List of governors of Tennessee

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 6 years in any 8-year period.^[1] The term of office was lengthened to four years, without the possibility of consecutive terms, by constitutional amendments adopted in 1953.^[2] 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.^[2]^[3] For a period of nearly five decades in the 20th century, the Tennessee Democratic Party held the Tennessee governorship continuously.

Tennessee has had 50 governors, including the incumbent, Bill Lee.^[4] Seven governors (John Sevier, William Carroll, Andrew Johnson, Robert Love Taylor, Gordon Browning, Frank G. Clement, and Buford Ellington) have served non-consecutive terms. 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.^[5] 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.

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

#	Picture	Governor (Birth–Death)		Term of office	Party	State of birth	Occupation	Notes
1			William Blount (1749–1800)	September 20, 1790 – March 30, 1796	Democratic-Republican	NC	Land speculator	^[6]

State of Tennessee[]

Parties

Democratic-Republican Democratic Whig Unionist/Military Republican

#^[7]		Term of office	Party	State of birth	Occupation	Lt. Governor		Notes
1	John Sevier (1745–1815)	March 30, 1796 – September 23, 1801	Democratic-Republican	VA	Soldier, farmer	None
2	Archibald Roane (1760–1819)	September 23, 1801 – September 23, 1803	Democratic-Republican	PA	Lawyer
1	John Sevier (1745–1815)	September 23, 1803 – September 20, 1809	Democratic-Republican	VA	Soldier, farmer
3	Willie Blount (1768–1835)	September 20, 1809 – September 27, 1815	Democratic-Republican	NC	Lawyer, planter
4	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, politician
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, lawyer, politician
16	Isham G. Harris (1818–1897)	November 3, 1857 – March 12, 1862	Democratic	TN	Lawyer, politician			^[8]
15	Andrew Johnson (1808–1875)	March 12, 1862 – March 4, 1865	Unionist/Military	NC	Lawyer, politician
—	Edward H. East (1830–1904)	March 4, 1865 – April 5, 1865	Republican	TN	Lawyer			^[9]
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, judge
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, politician
24	Robert Love Taylor (1850–1912)	January 17, 1887 – January 19, 1891	Democratic	TN	Lawyer, politician
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, politician
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, politician
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			^[10]
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
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.
41	Frank G. Clement (1920–1969)	January 15, 1963 – January 16, 1967	Democratic	TN	Lawyer		Jared Maddux
42	Buford Ellington (1907–1972)	January 16, 1967 – January 16, 1971	Democratic	MS	Farmer		Frank Gorrell
43	Winfield Dunn (b. 1927)	January 16, 1971 – January 18, 1975	Republican	MS	Dentist		John S. Wilder
44	Ray Blanton (1930–1996)	January 18, 1975 – January 17, 1979	Democratic	TN	Farmer, businessman
45	Lamar Alexander (b. 1940)	January 20, 1979 – January 17, 1987	Republican	TN	Lawyer, politician
46	Ned McWherter (1930–2011)	January 17, 1987 – January 21, 1995	Democratic	TN	Businessman
47	Don Sundquist (b. 1936)	January 21, 1995 – January 18, 2003	Republican	IL	Businessman
48	Phil Bredesen (b. 1943)	January 18, 2003 – January 15, 2011	Democratic	NJ	Businessman
48	Phil Bredesen (b. 1943)	January 18, 2003 – January 15, 2011	Democratic	NJ	Businessman		Ron Ramsey
49	Bill Haslam (b. 1958)	January 15, 2011 – January 19, 2019	Republican	TN	Businessman		Ron Ramsey
49	Bill Haslam (b. 1958)	January 15, 2011 – January 19, 2019	Republican	TN	Businessman		Randy McNally
50	Bill Lee (b. 1959)	January 19, 2019 – present	Republican	TN	Businessman		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
Governor	Gubernatorial term	House	Senate	Other offices held
William Blount	1790–1796 (territorial)		S	Continental Congressman from North Carolina
John Sevier	1796–1801 1803–1809	H		U.S. Representative from North Carolina; Governor of the State of Franklin
Sam Houston	1827–1829	H		President of the Republic of Texas; U.S. Senator from Texas; Governor of Texas
William Hall	1829	H
Newton Cannon	1835–1839	H
James K. Polk	1839–1841	H		11th President of the United States
James C. Jones	1841–1845		S
Aaron V. Brown	1845–1847	H		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	H
Andrew Johnson	1853–1857 1862–1865	H	S	17th President of the United States; 16th Vice President of the United States
Isham G. Harris	1857–1862	H	S
William G. Brownlow	1865–1869		S
James D. Porter	1875–1879			United States Minister to Chile
William B. Bate	1883–1887		S
Robert Love Taylor	1897–1899	H	S
Benton McMillin	1899–1903	H		United States Minister to Peru; United States Minister to Guatemala
James B. Frazier	1903–1905		S*
Malcolm R. Patterson	1907–1911	H
Alfred A. Taylor	1921–1923	H
Gordon Browning	1937–1939 1949–1953	H
Prentice Cooper	1939–1945			United States Ambassador to Peru
Jim Nance McCord	1945–1949	H
Ray Blanton	1975–1979	H
Lamar Alexander	1979–1987		S	United States Secretary of Education
Don Sundquist	1995–2003	H

