List of governors of Oregon

This article lists the individuals who have served as governor of Oregon from the establishment of the Provisional Government between 1841 and 1843 to the present day.

Governors[]

Champoeg Meetings[]

The Champoeg Meetings, including a constitutional committee, held from February 1841 until May 1843, served as a de facto government before the government was officially established. While early attempts at establishing a government had been unsuccessful because of discontent between English American and French Canadian settlers over the question, whom they should choose as Governor, several other officers were elected at these meetings, including the position of Supreme Judge as the highest position at the second meeting. For lack of a government the Supreme Judge also received executive and legislative duties and was mostly chosen as the chairman of the following meetings.^[1][2]

Executive			Term start	Term end
–		Chairman Jason Lee[3]	February 17, 1841
–		Chairman David Leslie[4]	February 18, 1841
1		Supreme Judge Ira Babcock	February 18, 1841	May 2, 1843
–	Vacant[5]		May 2, 1843	July 5, 1843

Provisional Government[]

The meetings at Champoeg led up to the first constitution of the Oregon Country and several petitions for U.S. territorial status. The resulting acts also created this body as a provisional government for the region. The first executives of this government were a three-person, elected committee known as the Executive Committee. In 1845, elections for a chief executive were held. The first person in Oregon to hold the title of governor was George Abernethy, a prominent businessman.

Executive			Term start	Term end
1		First Executive Committee David Hill • Alanson Beers • Joseph Gale	July 5, 1843	May 14, 1844
2		Second Executive Committee Peter G. Stewart • Osborne Russell • William J. Bailey	May 14, 1844	June 3, 1845
3		George Abernethy	June 3, 1845	March 3, 1849[6]

Governors of the Territory of Oregon[]

Oregon became a U.S. Territory in 1848. Like most other U.S. territorial governments, Oregon's territorial governor was appointed by the President of the United States. As transportation and communications were not as reliable or as fast as 21st-century methods, there were times when a departing governor left office and a new governor could not yet take over. This resulted in several local individuals acting as territorial governor until the new executive was appointed and arrived to take office.

President Polk initially appointed Brigadier General James Shields to be Oregon's first territorial governor and Shields was confirmed by the Senate, but he declined the position and Joseph Lane was appointed in his place.

Democratic (3)       Whig (1)
Governor				Took office	Left office	Appointed by	Party
1			Joseph Lane     December 14, 1801 – April 19, 1881    (aged 79)	March 3, 1849	June 18, 1850	James K. Polk	Democratic
–			Kintzing Prichette     June 24, 1800 – April 12, 1869    (aged 68)	June 18, 1850	August 18, 1850	Acting Governor	Democratic
2			John P. Gaines     September 22, 1795 – December 9, 1857    (aged 68)	August 18, 1850	May 16, 1853	Millard Fillmore	Whig
–			Joseph Lane     December 14, 1801 – April 19, 1881    (aged 79)	May 16, 1853	May 19, 1853	Acting Governor	Democratic
–			George Law Curry     July 2, 1820 – July 28, 1878    (aged 58)	May 19, 1853	December 2, 1853	Acting Governor	Democratic
3			John W. Davis     April 16, 1799 – August 22, 1859    (aged 60)	December 2, 1853	August 1, 1854	Franklin Pierce	Democratic
4			George Law Curry     July 2, 1820 – July 28, 1878    (aged 58)	August 1, 1854	March 3, 1859	Franklin Pierce	Democratic

Governors of the State of Oregon[]

