List of governors of Tennessee - wikipedia List of governors of Tennessee Governor of Tennessee Flag of the Governor Incumbent Bill Haslam since January 15, 2011 Style The Honorable Residence Tennessee Governor 's Mansion Term length Four years, renewable once Inaugural holder John Sevier 1796 Salary $178,356 ( 2013 ) Website www.tn.gov/governor/ This is a list of people who have served as Governor of Tennessee. The governor 's term in office is limited by the Tennessee state constitution. The first constitution, enacted in 1796, set a term of two years for the governor and provided that no person could serve as governor for more than six years in any eight - year period. The term of office was lengthened to four years, without the possibility of consecutive terms, by constitutional amendments adopted in 1953. Under the current provisions of the state constitution, as amended in 1978, the governor is elected to a four - year term and may serve no more than two terms consecutively. For a period of nearly five decades in the 20th century, the Tennessee Democratic Party held the Tennessee governorship continuously. However, since 1967 no two successive governors have belonged to the same party. According to the Tennessee Blue Book, Tennessee has had 49 governors, including the incumbent, Bill Haslam. This tally does not include William Blount ( the territorial governor ) or Robert L. Caruthers ( who never took office ), though the Blue Book includes them in its list of governors. All governors are counted only once, regardless of number of terms served ( e.g., John Sevier is considered the 1st governor, rather than the 1st and 3rd governor ). The Blue Book does not include Edward H. East in its list of governors. Contents 1 Southwest Territory 2 State of Tennessee 3 Other high offices held by governors 4 Living former Governors of Tennessee 5 References 6 External links 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 # Portrait Governor ( Birth -- Death ) Term of Office Party State of Birth Occupation Notes William Blount ( 1749 -- 1800 ) September 20, 1790 -- March 30, 1796 Democratic - Republican NC Land speculator State of Tennessee Parties Democratic - Republican Democratic Whig Unionist / Military Republican # Portrait Governor ( Birth -- Death ) Term of Office Party State of Birth Occupation Lt. Governor Notes John Sevier ( 1745 -- 1815 ) March 30, 1796 -- September 23, 1801 Democratic - Republican VA Soldier, pioneer None Archibald Roane ( 1760 -- 1819 ) September 23, 1801 -- September 23, 1803 Democratic - Republican PA Lawyer John Sevier ( 1745 -- 1815 ) September 23, 1803 -- September 20, 1809 Democratic - Republican VA Soldier, pioneer Willie Blount ( 1768 -- 1835 ) September 20, 1809 -- September 27, 1815 Democratic - Republican NC Lawyer, planter Joseph McMinn ( 1758 -- 1824 ) September 27, 1815 -- October 1, 1821 Democratic - Republican PA Merchant 5 William Carroll ( 1788 -- 1844 ) October 1, 1821 -- October 1, 1827 Democratic - Republican PA Merchant, soldier 6 Sam Houston ( 1793 -- 1863 ) October 1, 1827 -- April 16, 1829 Democratic - Republican VA Lawyer 7 William Hall ( 1775 -- 1856 ) April 16, 1829 -- October 1, 1829 Democratic NC Planter, soldier 5 William Carroll ( 1788 -- 1844 ) October 1, 1829 -- October 12, 1835 Democratic PA Merchant, soldier 8 Newton Cannon ( 1781 -- 1841 ) October 12, 1835 -- October 14, 1839 Whig NC Planter 9 James K. Polk ( 1795 -- 1849 ) October 14, 1839 -- October 15, 1841 Democratic NC Lawyer / President 10 James C. Jones ( 1809 -- 1859 ) October 15, 1841 -- October 14, 1845 Whig TN Lawyer 11 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 Andrew Johnson ( 1808 -- 1875 ) October 17, 1853 -- November 3, 1857 Democratic NC Tailor, President 16 Isham G. Harris ( 1818 -- 1897 ) November 3, 1857 -- March 12, 1862 Democratic TN Lawyer, U.S. Senator 15 Andrew Johnson ( 1808 -- 1875 ) March 12, 1862 -- March 4, 1865 Unionist / Military NC Tailor, President -- Edward H. East ( 1830 -- 1904 ) March 4, 1865 -- April 5, 1865 Republican TN Lawyer 17 William G. Brownlow ( 1805 -- 1877 ) April 5, 1865 -- February 25, 1869 Republican VA Editor, preacher 18 Dewitt Clinton Senter ( 1830 -- 1898 ) February 25, 1869 -- October 10, 1871 Republican TN Lawyer 19 John C. Brown ( 1827 -- 1889 ) October 10, 1871 -- January 18, 1875 Democratic TN Lawyer 20 James D. Porter ( 1828 -- 1912 ) January 18, 1875 -- February 16, 1879 Democratic TN Lawyer, educator 21 Albert S. Marks ( 1836 -- 1891 ) February 16, 1879 -- January 17, 1881 Democratic KY Lawyer, chancellor 22 Alvin Hawkins ( 1821 -- 1905 ) January 17, 1881 -- January 15, 1883 Republican KY Lawyer, judge 23 William B. Bate ( 1826 -- 1905 ) January 15, 1883 -- January 17, 1887 Democratic TN Lawyer, U.S. Senator 24 Robert Love Taylor ( 1850 -- 1912 ) January 17, 1887 -- January 19, 1891 Democratic TN Lawyer, U.S. Senator 25 John P. Buchanan ( 1847 -- 1930 ) January 19, 1891 -- January 16, 1893 Democratic TN Farmer 26 Peter Turney ( 1827 -- 1903 ) January 16, 1893 -- January 21, 1897 Democratic TN Lawyer, judge 24 Robert Love Taylor ( 1850 -- 1912 ) January 21, 1897 -- January 16, 1899 Democratic TN Lawyer, U.S. Senator 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, U.S. Senator 29 John I. Cox ( 1855 -- 1946 ) March 21, 1905 -- January 17, 1907 Democratic TN Lawyer 30 Malcolm R. Patterson ( 1861 -- 1935 ) January 17, 1907 -- January 26, 1911 Democratic AL Lawyer, judge 31 Ben W. Hooper ( 1870 -- 1957 ) January 26, 1911 -- January 17, 1915 Republican TN Lawyer 32 Thomas C. Rye ( 1863 -- 1953 ) January 17, 1915 -- January 15, 1919 Democratic TN Lawyer, judge 33 Albert H. Roberts ( 1868 -- 1946 ) January 15, 1919 -- January 15, 1921 Democratic TN Lawyer, judge 34 Alfred A. Taylor ( 1848 -- 1931 ) January 15, 1921 -- January 16, 1923 Republican TN Lawyer 35 Austin Peay ( 1876 -- 1927 ) January 16, 1923 -- October 3, 1927 Democratic KY Lawyer 36 Henry Hollis Horton ( 1866 -- 1934 ) October 3, 1927 -- January 17, 1933 Democratic AL Lawyer, farmer 37 Hill McAlister ( 1875 -- 1959 ) January 17, 1933 -- January 15, 1937 Democratic TN Lawyer 38 Gordon Browning ( 1889 -- 1976 ) January 15, 1937 -- January 16, 1939 Democratic TN Lawyer, judge 39 Prentice Cooper ( 1895 -- 1969 ) January 16, 1939 -- January 16, 1945 Democratic TN Lawyer 40 Jim Nance McCord ( 1879 -- 1968 ) January 16, 1945 -- January 16, 1949 Democratic TN Editor 38 Gordon Browning ( 1889 -- 1976 ) January 16, 1949 -- January 15, 1953 Democratic TN Lawyer, Judge Walter M. Haynes 41 Frank G. Clement ( 1920 -- 1969 ) January 15, 1953 -- January 19, 1959 Democratic TN Lawyer Jared Maddux 42 Buford Ellington ( 1907 -- 1972 ) January 19, 1959 -- January 15, 1963 Democratic MS Farmer William D. Baird 41 Frank G. Clement ( 1920 -- 1969 ) January 15, 1963 -- January 16, 1967 Democratic TN Lawyer James L. Bomar, Jr. 42 Buford Ellington ( 1907 -- 1972 ) January 16, 1967 -- January 16, 1971 Democratic MS Farmer Jared Maddux 43 Winfield Dunn ( 1927 -- ) January 16, 1971 -- January 18, 1975 Republican MS Dentist Jared Maddux 44 Ray Blanton ( 1930 -- 1996 ) January 18, 1975 -- January 17, 1979 Democratic TN Farmer, businessman John S. Wilder 45 Lamar Alexander ( 1940 -- ) January 20, 1979 -- January 17, 1987 Republican TN Lawyer, US Senator John S. Wilder 46 Ned McWherter ( 1930 -- 2011 ) January 17, 1987 -- January 21, 1995 Democratic TN Businessman John S. Wilder 47 Don Sundquist ( 1936 -- ) January 21, 1995 -- January 18, 2003 Republican IL Businessman John S. Wilder 48 Phil Bredesen ( 1943 -- ) January 18, 2003 -- January 15, 2011 Democratic NJ Businessman John S. Wilder ( Democratic ) Ron Ramsey ( Republican ) 49 Bill Haslam ( 1958 -- ) January 15, 2011 -- Incumbent Republican TN Businessman Ron Ramsey Randy McNally Other high offices held by governors This is a table of congressional seats, other federal offices, and other governorships held by governors. All representatives and senators mentioned represented Tennessee except where noted. * denotes those offices which the