Living former governors of Tennessee[]

As of January 2019, there are five former governors who are currently living, 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 94)
Lamar Alexander	1979–1987	(1940-07-03) July 3, 1940 (age 81)
Don Sundquist	1995–2003	(1936-03-15) March 15, 1936 (age 85)
Phil Bredesen	2003–2011	(1943-11-21) November 21, 1943 (age 77)
Bill Haslam	2011–2019	(1958-08-23) August 23, 1958 (age 63)

References[]

Specific

^ Jonathan M. Atkins. "William Carroll" in Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture (online edition). Accessed January 27, 2012.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "Government", Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture
^ 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)
^ Office of the Governor
^ "Past Governors Archived July 31, 2012, at the Wayback Machine," Tennessee Blue Book (2011–2012), pp. 547, 553.
^ Appointed governor by President George Washington
^ 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.
^ 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.
^ 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.
^ Peay was the only Governor of Tennessee to die in office, and was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Henry Horton.

General

Vile, John R., and Byrnes, Mark E. Tennessee Government and Politics: Democracy in the Volunteer State. 1998, Vanderbilt University Press. p. 43

External links[]

[tnenccarroll-1] Jonathan M. Atkins. "William Carroll" in Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture (online edition). Accessed January 27, 2012.

[tnencGovt-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b "Government", Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture

[LyonsSchebStair-3] 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)

[4] Office of the Governor

[5] "Past Governors Archived July 31, 2012, at the Wayback Machine," Tennessee Blue Book (2011–2012), pp. 547, 553.

[6] Appointed governor by President George Washington

[7] 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.

[8] 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.

[9] 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.

[10] Peay was the only Governor of Tennessee to die in office, and was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Henry Horton.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

show v t Years in Tennessee (1796–present)
18th-19th century	1796 1797 1798 1799 1801 1802 1803 1805 1806 1807 1808 1809 1810 1811 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 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
21st century	2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

show v t Chief executives of the United States
Federal	President of the United States list
State governors (current list)	Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California list Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia list Hawaii list Idaho Illinois list Indiana list Iowa Kansas Kentucky list Louisiana Maine list Maryland list Massachusetts Michigan list Minnesota list Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska 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 list 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 list Guam Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico list United States Virgin Islands
Defunct	Cuba Dakota Territory Panama Canal Zone Philippine Islands (until 1935) Philippine Commonwealth (until 1946) Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands Santo Domingo

show v t State of Tennessee
Nashville (capital)
Topics	Name History Geography Tennesseans African Americans Mass media Newspapers Radio TV Constitution Elections Governors Lieutenant Governors General Assembly Supreme Court Tennessee National Guard Law enforcement Symbols Tourist attractions	Seal of Tennessee
Grand Divisions	East Tennessee Middle Tennessee West Tennessee
Regions	Blue Ridge Mountains Cumberland Mountains Cumberland Plateau Great Appalachian Valley Highland Rim Mississippi Plain Nashville Basin Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians Tennessee Valley Tri-Cities
Largest cities	Nashville Memphis Knoxville Chattanooga Clarksville Murfreesboro Franklin Jackson Johnson City Bartlett
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

show v t 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 Lee
Category List