List of governors of Missouri - wikipedia List of governors of Missouri Governor of Missouri Seal of Missouri Incumbent Mike Parson since June 1, 2018 Style The Honorable Residence Missouri Governor 's Mansion Term length Four years, renewable once ( maximumly lifetime ) Inaugural holder Alexander McNair Formation Constitution of Missouri Salary $133,821 ( 2013 ) Website governor.mo.gov Following is a list of Governors of Missouri since its territory became part of the United States. Number of Governors of Missouri by party affiliation Party Governors Democratic 38 Republican 15 Democratic - Republican Liberal Republican Missouri was part of the Louisiana Purchase, 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 Republican Mike Parson. Contents 1 Governors 1.1 Commandant of Louisiana 1.2 Governor of the District of Louisiana 1.3 Governors of Louisiana Territory and Missouri Territory 1.4 Governors of Missouri 1.5 Civil War 1.5. 1 Missouri secession ( Confederate ) 1.5. 2 Missouri Provisional Government ( Union ) 1.6 Notes 2 Other high offices held 3 Living former U.S. governors of Missouri 4 References 5 External links Governors Commandant of Louisiana # Picture Commandant Took office Left office Appointed by Amos Stoddard March 10, 1804 October 1, 1804 Thomas Jefferson 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 parallel 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. # Picture Governor Took office Left office Appointed by William Henry Harrison October 1, 1804 July 4, 1805 Thomas Jefferson Governors of Louisiana Territory 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 Louisiana. 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. # Picture Governor Took office Left office Appointed by James Wilkinson July 4, 1805 March 3, 1807 Thomas Jefferson Meriwether Lewis March 3, 1807 October 11, 1809 Thomas Jefferson Benjamin Howard April 17, 1810 October 31, 1812 James Madison William Clark July 1, 1813 September 18, 1820 James Madison James Monroe Governors of Missouri Parties Democratic - Republican ( 3 ) Democratic ( 38 ) Republican ( 15 ) Liberal Republican ( 1 ) # Portrait Governor Took office Left office Party Lieutenant Governor Terms Alexander McNair September 18, 1820 November 15, 1824 Democratic - Republican William Henry Ashley Frederick Bates November 15, 1824 August 4, 1825 Democratic - Republican Benjamin Harrison Reeves ​ ⁄ Abraham J. Williams August 4, 1825 January 20, 1826 Democratic - Republican Vacant ​ ⁄ John Miller January 20, 1826 November 19, 1832 Democratic Daniel Dunklin ​ 1 ⁄ 5 Daniel Dunklin November 19, 1832 September 30, 1836 Democratic Lilburn W. Boggs ​ ⁄ 6 Lilburn Boggs September 30, 1836 November 16, 1840 Democratic Franklin Cannon ​ 1 ⁄ 7 Thomas Reynolds November 16, 1840 February 9, 1844 Democratic Meredith Miles Marmaduke ​ ⁄ 8 Meredith Miles Marmaduke February 9, 1844 November 20, 1844 Democratic Vacant ​ ⁄ 9 John C. Edwards November 20, 1844 November 20, 1848 Democratic James Young 10 Austin Augustus King November 20, 1848 January 3, 1853 Democratic Thomas Lawson Price 11 Sterling Price January 3, 1853 January 5, 1857 Democratic Wilson Brown 12 Trusten Polk January 5, 1857 February 27, 1857 Democratic Hancock Lee Jackson ​ ⁄ 13 Hancock Lee Jackson February 27, 1857 October 22, 1857 Democratic Vacant ​ ⁄ 14 Robert Marcellus Stewart October 22, 1857 January 3, 1861 Democratic Hancock Lee Jackson ​ ⁄ 15 Claiborne Fox Jackson January 3, 1861 July 23, 1861 Democratic Thomas Caute Reynolds ​ ⁄ 16 Hamilton Rowan Gamble July 31, 1861 January 31, 1864 Republican Willard Preble Hall ​ ⁄ 17 Willard Preble Hall January 31, 1864 January 2, 1865 Republican Vacant ​ ⁄ 18 Thomas Clement Fletcher January 2, 1865 January 12, 1869 Republican George Rappeen Smith 19 Joseph W. McClurg January 12, 1869 January 4, 1871 Republican Edwin O. Stanard 20 B. Gratz Brown January 4, 1871 January 3, 1873 Liberal Republican Joseph J. Gravely 21 Silas Woodson January 3, 1873 January 12, 1875 Democratic Charles Phillip Johnson 22 Charles Henry Hardin January 12, 1875 January 8, 1877 Democratic Norman Jay Coleman 23 John Smith Phelps January 8, 1877 January 10, 1881 Democratic Henry Clay Brockmeyer 