Democratic (16)       Republican (19)       Independent (1)
Governor				Took office	Left office	Party	Terms [note 1]
1			John Whiteaker     May 4, 1820 – October 2, 1902    (aged 82)	March 3, 1859	September 10, 1862	Democratic	1
2			A. C. Gibbs     July 9, 1825 – December 29, 1886    (aged 61)	September 10, 1862	September 12, 1866	Republican	1
3			George Lemuel Woods     July 30, 1832 – January 7, 1890    (aged 57)	September 12, 1866	September 14, 1870	Republican	1
4			La Fayette Grover     November 29, 1823 – May 10, 1911    (aged 87)	September 14, 1870	February 1, 1877	Democratic	1+1⁄2 [note 2]
5			Stephen F. Chadwick     December 25, 1825 – January 15, 1895    (aged 69)	February 1, 1877	September 11, 1878	Democratic	1⁄2
6			W. W. Thayer     July 15, 1827 – October 15, 1899    (aged 72)	September 11, 1878	September 13, 1882	Democratic	1
7			Zenas Ferry Moody     May 27, 1832 – March 14, 1917    (aged 84)	September 13, 1882	January 12, 1887	Republican	1
8			Sylvester Pennoyer     July 6, 1831 – May 30, 1902    (aged 70)	January 12, 1887	January 14, 1895	Democratic	2
9			William Paine Lord     July 20, 1838 – February 17, 1911    (aged 72)	January 14, 1895	January 9, 1899	Republican	1
10			Theodore Thurston Geer     March 12, 1851 – February 21, 1924    (aged 72)	January 9, 1899	January 15, 1903	Republican	1
11			George Earle Chamberlain     January 1, 1854 – July 9, 1928    (aged 74)	January 15, 1903	March 1, 1909	Democratic	1+1⁄3 [note 2]
12			Frank W. Benson     March 20, 1858 – April 14, 1911    (aged 53)	March 1, 1909	June 17, 1910	Republican	1⁄3 [note 3]
13			Jay Bowerman     August 15, 1876 – October 25, 1957    (aged 81)	June 17, 1910	January 11, 1911	Republican	1⁄3
14			Oswald West     May 20, 1873 – August 22, 1960    (aged 87)	January 11, 1911	January 12, 1915	Democratic	1
15			James Withycombe     March 21, 1854 – March 3, 1919    (aged 64)	January 12, 1915	March 3, 1919	Republican	1+1⁄2 [note 4]
16			Ben W. Olcott     October 15, 1872 – July 21, 1952    (aged 79)	March 3, 1919	January 8, 1923	Republican	1⁄2
17			Walter M. Pierce     May 30, 1861 – March 27, 1954    (aged 92)	January 8, 1923	January 10, 1927	Democratic	1
18			I. L. Patterson     September 17, 1859 – December 21, 1929    (aged 70)	January 10, 1927	December 21, 1929	Republican	1⁄2 [note 4]
19			A. W. Norblad     March 19, 1881 – April 17, 1960    (aged 79)	December 21, 1929	January 12, 1931	Republican	1⁄2
20			Julius Meier     December 31, 1874 – July 14, 1937    (aged 62)	January 12, 1931	January 14, 1935	Independent	1
21			Charles H. Martin     October 1, 1863 – September 22, 1946    (aged 82)	January 14, 1935	January 9, 1939	Democratic	1
22			Charles A. Sprague     November 12, 1887 – March 13, 1969    (aged 81)	January 9, 1939	January 11, 1943	Republican	1
23			Earl Snell     July 11, 1895 – October 28, 1947    (aged 52)	January 11, 1943	October 30, 1947	Republican	1+1⁄3 [note 4]
24			John Hubert Hall     February 7, 1899 – November 14, 1970    (aged 71)	October 30, 1947	January 10, 1949	Republican	1⁄3
25			Douglas McKay     June 24, 1893 – July 22, 1959    (aged 66)	January 10, 1949	December 27, 1952	Republican	1⁄3 + 1⁄2 [note 5]
26			Paul L. Patterson     July 18, 1900 – January 31, 1956    (aged 55)	December 27, 1952	February 1, 1956	Republican	1⁄2 + 1⁄3 [note 4]
27			Elmo Smith     November 19, 1909 – July 15, 1968    (aged 58)	February 1, 1956	January 14, 1957	Republican	1⁄3
28			Robert D. Holmes     May 11, 1909 – June 6, 1976    (aged 67)	January 14, 1957	January 12, 1959	Democratic	1⁄3
29			Mark Hatfield     July 12, 1922 – August 7, 2011    (aged 89)	January 12, 1959	January 9, 1967	Republican	2
30			Tom McCall     March 22, 1913 – January 8, 1983    (aged 69)	January 9, 1967	January 13, 1975	Republican	2
31			Robert W. Straub     May 6, 1920 – November 27, 2002    (aged 82)	January 13, 1975	January 8, 1979	Democratic	1
32			Victor Atiyeh     February 20, 1923 – July 20, 2014    (aged 91)	January 8, 1979	January 12, 1987	Republican	2
33			Neil Goldschmidt     (1940-06-16) June 16, 1940 (age 81)	January 12, 1987	January 14, 1991	Democratic	1
34			Barbara Roberts     (1936-12-21) December 21, 1936 (age 84)	January 14, 1991	January 9, 1995	Democratic	1
35			John Kitzhaber     (1947-03-05) March 5, 1947 (age 74)	January 9, 1995	January 13, 2003	Democratic	2
36			Ted Kulongoski     (1940-11-05) November 5, 1940 (age 80)	January 13, 2003	January 10, 2011	Democratic	2
37			John Kitzhaber     (1947-03-05) March 5, 1947 (age 74)	January 10, 2011	February 18, 2015	Democratic	1+1⁄48 [note 6] [note 7]
38			Kate Brown     (1960-06-21) June 21, 1960 (age 61)	February 18, 2015	Incumbent [note 8]	Democratic	1+1⁄2

Other high offices held[]

This is a table of congressional seats, other federal offices, and other governorships held by governors. All representatives and senators mentioned represented Oregon except where noted.

* Denotes those offices that the governor resigned to take.

Governor	Gubernatorial term	U.S. Congress		Other offices held	Source
		House	Senate
Joseph Lane	1848–1850 1853–1853		S	Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon Territory	[7]
John P. Gaines	1850–1853			U.S. Representative from Kentucky	[8]
John W. Davis	1853–1854			U.S. Representative from Indiana; United States Commissioner to China	[9]
John Whiteaker	1859–1862	H			[10]
George L. Woods	1911–1915			Governor of Utah Territory	[11]
La Fayette Grover	1870–1877	H	S*		[12]
William Paine Lord	1895–1899			United States Minister to Argentina	[13]
George Chamberlain	1903–1909		S*		[14]
Walter M. Pierce	1923–1927	H			[15]
Charles H. Martin	1935–1939	H			[16]
Douglas McKay	1949–1952			United States Secretary of the Interior*	[17]
Mark Hatfield	1959–1967		S		[18]
Neil Goldschmidt	1987–1991			United States Secretary of Transportation	[19]

Living former governors of Oregon[]

As of December 2018, there are four former governors of Oregon who are currently living, the oldest governor of Oregon being Barbara Roberts (served 1991–1995, born 1936). The most recent death of a former governor of Oregon and also the death of a former governor of Oregon who served most recently was of Victor Atiyeh, (served 1979–1987) on July 20, 2014.^[20]

See also[]

• Governorship of John Kitzhaber
• Governorship of Kate Brown

Notes[]

References[]

General

Constitution

Specific

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Governors of Oregon.

• Office of the Governor of Oregon