List of governors of Tennessee

This is a list of people who have served as Governor of Tennessee.

Southwest Territory

The Territory South of the River Ohio, commonly called the Southwest Territory, was formed in 1790 from lands ceded by North Carolina to the United States government. The territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Tennessee in 1796.

Parties

Democratic-Republican

#	Picture	Governor (Birth–Death)		Term of Office	Party	State of Birth	Occupation	Notes
1	File:William-blount-wb-cooper.jpg		William Blount (1749–1800)	September 20, 1790 – March 30, 1796	Democratic-Republican	NC	Land speculator	^[1]

State of Tennessee

Parties

Democratic-Republican Democratic Whig Unionist/Military Republican

#^[2]	Picture	Governor (Birth–Death)		Term of Office	Party	State of Birth	Occupation	Lt. Governor		Notes
1	100px		John Sevier (1745–1815)	March 30, 1796 – September 23, 1801	Democratic-Republican	VA	Soldier, farmer	None
2	100px		Archibald Roane (1760–1819)	September 23, 1801 – September 23, 1803	Democratic-Republican	PA	Lawyer
1	100px		John Sevier (1745–1815)	September 23, 1803 – September 20, 1809	Democratic-Republican	VA	Soldier, farmer
3	100px		Willie Blount (1768–1835)	September 20, 1809 – September 27, 1815	Democratic-Republican	NC	Lawyer, planter
4	100px		Joseph McMinn (1758–1824)	September 27, 1815 – October 1, 1821	Democratic-Republican	PA	Merchant
5	100px		William Carroll (1788–1844)	October 1, 1821 – October 1, 1827	Democratic-Republican	PA	Merchant, soldier
6	100px		Sam Houston (1793–1863)	October 1, 1827 – April 16, 1829	Democratic-Republican	VA	Lawyer
7	100px		William Hall (1775–1856)	April 16, 1829 – October 1, 1829	Democratic	NC	Planter, soldier
5	100px		William Carroll (1788–1844)	October 1, 1829 – October 12, 1835	Democratic	PA	Merchant, soldier
8	100px		Newton Cannon (1781–1841)	October 12, 1835 – October 14, 1839	Whig	NC	Planter
9	100px		James K. Polk (1795–1849)	October 14, 1839 – October 15, 1841	Democratic	NC	Lawyer, politician
10	100px		James C. Jones (1809–1859)	October 15, 1841 – October 14, 1845	Whig	TN	Lawyer
11	100px		Aaron V. Brown (1795–1859)	October 14, 1845 – October 17, 1847	Democratic	VA	Lawyer
12			Neill S. Brown (1810–1886)	October 17, 1847 – October 16, 1849	Whig	TN	Lawyer
13			William Trousdale (1790–1872)	October 16, 1849 – October 16, 1851	Democratic	NC	Lawyer
14			William B. Campbell (1807–1867)	October 16, 1851 – October 17, 1853	Whig	TN	Lawyer
15	100px		Andrew Johnson (1808–1875)	October 17, 1853 – November 3, 1857	Democratic	NC	Tailor, lawyer, politician
16			Isham G. Harris (1818–1897)	November 3, 1857 – March 12, 1862	Democratic	TN	Lawyer, politician			^[3]
15	100px	style="background: Template:United States political party color;"\|	Andrew Johnson (1808–1875)	March 12, 1862 – March 4, 1865	Unionist/Military	NC	Lawyer, politician
—	100px		Edward H. East (1830–1904)	March 4, 1865 – April 5, 1865	Republican	TN	Lawyer			^[4]
17	100px		William G. Brownlow (1805–1877)	April 5, 1865 – February 25, 1869	Republican	VA	Editor, preacher
18	100px		Dewitt Clinton Senter (1830–1898)	February 25, 1869 – October 10, 1871	Republican	TN	Lawyer
19	100px		John C. Brown (1827–1889)	October 10, 1871 – January 18, 1875	Democratic	TN	Lawyer
20	100px		James D. Porter (1828–1912)	January 18, 1875 – February 16, 1879	Democratic	TN	Lawyer, educator
21	100px		Albert S. Marks (1836–1891)	February 16, 1879 – January 17, 1881	Democratic	KY	Lawyer, judge
22	File:Hawkins-alvin-by-wb-cooper.jpg		Alvin Hawkins (1821–1905)	January 17, 1881 – January 15, 1883	Republican	KY	Lawyer, judge
23	File:William Bate.jpg		William B. Bate (1826–1905)	January 15, 1883 – January 17, 1887	Democratic	TN	Lawyer, politician
24	100px		Robert Love Taylor (1850–1912)	January 17, 1887 – January 19, 1891	Democratic	TN	Lawyer, politician
