List of Governors of Alabama

Governor of Alabama
Seal of the Governor
Flag of the Governor
Incumbent Robert J. Bentley since January 17, 2011
Style	The Honorable
Residence	Alabama Governor's Mansion
Term length	Four years, can succeed self once
Inaugural holder	William Wyatt Bibb
Formation	December 14, 1819
Deputy	Lieutenant Governor of Alabama
Salary	$119,950 (2013)[1]
Website	http://www.governor.state.al.us

The Governor of Alabama is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Alabama. The governor is the head of the executive branch of Alabama's state government and is charged with enforcing state laws. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Alabama Legislature, to convene the legislature, and to grant pardons, except in cases of impeachment.^[2] The governor is also the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.

There have officially been 53 governors of the state of Alabama; this official numbering skips acting and military governors.^[3] The first governor, William Wyatt Bibb, served as the only governor of the Alabama Territory. Five people have served as acting governor, bringing the total number of people serving as governor to 58, spread over 63 distinct terms. Four governors have served multiple non-consecutive terms: Bibb Graves, Jim Folsom, and Fob James each served two, and George Wallace served three non-consecutive periods. Officially, these non-consecutive terms are numbered only with the number of their first term. William D. Jelks also served non-consecutive terms, but his first term was in an acting capacity.

The longest-serving governor was George Wallace, who served sixteen years over four terms. The shortest term for a non-acting governor was that of Hugh McVay, who served four and a half months after replacing the resigning Clement Comer Clay. Lurleen Wallace, wife of George Wallace, was the first and so far only woman to serve as governor of Alabama, and the third woman to serve as governor of any state. The current governor is Republican Robert J. Bentley, who took office on January 17, 2011.

Governors

Governor of the Territory of Alabama

For the period before Alabama Territory was formed, see the list of Governors of Mississippi Territory.

Alabama Territory was formed on March 3, 1817, from Mississippi Territory. It had only one governor appointed by the President of the United States before it became a state; he became the first state governor.

Picture	Governor	Term in office	Appointed by
	William Wyatt Bibb	March 6, 1817[lower-alpha 1] – December 14, 1819	James Monroe

Governors of the State of Alabama

Seal for use by the Governor-Elect

Governor's Flag 1868–1939

Alabama was admitted to the Union on December 14, 1819. It seceded from the Union on January 11, 1861 and was a founding member of the Confederate States of America on February 4, 1861; there was no Union Alabama government in exile, so there was a single line of governors. Following the end of the American Civil War, Alabama during Reconstruction was part of the Third Military District, which exerted some control over governor appointments and elections. Alabama was readmitted to the Union on July 14, 1868.

The first Alabama Constitution, ratified in 1819, provided that a governor be elected every two years, limited to serve no more than four out of every six years.^[5] This limit remained in place until the constitution of 1868, which simply allowed governors to serve terms of two years.^[6] The current constitution of 1901 increased terms to four years,^[7] but prohibited governors from succeeding themselves.^[8] Amendment 282 to the constitution, passed in 1968, allowed governors to succeed themselves once.^[9] The constitution had no set date for the commencement of a governor's term until 1901, when it was set at the first Monday after the second Tuesday in the January following an election.^[8]

The office of lieutenant governor was created in 1868,^[10] abolished in 1875,^[11] and recreated in 1901.^[12] According to the current constitution, should the governor be out of the state for more than 20 days, the lieutenant governor becomes acting governor, and if the office of governor becomes vacant the lieutenant governor fully becomes governor.^[13] Earlier constitutions said the powers of the governor devolved upon the successor, rather than them necessarily becoming governor,^[14] but the official listing includes these as full governors.^[3] The governor and lieutenant governor are not elected on the same ticket.

Alabama was a strongly Democratic state before the Civil War, electing only candidates from the Democratic-Republican and Democratic parties. It had two Republican governors following Reconstruction, but after the Democratic Party re-established control, 112 years passed before voters chose another Republican.

Parties

      Democratic (52)^{[lower-alpha 2]}       Democratic-Republican (3)       Independent (1)       Military (1)^{[lower-alpha 3]}       Republican (6)^{[lower-alpha 4]}