governor resigned to take. Governor Gubernatorial term U.S. Congress Other offices held House Senate William Blount 1790 -- 1796 ( territorial ) Continental Congressman from North Carolina John Sevier 1796 -- 1801 1803 -- 1809 U.S. Representative from North Carolina ; Governor of the State of Franklin Sam Houston 1827 -- 1829 President of the Republic of Texas ; U.S. Senator from Texas ; Governor of Texas William Hall 1829 Newton Cannon 1835 -- 1839 James K. Polk 1839 -- 1841 11th President of the United States James C. Jones 1841 -- 1845 Aaron V. Brown 1845 -- 1847 United States Postmaster General Neill S. Brown 1847 -- 1849 United States Minister to Russia William Trousdale 1849 -- 1851 United States Minister to Brazil William B. Campbell 1851 -- 1853 Andrew Johnson 1853 -- 1857 1862 -- 1865 17th President of the United States ; 16th Vice President of the United States Isham G. Harris 1857 -- 1862 William G. Brownlow 1865 -- 1869 James D. Porter 1875 -- 1879 United States Minister to Chile William B. Bate 1883 -- 1887 Robert Love Taylor 1897 -- 1899 Benton McMillin 1899 -- 1903 United States Minister to Peru ; United States Minister to Guatemala James B. Frazier 1903 -- 1905 S * Malcolm R. Patterson 1907 -- 1911 Alfred A. Taylor 1921 -- 1923 Gordon Browning 1937 -- 1939 1949 -- 1953 Prentice Cooper 1939 -- 1945 United States Ambassador to Peru Jim Nance McCord 1945 -- 1949 Ray Blanton 1975 -- 1979 Lamar Alexander 1979 -- 1987 United States Secretary of Education Don Sundquist 1995 -- 2003 Living former governors of Tennessee As of January 2017, there are four former governors who are currently living at this time, the oldest being Winfield Dunn ( served 1971 -- 1975, born 1927 ). The most recent death of a former Tennessee governor was that of Ned McWherter ( served 1987 -- 1995, born 1930 ), on April 4, 2011, who is also the most recently serving governor to have died. Governor Gubernatorial term Date of birth ( and age ) Winfield Dunn 1971 -- 1975 ( 1927 - 07 - 01 ) July 1, 1927 ( age 90 ) Lamar Alexander 1979 -- 1987 ( 1940 - 07 - 03 ) July 3, 1940 ( age 77 ) Don Sundquist 1995 -- 2003 ( 1936 - 03 - 15 ) March 15, 1936 ( age 82 ) Phil Bredesen 2003 -- 2011 ( 1943 - 11 - 21 ) November 21, 1943 ( age 74 ) References Specific Jump up ^ `` CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries ''. The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2014. Jump up ^ Jonathan M. Atkins. `` William Carroll '' in Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture ( online edition ). Accessed January 27, 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` Government '', Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture Jump up ^ William Lyons, John M. Scheb, Billy Stair ( 2001 ). Government and politics in Tennessee. University of Tennessee Press. p. 48 -- 49. ISBN 978 - 1 - 57233 - 141 - 9. CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter ( link ) Jump up ^ `` Office of the Governor, '' Tennessee Blue Book ( 2011 -- 2012 ), p. 169. Jump up ^ `` Past Governors, '' Tennessee Blue Book ( 2011 -- 2012 ), pp. 547, 553. Jump up ^ Appointed governor by President George Washington Jump up ^ 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. Jump up ^ 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. Jump up ^ 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. Jump up ^ Peay is the only Governor of Tennessee to die in office and was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Henry Horton. General Tennessee portal Tennessee Government and Politics : Democracy in the Volunteer State p. 43, John R. Vile and Mark E. Byrnes. 