25	100px		John P. Buchanan (1847–1930)	January 19, 1891 – January 16, 1893	Democratic	TN	Farmer
26	100px		Peter Turney (1827–1903)	January 16, 1893 – January 21, 1897	Democratic	TN	Lawyer, judge
24	100px		Robert Love Taylor (1850–1912)	January 21, 1897 – January 16, 1899	Democratic	TN	Lawyer, politician
27			Benton McMillin (1845–1933)	January 16, 1899 – January 19, 1903	Democratic	KY	Lawyer, diplomat
28			James B. Frazier (1856–1937)	January 19, 1903 – March 21, 1905	Democratic	TN	Lawyer, politician
29			John I. Cox (1855–1946)	March 21, 1905 – January 17, 1907	Democratic	TN	Lawyer
30	100px		Malcolm R. Patterson (1861–1935)	January 17, 1907 – January 26, 1911	Democratic	AL	Lawyer, judge
31	File:Hooper-ben-by-bain.jpg		Ben W. Hooper (1870–1957)	January 26, 1911 – January 17, 1915	Republican	TN	Lawyer
32	100px		Thomas C. Rye (1863–1953)	January 17, 1915 – January 15, 1919	Democratic	TN	Lawyer, judge
33	100px		Albert H. Roberts (1868–1946)	January 15, 1919 – January 15, 1921	Democratic	TN	Lawyer, judge
34	File:Alfred-alexander-taylor-tn2.jpg		Alfred A. Taylor (1848–1931)	January 15, 1921 – January 16, 1923	Republican	TN	Lawyer
35	100px		Austin Peay (1876–1927)	January 16, 1923 – October 3, 1927	Democratic	KY	Lawyer			^[5]
36	100px		Henry Hollis Horton (1866–1934)	October 3, 1927 – January 17, 1933	Democratic	AL	Lawyer, farmer
37	100px		Hill McAlister (1875–1959)	January 17, 1933 – January 15, 1937	Democratic	TN	Lawyer
38	100px		Gordon Browning (1889–1976)	January 15, 1937 – January 16, 1939	Democratic	TN	Lawyer, judge
39	100px		Prentice Cooper (1895–1969)	January 16, 1939 – January 16, 1945	Democratic	TN	Lawyer
40	100px		Jim Nance McCord (1879–1968)	January 16, 1945 – January 16, 1949	Democratic	TN	Editor
38	100px		Gordon Browning (1889–1976)	January 16, 1949 – January 15, 1953	Democratic	TN	Lawyer, judge
38	100px		Gordon Browning (1889–1976)	January 16, 1949 – January 15, 1953	Democratic	TN	Lawyer, judge		Walter M. Haynes
41	File:Frank Goad Clement Tennessee Governor.jpg		Frank G. Clement (1920–1969)	January 15, 1953 – January 19, 1959	Democratic	TN	Lawyer		Jared Maddux
42	100px		Buford Ellington (1907–1972)	January 19, 1959 – January 15, 1963	Democratic	MS	Farmer		William D. Baird
41	File:Frank Goad Clement Tennessee Governor.jpg		Frank G. Clement (1920–1969)	January 15, 1963 – January 16, 1967	Democratic	TN	Lawyer		James L. Bomar, Jr.
41	File:Frank Goad Clement Tennessee Governor.jpg		Frank G. Clement (1920–1969)	January 15, 1963 – January 16, 1967	Democratic	TN	Lawyer		Jared Maddux
42	100px		Buford Ellington (1907–1972)	January 16, 1967 – January 16, 1971	Democratic	MS	Farmer		Frank Gorrell
43	100px		Winfield Dunn (b. 1927)	January 16, 1971 – January 18, 1975	Republican	MS	Dentist		John S. Wilder
44	100px		Ray Blanton (1930–1996)	January 18, 1975 – January 17, 1979	Democratic	TN	Farmer, businessman
45	File:Lamar Alexander black and white photo.jpg		Lamar Alexander (b. 1940)	January 20, 1979 – January 17, 1987	Republican	TN	Lawyer, politician
46	100px		Ned McWherter (1930–2011)	January 17, 1987 – January 21, 1995	Democratic	TN	Businessman
47	100px		Don Sundquist (b. 1936)	January 21, 1995 – January 18, 2003	Republican	IL	Businessman
48	100px		Phil Bredesen (b. 1943)	January 18, 2003 – January 15, 2011	Democratic	NJ	Businessman
48	100px		Phil Bredesen (b. 1943)	January 18, 2003 – January 15, 2011	Democratic	NJ	Businessman		Ron Ramsey
49	File:Governor Bill Haslam crop.jpg		Bill Haslam (b. 1958)	January 15, 2011 – January 19, 2019	Republican	TN	Businessman		Ron Ramsey
49	File:Governor Bill Haslam crop.jpg		Bill Haslam (b. 1958)	January 15, 2011 – January 19, 2019	Republican	TN	Businessman		Randy McNally
50	100px		Bill Lee (b. 1959)	January 19, 2019 – present	Republican	TN	Businessman		Randy McNally