24 Thomas Theodore Crittenden January 10, 1881 January 12, 1885 Democratic Robert Alexander Campbell 25 John S. Marmaduke January 12, 1885 December 28, 1887 Democratic Albert P. Morehouse ​ ⁄ 26 Albert P. Morehouse December 28, 1887 January 14, 1889 Democratic Vacant ​ ⁄ 27 David R. Francis January 14, 1889 January 9, 1893 Democratic Stephen Hugh Claycomb 28 William J. Stone January 9, 1893 January 11, 1897 Democratic John Baptiste O'Meara 29 Lawrence Vest Stephens January 11, 1897 January 14, 1901 Democratic August Henry Bolte 30 Alexander Monroe Dockery January 14, 1901 January 9, 1905 Democratic John Adams Lee Thomas L. Rubey 31 Joseph W. Folk January 9, 1905 January 11, 1909 Democratic John C. McKinley 32 Herbert S. Hadley January 9, 1909 January 13, 1913 Republican Jacob Friedrich Gmelich 33 Elliot Woolfolk Major January 13, 1913 January 8, 1917 Democratic William Rock Painter 34 Frederick D. Gardner January 8, 1917 January 10, 1921 Democratic Wallace Crossley 35 Arthur M. Hyde January 10, 1921 January 12, 1925 Republican Hiram Lloyd 36 Samuel Aaron Baker January 12, 1925 January 14, 1929 Republican Phillip Allen Bennett 37 Henry S. Caulfield January 14, 1929 January 9, 1933 Republican Edward Henry Winter 38 Guy Brasfield Park January 9, 1933 January 11, 1937 Democratic Frank Gaines Harris 39 Lloyd C. Stark January 11, 1937 February 26, 1941 Democratic Frank Gaines Harris 40 Forrest C. Donnell February 26, 1941 January 8, 1945 Republican Frank Gaines Harris 41 Phil M. Donnelly January 8, 1945 January 10, 1949 Democratic Walter Naylor Davis 42 Forrest Smith January 10, 1949 January 12, 1953 Democratic James T. Blair, Jr. 43 Phil M. Donnelly January 12, 1953 January 14, 1957 Democratic James T. Blair, Jr. 44 James T. Blair, Jr. January 14, 1957 January 9, 1961 Democratic Edward V. Long 45 John M. Dalton January 9, 1961 January 11, 1965 Democratic Hilary A. Bush 46 Warren E. Hearnes January 11, 1965 January 8, 1973 Democratic Thomas F. Eagleton William S. Morris 47 Kit Bond January 8, 1973 January 10, 1977 Republican William C. Phelps 48 Joseph P. Teasdale January 10, 1977 January 12, 1981 Democratic William C. Phelps 49 Kit Bond January 12, 1981 January 14, 1985 Republican Kenneth J. Rothman 50 John Ashcroft January 14, 1985 January 11, 1993 Republican Harriett Woods Mel Carnahan 51 Mel Carnahan January 11, 1993 October 16, 2000 Democratic Roger B. Wilson ​ 1 ⁄ 52 Roger B. Wilson October 16, 2000 January 8, 2001 Democratic Joe Maxwell ​ ⁄ 53 Bob Holden January 8, 2001 January 10, 2005 Democratic Joe Maxwell 54 Matt Blunt January 10, 2005 January 12, 2009 Republican Peter Kinder 55 Jay Nixon January 12, 2009 January 9, 2017 Democratic Peter Kinder 56 Eric Greitens January 9, 2017 June 1, 2018 Republican Mike Parson 57 Mike Parson June 1, 2018 Incumbent Republican Vacant N / A Civil war Missouri, a slave state, was a border state during the Civil War under Union control. However, it 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. There were two competing governments for the course of the war. The Emancipation Proclamation did not consider Missouri a seceding state, therefore it was not part of Reconstruction. The Missouri Provisional Government is considered the official one on this list. Missouri secession ( Confederate ) 1861 -- 1862 : Claiborne Jackson 1862 -- 1865 : Thomas Caute Reynolds Missouri Provisional Government ( Union ) 1861 -- 64 : Hamilton Rowan Gamble 1864 -- 65 : Willard Preble Hall Notes A. ^ Table only includes state governors. 52 people have served as governor, two twice ; the table includes these non-consecutive terms as well. B. ^ Wilkinson was removed from office by President Thomas Jefferson due to heavy criticism regarding his actions as governor and suspected involvement in the Aaron Burr conspiracy. C. Died in office. D. ^ Lewis committed suicide or was murdered in Tennessee while en route to Washington to answer complaints about his actions as governor. E. ^ Howard resigned from office to accept a commission as brigadier general of the Eighth Military Department. F. ^ Vacancies in the office of the lieutenant governor are only listed if they lasted for the entire term. For a complete list of