#[lower-alpha 5]	Picture	Governor		Term in office	Party	Term[lower-alpha 6]	Lt. Governor[lower-alpha 7][lower-alpha 8]
1			William Wyatt Bibb	December 14, 1819 – July 10, 1820	Democratic- Republican	1 (1819) [lower-alpha 9]	Office did not exist
2			Thomas Bibb	July 10, 1820 – November 9, 1821	Democratic- Republican
3			Israel Pickens	November 9, 1821 – November 25, 1825	Democratic- Republican	2 (1821)
						3 (1823)
4			John Murphy	November 25, 1825 – November 25, 1829	Jackson Democrat	4 (1825)
						5 (1827)
5			Gabriel Moore	November 25, 1829 – March 3, 1831	Jackson Democrat	6 (1829) [lower-alpha 10]
6			Samuel B. Moore	March 3, 1831 – November 26, 1831	Democratic
7			John Gayle	November 26, 1831 – November 21, 1835	Democratic	7 (1831)
						8 (1833)
8			Clement Comer Clay	November 21, 1835 – July 17, 1837	Democratic	9 (1835) [lower-alpha 11]
9			Hugh McVay	July 17, 1837 – November 30, 1837	Democratic
10			Arthur P. Bagby	November 30, 1837 – November 22, 1841	Democratic	10 (1837)
						11 (1839)
11			Benjamin Fitzpatrick	November 22, 1841 – December 10, 1845	Democratic	12 (1841)
						13 (1843)
12			Joshua L. Martin	December 10, 1845 – December 16, 1847	Independent[lower-alpha 12]	14 (1845)
13			Reuben Chapman	December 16, 1847 – December 17, 1849	Democratic	15 (1847)
14			Henry W. Collier	December 17, 1849 – December 20, 1853	Democratic	16 (1849)
						17 (1851)
15			John A. Winston	December 20, 1853 – December 1, 1857	Democratic	18 (1853)
						19 (1855)
16			Andrew B. Moore	December 1, 1857 – December 2, 1861	Democratic	20 (1857)
						21 (1859)
17			John Gill Shorter	December 2, 1861 – December 1, 1863	Democratic	22 (1861)
18			Thomas H. Watts	December 1, 1863 – May 1, 1865	Democratic	23 (1863) [lower-alpha 13]
—	Interregnum			May 1, 1865 – June 21, 1865	—
19			Lewis E. Parsons	June 21, 1865 – December 13, 1865	Democratic
20			Robert M. Patton	December 13, 1865 – July 24, 1868	Pre-War Whig	24 (1865) [lower-alpha 14]
—			Wager Swayne	March 2, 1867 – January 11, 1868	Military
21			William Hugh Smith	July 24, 1868 – November 26, 1870	Republican	25 (1868) [lower-alpha 15]
								Andrew J. Applegate (August 13, 1868 – August 21, 1870)[lower-alpha 16]
							Vacant August 21, 1870 – November 26, 1870
22			Robert B. Lindsay	November 26, 1870 – November 17, 1872	Democratic	26 (1870) [lower-alpha 15]		Edward H. Moren
23			David P. Lewis	November 17, 1872 – November 24, 1874	Republican	27 (1872)		Alexander McKinstry
24			George S. Houston	November 24, 1874 – November 28, 1878	Democratic	28 (1874)		Robert F. Ligon
						29 (1876)	Office did not exist
25			Rufus W. Cobb	November 28, 1878 – December 1, 1882	Democratic	30 (1878)
						31 (1880)
26			Edward A. O'Neal	December 1, 1882 – December 1, 1886	Democratic	32 (1882)
						33 (1884)
27			Thomas Seay	December 1, 1886 – December 1, 1890	Democratic	34 (1886)
						35 (1888)
28			Thomas G. Jones	December 1, 1890 – December 1, 1894	Democratic	36 (1890)
						37 (1892)
29			William C. Oates	December 1, 1894 – December 1, 1896	Democratic	38 (1894)
30			Joseph F. Johnston	December 1, 1896 – December 1, 1900	Democratic	39 (1896)
						40 (1898)
—			William D. Jelks	December 1, 1900 – December 26, 1900	Democratic	41 (1900) [lower-alpha 17]
31			William J. Samford	December 1, 1900 – June 11, 1901	Democratic
32			William D. Jelks	June 11, 1901 – January 14, 1907	Democratic
						42 (1902) [lower-alpha 18]		Russell M. Cunningham
—			Russell M. Cunningham	April 25, 1904 – March 5, 1905	Democratic	— [lower-alpha 19]	Acting as governor
33			B. B. Comer	January 14, 1907 – January 17, 1911	Democratic	43 (1906)		Henry B. Gray
34			Emmet O'Neal	January 17, 1911 – January 18, 1915	Democratic	44 (1910)		Walter D. Seed, Sr.
35			Charles Henderson	January 18, 1915 – January 20, 1919	Democratic	45 (1914)		Thomas Kilby
36			Thomas Kilby	January 20, 1919 – January 15, 1923	Democratic	46 (1918)		Nathan Lee Miller
37			William W. Brandon	January 15, 1923 – January 17, 1927	Democratic	47 (1922)		Charles S. McDowell
—			Charles S. McDowell	July 10, 1924 – July 11, 1924	Democratic	— [lower-alpha 20]	Acting as governor
38			Bibb Graves	January 17, 1927 – January 19, 1931	Democratic	48 (1926)		William C. Davis
39			Benjamin M. Miller	January 19, 1931 – January 14, 1935	Democratic	49 (1930)		Hugh Davis Merrill
38			Bibb Graves	January 14, 1935 – January 17, 1939	Democratic	50 (1934)		Thomas E. Knight (January 14, 1935 – May 17, 1937)[lower-alpha 16]
							Vacant May 17, 1937 – January 17, 1939
40			Frank M. Dixon	January 17, 1939 – January 19, 1943	Democratic	51 (1938)		Albert A. Carmichael
41			Chauncey Sparks	January 19, 1943 – January 20, 1947	Democratic	52 (1942)		Leven H. Ellis
42			Jim Folsom	January 20, 1947 – January 15, 1951	Democratic	53 (1946)		James C. Inzer
43			Gordon Persons	January 15, 1951 – January 17, 1955	Democratic	54 (1950)		James Allen
42			Jim Folsom	January 17, 1955 – January 19, 1959	Democratic	55 (1954)		William G. Hardwick
44			John M. Patterson	January 19, 1959 – January 14, 1963	Democratic	56 (1958)		Albert Boutwell
45			George Wallace	January 14, 1963 – January 16, 1967	Democratic	57 (1962)		James Allen
46			Lurleen Wallace	January 16, 1967 – May 7, 1968	Democratic	58 (1966) [lower-alpha 21]		Albert Brewer
47			Albert Brewer	May 7, 1968 – January 18, 1971	Democratic		Vacant
45			George Wallace	January 18, 1971 – January 15, 1979	Democratic	59 (1970)		Jere Beasley
						60 (1974)
—			Jere Beasley	June 5, 1972 – July 7, 1972	Democratic	— [lower-alpha 22]	Acting as governor
48			Fob James	January 15, 1979 – January 17, 1983	Democratic	61 (1978)		George McMillan
45			George Wallace	January 17, 1983 – January 19, 1987	Democratic	62 (1982)		Bill Baxley
49			H. Guy Hunt	January 19, 1987 – April 22, 1993	Republican	63 (1986)		Jim Folsom, Jr.[lower-alpha 23]
						64 (1990) [lower-alpha 24]
50			Jim Folsom, Jr.	April 22, 1993 – January 16, 1995	Democratic		Vacant
48			Fob James	January 16, 1995 – January 18, 1999	Republican	65 (1994)		Don Siegelman[lower-alpha 23]
51			Don Siegelman	January 18, 1999 – January 20, 2003	Democratic	66 (1998)		Steve Windom[lower-alpha 25]
52			Bob Riley	January 20, 2003 – January 17, 2011	Republican	67 (2002)		Lucy Baxley[lower-alpha 23]
						68 (2006)		Jim Folsom, Jr.[lower-alpha 23]
53			Robert J. Bentley	January 17, 2011 – Incumbent	Republican	69 (2010)		Kay Ivey
						70 (2014) [lower-alpha 26]

