# Adjutant General of New York

The Adjutant General of New York is the highest-ranking military official in the New York National Guard as the state adjutant general. The adjutant general is part of the state government's executive branch, and serves as head of the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs, which includes the New York Army National Guard, New York Air National Guard, the New York Guard, and the New York Naval Militia.
Adjutants general were originally selected by the state Council of Appointment. Since 1822 the adjutant general has been appointed by the Governor of New York. Adjutants general serve a four-year term and hold the rank of major general. In 1948, a newly-enacted law designated the senior National Guard leader in New York as Chief of Staff to the Governor. Legislation passed in 1988 changed the title back to adjutant general.
The first adjutant general of New York was Nicholas Fish, who was appointed on April 13, 1784. The current holder of the position is Raymond F. Shields Jr., who was appointed in 2018.

## Adjutants General of New York

* 71. Raymond F. Shields Jr., since 2018
* 70. Anthony P. German, 2016–2018
* 69. Patrick A. Murphy, 2010–2016
* 68. Joseph J. Taluto, 2006–2010
* 67. Thomas P. Maguire, 2001–2006
* 66. John H. Fenimore V, 1995–2001
* 65. Michael S. Hall, 1992–1995
* 64. Lawrence P. Flynn, 1986–1992
* 63. Vito J. Castellano, 1975–1986
* 62. John C. Baker, 1971–1975
* 61. Almerin C. O'Hara, 1959–1971
* 60. Ronald C. Brock, 1957–1959
* 59. Karl F. Hausauer, 1949–1957
* 58. Ames T. Brown, 1940–1949
* 57. Walter G. Robinson, 1934–1940
* 56. Franklin W. Ward, 1926–1934
* 55. Edward J. Westcott, 1923–1926
* 54. Charles W. Berry, 1923
* 53. J. Leslie Kincaid, 1920–1923
* 52. Charles W. Berry, 1919–1920
* 51. Charles H. Sherrill, 1917–1918
* 50. Louis W. Stotesbury, 1915–1917
* 49. Henry DeWitt Hamilton, 1913–1915
* 48. William Verbeck, 1910–1913
* 47. Nelson H. Henry, 1902–1910
* 46. Frederick Phisterer, 1901–1902
* 45. Edwin M. Hoffman, 1900–1901
* 44. Avery D. Andrews, 1899–1900
* 43. C. Whitney Tillinghast 2nd, 1897–1899
* 42. Edwin A. McAlpin, 1895–1897
* 41. Thomas H. McGrath, 1894–1895
* 40. Josiah Porter, 1886–1894
* 39. John G. Farnsworth, 1883–1886
* 38. Frederick Townsend, 1880–1883
* 37. John B. Woodward, 1879–1880
* 36. Franklin Townsend, 1875–1879
* 35. John F. Rathbone, 1873–1875
* 34. Franklin Townsend, 1869–1873
* 33. Selden E. Marvin, 1867–1869
* 32. William Irvine, 1865–1867
* 31. John T. Sprague, 1863–1865
* 30. Thomas Hillhouse, 1861–1863
* 29. John Meredith Read Jr., 1861
* 28. Frederick Townsend, 1857–1861
* 27. Robert H. Pruyn, 1855–1857
* 26. John Watts de Peyster, 1855
* 25. Isaac Vanderpoel, 1854–1855
* 24. Robert E. Temple, 1853–1854
* 23. L. Ward Smith, 1851–1853
* 22. Samuel Stevens, 1847–1851
* 21. Robert E. Temple, 1846–1847
* 20. Thomas Farrington, 1845–1846
* 19. Archibald C. Niven, 1843–1845
* 18. Lyman Sanford, 1843–1843
* 17. Rufus King, 1839–1843
* 16. Allan MacDonald, 1835–1837
* 15. Thomas W. Harman, 1835–1837
* 14. Levi Hubbell, 1833–1835
* 13. John Adams Dix, 1831–1833
* 12. Matthew H. Webster, 1830–1831
* 11. Nicholas F. Beck, 1825–1830
* 10. Charles G. Haines, 1824–1825
* 9. William K. Fuller, 1823–1824
* 8. William L. Marcy, 1821–1823
* 7. Solomon Van Rensselaer, 1813–1821
* 6. William Paulding Jr., 1811–1813
* 5. Solomon Van Rensselaer, 1810–1811
* 4. William Paulding Jr., 1809–1810
* 3. Solomon Van Rensselaer, 1801–1809
* 2. David Van Horne, 1793–1801
* 1. Nicholas Fish, 1784–1793. He was appointed as the first Adjutant General of New York on April 13, 1784.