vacancies, see List of Lieutenant Governors of Missouri. G. ^ The fractional terms of some governors are not to be understood absolutely literally ; rather, they are meant to show single terms during which multiple governors served, due to resignations, deaths and the like. H. ^ As president of the state senate, Williams succeeded to the governorship and filled unexpired gubernatorial term of Bates until a special election could be held. The office of lieutenant governor had been vacant following the resignation of Reeves in July 1865. I. Elected in a special election. J. ^ Dunklin resigned from office to be Surveyor General of Missouri and Illinois. K. ^ Lieutenant governor Boggs succeeded to governorship and filled the unexpired gubernatorial term of Dunklin and was later elected governor in his own right. L. Lieutenant governor succeeded to governorship, to filled unexpired gubernatorial term. M. ^ Polk resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate. N. ^ Lieutenant governor succeeded to governorship and filled unexpired gubernatorial term until a special election could be held. O. ^ The Missouri state convention declared the executive department of the state had expatriated itself and their offices vacant. Jackson had fled the capital and aligned himself with the Confederacy. P. ^ Gamble was elected the provisional governor of Missouri by the state convention. Q. ^ Stark stayed on as governor beyond the scheduled January 13 departure because the election of Donnell was challenged by the Missouri House of Representative. R. ^ The Missouri House of Representatives refused to certify the election of Donnell on his scheduled January 13 inauguration until being ordered to do so by the Missouri Supreme Court after the House challenged the election which Donnell won by 3,613 votes. S. ^ Wilson assumed office at 1 : 10 AM after Carnahan 's body had been formally identified. The date is muddied by online resources which give conflicting dates. The National Governors Association biography lists October 18 as the start date. However, a New York Times article entitled `` Pilot Sought Better Weather Before Crash, '' implies that the swearing in occurred on October 18 or perhaps even on October 19. The article was published on October 19 and it says the official change occurred at 1 : 10 AM, immediately after Carnahan was identified. 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. Governor Gubernatorial term U.S. Congress Other offices held House Senate Benjamin Howard 1809 -- 1812 ( territorial ) U.S. Representative from Kentucky John Miller 1826 -- 1832 John C. Edwards 1844 -- 1848 Austin Augustus King 1848 -- 1853 Sterling Price 1853 -- 1857 Trusten Polk 1857 S * Willard Preble Hall 1864 -- 1865 Joseph W. McClurg 1869 -- 1871 B. Gratz Brown 1871 -- 1873 John S. Phelps 1877 -- 1881 Military Governor of Arkansas Thomas Theodore Crittenden 1881 -- 1885 David R. Francis 1889 -- 1893 Ambassador to Russia, U.S. Secretary of the Interior William J. Stone 1893 -- 1897 Alexander Monroe Dockery 1901 -- 1905 Arthur M. Hyde 1921 -- 1925 U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Henry S. Caulfield 1929 -- 1933 Forrest C. Donnell 1941 -- 1945 Kit Bond 1973 -- 1977 1981 -- 1985 John Ashcroft 1985 -- 1993 U.S. Attorney General Mel Carnahan 1993 -- 2000 Posthumously elected U.S. Senator Living former U.S. governors of Missouri As of June 2018, there are seven former U.S. governors of Missouri who are currently living, the oldest U.S. governor of Missouri being Kit Bond ( served 1973 -- 1977 and 1981 -- 1985, born 1939 ). The most recent U.S. governor of Missouri to die was Joseph P. Teasdale ( served 1977 -- 1981, born 1936 ) on May 8, 2014. The most recently serving U.S. governor of Missouri to die was Mel Carnahan, who served from January 11, 1993 until his death in a plane crash at the age of sixty - six on October 16, 2000. Governor Gubernatorial term Date of birth ( and age ) Kit Bond 1973 -- 1977 1981 -- 1985 ( 1939 - 03 - 06 ) March 6, 1939 ( age 79 ) John Ashcroft 1985 -- 1993 ( 1942 - 05 - 09 ) May 9, 1942 ( age 76 ) Roger B. Wilson 2000 -- 2001 ( 1948 - 10 - 10 ) October 10, 1948 ( age 69 ) Bob Holden 2001 -- 2005 ( 1949 - 08 - 24 ) August 24, 1949 ( age 68 ) Matt Blunt 2005 -- 2009 ( 1970 - 11 - 20 ) November 20, 1970 ( age 47 ) Jay Nixon 2009 -- 2017 ( 1956 - 02 - 13 ) February 13, 1956 ( age 62 ) Eric Greitens 2017 -- 2018 ( 1974 - 04 - 10 ) April 10, 1974 ( age 44 ) References General `` Missouri History - Governors ''. Missouri Secretary of State. Retrieved 2008 - 09 - 11. `` Missouri History - Lieutenant Governors ''. Missouri Secretary of State. Retrieved 2008 - 09 - 11. Constitutions `` 1945 Constitution of the State of Missouri '' ( PDF ). Missouri Secretary of State. 