Milford chronicle., 1923-02-09
6 PRESIDENTS AND 49
GOVERNORS SINCE l776
8 Governors And l President Died
In Office /; l Governor Died Be-
fore He Could Be Inaugu-
rated; l Resigned.

! Delaware, in the course of a long
and honorable existence as one of the
States of the Union, has had no less
than fifty-fiVe Governors or chiefs. Six
of these heads of the state govern
ment were termed Presidents, while
the remainder have born the less-eX-
allied title of Governor.
One President died in Office, and
nine Governors. One Governor resign
ed. The last Governor to die in office
was Joshua H. Marvil, whose death
occurred April 8, 1895, after he had
served since January Is of the same
year.
One Governor, Henry MOlliston,
elected in 1919, died before he could
be inaugurated in January 1920. Gov
ernor Thomas Stockton died March 2,
1916, after Inauguration in January of
that year. He was succeeded, as was
the rule, by Joseph Maull, Speaker of
the Senate. Governor Maull died May
8 of the same year, 1876, and was
succeeded by the Speaker of the House,
William Temple.
Six Delaware Presidents
The six presidents of Delaware
were Caesar Rodney, John Dickinson,
John Cook, Nicholas Van Dyke, Thorn
as Collins and Joshua Clayton. 1t was
President Collins who died in Office,
March 20, 1889. All served under the
first Constitution of 1776.
There were fifteen Governors, elect
ed under the Constition of 1892, bU
twenty served. Those elected were:
Joshua Clayton, Cunning Bedford,
Richard Bassett, David Hall, Nathan
iel Mitchell, George Truitt, Joseph
Haslet, Daniel Rodney, John Clark,
Henry Molliston, John Collins, Joseph
Haslet, Samuel Paynter, Charles Polk
and Daniel Hazard. Cunning Bedford
died September 80, 1897, and was sue
ceeded by Daniel Rogers, Speaker Of
the House, Richard Bassett resigned
in March, 1901, and was succeeded by
James Sykes, Speaker of the Senate.
Henry Molliston, dying before he could
be inaugurated was succeeded by ia
cob Stout, Speaker of the Senate. John
Collins died in April, 1922, and was
succeeded by Caleb Rodney, Speaker
of the Senate. Joseph Haslet died June
%, 1928, and was followed in Office by
Charles Thomas, Speaker of the Sen
ate.
The term of Office under the 1892
Constitution was three years.
Some Famous Governors
Under the Constitution of 1882,
there were seventeen Governors elect |
for term of four years each, while
twenty-five in all served. Those elect |
ed were Caleb P. Bennett, Cornelius p.
Comegys, William B. Cooper, Thomas
William Tharp, William H.
Ross, Peter F. Causey, William Bur-
ton, William Cannon, Cove Salisbury,
James Ponder, John P. Cochran, John
w. Hall, Charles C. Stockley, Benjam-
in T. Biggs, Robert J. Reynolds and
Joshua H. MarVil.
Caleb P. Bennett died July IL, 1886 |
and was succeeded by Charles Polk, |
of the Senate. Thomas Stock
ton was succeeded by Joseph Maull,
Speaker of the Senate, and Governor
Maull in turn was succeeded, after his
death, by William Temple, Speaker of
the House. William Cannon, the War |
Governor, died March 1, 1865, and was
succeeded by Cove Salisbury, Speaker
O fthe Senate. Governor Marvil died
April 8, 1895, and was succeeded by
William T. Watson, Speaker of the
Senate.
There have been seven Governors
under the Constitution of 1897. They |
are Ebe w. Tunnel, John Hum, Pres
ton E. Lea, Simeon S. Pennewill,
Charles R. Miller, John G. Townsend, !
Jr., and William D. Denney.-Sunday
Cfor