References

↑ Appointed governor by President George Washington
↑ Numbering of the Governors was deduced from the fact that the document at www.tn.gov/sos/bluebook/11-12/2_ExecutiveBranch.pdf identifies Bill Haslam as Tennessee's 49th Governor. Governors who served multiple non-consecutive terms have their numbers repeated in italics in subsequent terms.
↑ Harris continued issuing edicts as governor throughout the Civil War. Confederate Tennesseans elected Robert L. Caruthers as Harris's successor in 1863, but Caruthers never took office.
↑ East was Tennessee Secretary of State from 1862–1865, appointed by Andrew Johnson, the military governor of the state under Union occupation during the Civil War. After Johnson was inaugurated as Vice President of the United States on March 4, 1865, East became the Acting Governor of Tennessee until William G. Brownlow, the "elected" governor of Tennessee, was inaugurated on April 5, 1865. The official Tennessee Blue Book does not include East in its list of former governors.
↑ Peay was the only Governor of Tennessee to die in office, and was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Henry Horton.

This short article about politics can be made longer. You can help Wikipedia by adding to it.

[1] Appointed governor by President George Washington

[2] Numbering of the Governors was deduced from the fact that the document at www.tn.gov/sos/bluebook/11-12/2_ExecutiveBranch.pdf identifies Bill Haslam as Tennessee's 49th Governor. Governors who served multiple non-consecutive terms have their numbers repeated in italics in subsequent terms.

[3] Harris continued issuing edicts as governor throughout the Civil War. Confederate Tennesseans elected Robert L. Caruthers as Harris's successor in 1863, but Caruthers never took office.

[4] East was Tennessee Secretary of State from 1862–1865, appointed by Andrew Johnson, the military governor of the state under Union occupation during the Civil War. After Johnson was inaugurated as Vice President of the United States on March 4, 1865, East became the Acting Governor of Tennessee until William G. Brownlow, the "elected" governor of Tennessee, was inaugurated on April 5, 1865. The official Tennessee Blue Book does not include East in its list of former governors.

[5] Peay was the only Governor of Tennessee to die in office, and was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Henry Horton.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]