2007. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 2008 - 10 - 29. Retrieved 2008 - 09 - 11. Thorpe, Francis Newton ( 1909 ). The Federal and State Constitutions : Colonial Charters, and Other Organic Laws of the States, Territories, and Colonies, Now Or Heretofore Forming the United States of America. IV. Washington : Government Printing Office. Retrieved 2008 - 09 - 12. Constitution of Missouri -- 1820 Constitution of Missouri -- 1865 Constitution of Missouri -- 1875 Specific Jump up ^ `` CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries ''. The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2014. ^ Jump up to : Shoemaker, Floyd Calvin ( 1916 ). Missouri 's Struggle for Statehood, 1804 - 1821. Jefferson City : The Hugh Stephens Printing Co. OCLC 4014912. Retrieved 2008 - 09 - 16. Jump up ^ Houck, Louis ( 1908 ). A History of Missouri from the Earliest Explorations and Settlements Until the Admission of the State Into the Union. 2. Chicago : R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company. OCLC 1199284. Retrieved 2008 - 09 - 17. Jump up ^ Lewis, Meriwether ; Clark, William ; Coues, Elliott ; Jefferson, Thomas ( 1893 ). History of the Expedition Under the Command of Lewis and Clark. 1. New York : Francis P. Harper. OCLC 302121. Retrieved 2008 - 09 - 17. Jump up ^ Herndon, Dallas Tabor ( 1922 ). Centennial History of Arkansas. 1. Chicago, Little Rock : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company. p. 138. ISBN 978 - 0 - 89308 - 068 - 6. OCLC 11549182. Jump up ^ `` POLK, Trusten ''. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 2008 - 09 - 17. ^ Jump up to : Journal of the Missouri State Convention Held at Jefferson City, July, 1861. St. Louis : George Knapp & Co., Printers and Binders. 1861. OCLC 2650423. Retrieved 2008 - 09 - 18. ^ Jump up to : `` Politics In Missouri ''. The New York Times. 1941 - 02 - 22. ^ Jump up to : `` Orders Donnell Seated ''. The New York Times. 1941 - 02 - 20. Jump up ^ Bellamy, Clayton ( 2000 - 10 - 17 ). `` Missouri Gov Mel Carnahan Killed In Plane Crash ''. Stateline.org. Retrieved 2008 - 09 - 17. Jump up ^ Fountain, John W. ( 2000 - 10 - 19 ). `` Pilot Sought Better Weather Before Crash ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 2008 - 09 - 17. Jump up ^ `` PHELPS, John S ''. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 2008 - 09 - 17. External links Official website Publications by or about the Office of the Governor of Missouri at Internet Archive. 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Genevieve Saline Schuyler Scotland Scott Shannon Shelby Stoddard Stone Sullivan Taney Texas Vernon Warren Washington Wayne Webster Worth Wright Missouri statewide elected officials Governor Lieutenant Governor Secretary of State Attorney General Treasurer Auditor Years in Missouri ( 1821 -- present ) 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Governors_of_Missouri&oldid=844161875 '' Categories : Lists of state governors of the United States Governors of Missouri Lists of territorial governors of the United States Lists of Missouri politicians State constitutional officers of Missouri Hidden categories : Articles containing potentially dated statements from June 2018 All articles containing potentially dated statements Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Français Latina Magyar Nederlands Norsk Polski Română Slovenščina Svenska 3 more Edit links This page was last edited on 3 June 2018, at 01 : 40. 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Question: who was the first governor of the state of missouri
Answer: Alexander McNair