905
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|Arthur M. Hyde
Arthur M. Hyde
Arthur Mastick Hyde was an American Republican politician who served as the 35th Governor of Missouri and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.-Biography:...
|1921–1925
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|U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
United States Secretary of Agriculture
The United States Secretary of Agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The current secretary is Tom Vilsack, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on 20 January 2009. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other...
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|Henry S. Caulfield
Henry S. Caulfield
Henry Stewart Caulfield was an American lawyer and Republican politician from St. Louis, Missouri. He represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 1907 to 1909 and was the 37th Governor of Missouri from 1929 to 1933...
|1929–1933
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|Forrest C. Donnell
Forrest C. Donnell
Forrest C. Donnell was a United States Senator and the 40th Governor of Missouri. He was a Republican.-Early life:Donnell was born in Quitman, Missouri....
|1941–1945
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|Christopher "Kit" Bond
Kit Bond
Christopher Samuel "Kit" Bond is a former United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, he defeated Democrat Harriett Woods by a margin of 53%-47%. He was re-elected in 1992, 1998, and 2004...
|1973–1977, 1981–1985
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|John Ashcroft
John Ashcroft
John David Ashcroft is a United States politician who served as the 79th United States Attorney General, from 2001 until 2005, appointed by President George W. Bush. Ashcroft previously served as the 50th Governor of Missouri and a U.S...
|1985–1993
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|U.S. Attorney General
United States Attorney General
The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
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|Mel Carnahan
Mel Carnahan
Melvin Eugene "Mel" Carnahan was an American politician. A Democrat, he served as the 51st Governor of Missouri from 1993 to 2000. He died in a plane crash on the Pevely and Hillsboro, Missouri border during a campaign for the U.S...
|1993–2000
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|Posthumously elected U.S. Senator
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Living former governors
, six former governors were alive, the oldest being Joseph P. TeasdaleJoseph P. Teasdale
Joseph Patrick Teasdale is an American politician. He served as the 48th Governor of Missouri from 1977 to 1981. He is member of the Democratic Party....
(1977–1981, born 1936). The most recent governor to die was Warren E. Hearnes
Warren E. Hearnes
Warren Eastman Hearnes was an American politician and the 46th Governor of Missouri from 1965 to 1973. He was the first Missouri Governor eligible to serve two consecutive four year terms, and a lifelong Democrat...
(1968–1973), August 16, 2009.
{| class="wikitable"
!Name!!Gubernatorial term!!Date of birth
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|Christopher "Kit" Bond
Kit Bond
Christopher Samuel "Kit" Bond is a former United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, he defeated Democrat Harriett Woods by a margin of 53%-47%. He was re-elected in 1992, 1998, and 2004...
|1973–1977, 1981–1985
|March 06, 1939 (age 72)
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|Joseph P. Teasdale
Joseph P. Teasdale
Joseph Patrick Teasdale is an American politician. He served as the 48th Governor of Missouri from 1977 to 1981. He is member of the Democratic Party....
|1977–1981
|March 29, 1936 (age 75)
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|John Ashcroft
John Ashcroft
John David Ashcroft is a United States politician who served as the 79th United States Attorney General, from 2001 until 2005, appointed by President George W. Bush. Ashcroft previously served as the 50th Governor of Missouri and a U.S...
|1985–1993
|May 09, 1942 (age 69)
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|Roger B. Wilson
Roger B. Wilson
Roger B. Wilson is an American politician who was the 52nd Governor of Missouri from October 16, 2000 to January 8, 2001. He is a Democrat.- Early Life and education :...
|2000–2001
|October 10, 1948 (age 63)
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|Bob Holden
Bob Holden
Robert Lee "Bob" Holden, Jr. is an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as the 53rd Governor of Missouri.-Early life:...
|2001–2005
|August 24, 1949 (age 62)
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|Matt Blunt
Matt Blunt
Matthew Roy Blunt served as the 54th Governor of Missouri from 2005 to 2009. Before his election as governor, Blunt served ten years in the United States Navy, was elected to serve in the Missouri General Assembly in 1998 and as Missouri's Secretary of State in 2000.A Republican, Blunt was elected...
|2005–2009
|November 20, 1970 (age 41)
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