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

#PictureGovernorTerm of OfficePartyState of BirthOccupationNotes1100px William BlountSeptember 20, 1790–March 30, 1796Democratic-RepublicanNCLand speculatorAppointed governor by President George Washington

State of Tennessee

 Parties 


#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.PictureGovernorTerm of OfficePartyState of BirthOccupationLt. GovernorNotes2100px John SevierMarch 30, 1796–September 23, 1801Democratic-RepublicanVASoldier, farmerNone3100px Archibald RoaneSeptember 23, 1801–September 23, 1803Democratic-RepublicanPALawyer4100px John SevierSeptember 23, 1803–September 20, 1809Democratic-RepublicanVASoldier, farmer5100px Willie BlountSeptember 20, 1809–September 27, 1815Democratic-RepublicanNCLawyer, planter6100px Joseph McMinnSeptember 27, 1815–October 1, 1821Democratic-RepublicanPAMerchant7100px William CarrollOctober 1, 1821–October 1, 1827Democratic-RepublicanPAMerchant, soldier8100px Sam HoustonOctober 1, 1827–April 16, 1829Democratic-RepublicanVALawyer9100px William HallApril 16, 1829–October 1, 1829DemocraticNCPlanter, soldier10100px William CarrollOctober 1, 1829–October 12, 1835DemocraticPAMerchant, soldier11100px Newton CannonOctober 12, 1835–October 14, 1839WhigNCPlanter12100px James K. PolkOctober 14, 1839–October 15, 1841DemocraticNCLawyer, politician13100px James C. JonesOctober 15, 1841–October 14, 1845WhigTNLawyer14100px Aaron V. BrownOctober 14, 1845–October 17, 1847DemocraticVALawyer15100px Neill S. BrownOctober 17, 1847–October 16, 1849WhigTNLawyer16100px William TrousdaleOctober 16, 1849–October 16, 1851DemocraticNCLawyer17100px William B. CampbellOctober 16, 1851–October 17, 1853WhigTNLawyer18100px Andrew JohnsonOctober 17, 1853–November 3, 1857DemocraticNCTailor, lawyer, politician19100px Isham G. HarrisNovember 3, 1857–March 12, 1862DemocraticTNLawyer, politicianHarris 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.20100px Andrew JohnsonMarch 12, 1862–March 4, 1865Unionist/MilitaryNCLawyer, politician —100px Edward H. EastMarch 4, 1865–April 5, 1865RepublicanTNLawyerEast 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.21100px William G. BrownlowApril 5, 1865–February 25, 1869RepublicanVAEditor, preacher22100px DeWitt Clinton SenterFebruary 25, 1869–October 10, 1871RepublicanTNLawyer23100px John C. BrownOctober 10, 1871–January 18, 1875DemocraticTNLawyer24100px James D. PorterJanuary 18, 1875–February 16, 1879DemocraticTNLawyer, educator25100px Albert S. MarksFebruary 16, 1879–January 17, 1881DemocraticKYLawyer, judge26100px Alvin HawkinsJanuary 17, 1881–January 15, 1883RepublicanKYLawyer, judge27100px William B. BateJanuary 15, 1883–January 17, 1887DemocraticTNLawyer, politician28100px Robert Love TaylorJanuary 17, 1887–January 19, 1891DemocraticTNLawyer, politician29100px John P. BuchananJanuary 19, 1891–January 16, 1893DemocraticTNFarmer30100px Peter TurneyJanuary 16, 1893–January 21, 1897DemocraticTNLawyer, judge31100px Robert Love TaylorJanuary 21, 1897–January 16, 1899DemocraticTNLawyer, politician32100px Benton McMillinJanuary 16, 1899–January 19, 1903DemocraticKYLawyer, diplomat33100px James B. FrazierJanuary 19, 1903–March 21, 1905DemocraticTNLawyer, politician34100px John I. CoxMarch 21, 1905–January 17, 1907DemocraticTNLawyer35100px Malcolm R. PattersonJanuary 17, 1907–January 26, 1911DemocraticALLawyer, judge36100px Ben W. HooperJanuary 26, 1911–January 17, 1915RepublicanTNLawyer37100px Thomas C. RyeJanuary 17, 1915–January 15, 1919DemocraticTNLawyer, judge38100px Albert H. RobertsJanuary 15, 1919–January 15, 1921DemocraticTNLawyer, judge39100px Alfred A. TaylorJanuary 15, 1921–January 16, 1923RepublicanTNLawyer40100px Austin PeayJanuary 16, 1923–October 3, 1927DemocraticKYLawyerPeay was the only Governor of Tennessee to die in office, and was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Henry Horton.41100px Henry Hollis HortonOctober 3, 1927–January 17, 1933DemocraticALLawyer, farmer42100px Hill McAlisterJanuary 17, 1933–January 15, 1937DemocraticTNLawyer43100px Gordon BrowningJanuary 15, 1937–January 16, 1939DemocraticTNLawyer, judge44100px Prentice CooperJanuary 16, 1939–January 16, 1945DemocraticTNLawyer45100px Jim Nance McCordJanuary 16, 1945–January 16, 1949DemocraticTNEditor46100px Gordon BrowningJanuary 16, 1949–January 15, 1953DemocraticTNLawyer, judge Walter M. Haynes47100px Frank G. ClementJanuary 15, 1953–January 19, 1959DemocraticTNLawyer Jared Maddux48100px Buford EllingtonJanuary 19, 1959–January 15, 1963DemocraticMSFarmer William D. Baird49100px Frank G. ClementJanuary 15, 1963–January 16, 1967DemocraticTNLawyer James L. Bomar, Jr. Jared Maddux50100px Buford EllingtonJanuary 16, 1967–January 16, 1971DemocraticMSFarmer Frank Gorrell51100px Winfield DunnJanuary 16, 1971–January 18, 1975RepublicanMSDentist John S. Wilder52100px Ray BlantonJanuary 18, 1975–January 17, 1979DemocraticTNFarmer, businessman53100px Lamar AlexanderJanuary 20, 1979–January 17, 1987RepublicanTNLawyer, politician54100px Ned McWherterJanuary 17, 1987–January 21, 1995DemocraticTNBusinessman55100px Don SundquistJanuary 21, 1995–January 18, 2003RepublicanILBusinessman56100px Phil BredesenJanuary 18, 2003–January 15, 2011DemocraticNJBusinessman Ron Ramsey57100px Bill HaslamJanuary 15, 2011–January 19, 2019RepublicanTNBusinessman Randy McNally58132x132px Bill LeeJanuary 19, 2019– presentRepublicanTNBusinessman

References

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