1998, Vanderbilt University Press External links Tennessee Blue Book : Historical Listings of Constitutional Officers Tennessee Blue Book : Past Governors of Tennessee Years in Tennessee ( 1796 -- present ) 18th - 19th century 1796 1797 1798 1799 1800 1801 1802 1803 1804 1805 1806 1807 1808 1809 1810 1811 1812 1813 1814 1815 1816 1817 1818 1819 1820 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 20th century 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 21st century 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Chief executives of the United States Federal President of the United States State governors ( current list ) Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California list Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii list Idaho Illinois list Indiana list Iowa list Kansas Kentucky list Louisiana Maine list Maryland list Massachusetts Michigan list Minnesota list Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska list Nevada New Hampshire list New Jersey list New Mexico list New York list North Carolina list North Dakota list Ohio Oklahoma list Oregon list Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina list South Dakota list Tennessee list Texas list Utah Vermont list Virginia list Washington West Virginia Wisconsin list Wyoming Territorial ( current list ) American Samoa District of Columbia Guam Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico United States Virgin Islands Defunct Pre-state territories Panama Canal Zone Cuba Philippine Islands ( until 1935 ) Philippine Commonwealth ( until 1946 ) Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands Governors of Tennessee Sevier Roane Sevier Blount McMinn Carroll Houston Hall Carroll Cannon Polk Jones A. Brown N. Brown Trousdale Campbell Johnson Harris Johnson East Brownlow Senter J. Brown Porter Marks Hawkins Bate R. Taylor Buchanan Turney R. Taylor McMillin Frazier Cox Patterson Hooper Rye Roberts A. Taylor Peay Horton McAlister Browning Cooper McCord Browning Clement Ellington Clement Ellington Dunn Blanton Alexander McWherter Sundquist Bredesen Haslam State of Tennessee Nashville ( capital ) Topics History Geography Tennesseans African Americans Media Newspapers Radio TV Constitution Elections Governors Lieutenant Governors General Assembly Supreme Court Tennessee National Guard Law Enforcement Tourist attractions Seal of Tennessee Grand Divisions East Tennessee Middle Tennessee West Tennessee Regions Blue Ridge Mountains Cumberland Mountains Cumberland Plateau Highland Rim Mississippi Plain Nashville Basin Ridge - and - Valley Appalachians Tennessee Valley Tri-Cities Largest cities Bartlett Bristol Chattanooga Clarksville Cleveland Franklin Hendersonville Jackson Johnson City Kingsport Knoxville Memphis Murfreesboro Nashville Counties Anderson Bedford Benton Bledsoe Blount Bradley Campbell Cannon Carroll Carter Cheatham Chester Claiborne Clay Cocke Coffee Crockett Cumberland Davidson Decatur DeKalb Dickson Dyer Fayette Fentress Franklin Gibson Giles Grainger Greene Grundy Hamblen Hamilton Hancock Hardeman Hardin Hawkins Haywood Henderson Henry Hickman Houston Humphreys Jackson Jefferson Johnson Knox Lake Lauderdale Lawrence Lewis Lincoln Loudon Macon Madison Marion Marshall Maury McMinn McNairy Meigs Monroe Montgomery Moore Morgan Obion Overton Perry Pickett Polk Putnam Rhea Roane Robertson Rutherford Scott Sequatchie Sevier Shelby Smith Stewart Sullivan Sumner Tipton Trousdale Unicoi Union Van Buren Warren Washington Wayne Weakley White Williamson Wilson Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Governors_of_Tennessee&oldid=835633408 '' Categories : Lists of state governors of the United States Governors of Tennessee Lists of Tennessee politicians Political history of Tennessee Hidden categories : CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter Use mdy dates from September 2011 Articles containing potentially dated statements from January 2017 All articles containing potentially dated statements Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Français Bahasa Indonesia Latina Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Polski Português Slovenščina Svenska 4 more Edit links This page was last edited on 9 April 2018, at 21 : 17. 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Question: who was elected governor of tennessee in 1865
Answer: Edward H. East; Edward H. East; Edward H. East; Edward H. East