Other high offices held

Nineteen of Alabama's governors have served other high offices, including one ambassador and one Confederate cabinet member. Fifteen represented Alabama in the U.S. Congress, while two represented Alabama in the Provisional Confederate Congress. Additionally, two were elected to the U.S. Senate shortly after the American Civil War, but were not allowed to take office.

Governor	Other offices held	Source
William Wyatt Bibb	Representative from Georgia Senator from Georgia	[26]
Israel Pickens	Representative from North Carolina Senator from Alabama	[27]
John Murphy	Representative from Alabama	[28]
Gabriel Moore	Representative from Alabama Senator from Alabama	[29]
John Gayle	Representative from Alabama	[30]
Clement Comer Clay	Representative from Alabama Senator from Alabama	[31]
Arthur P. Bagby	Senator from Alabama Minister to Russia	[32]
Benjamin Fitzpatrick	Senator from Alabama (including as President pro tempore)	[33]
Joshua L. Martin	Representative from Alabama	[34]
Reuben Chapman	Representative from Alabama	[35]
John A. Winston	Elected to represent Alabama in the Senate but was refused his seat	[36]
John Gill Shorter	Provisional Confederate Deputy from Alabama	[37]
Thomas H. Watts	Confederate States Attorney General	[38]
Lewis E. Parsons	Elected to represent Alabama in the Senate but was refused his seat	[17]
David P. Lewis	Provisional Confederate Deputy from Alabama	[39]
George S. Houston	Representative from Alabama Senator from Alabama	[40]
William C. Oates	Representative from Alabama	[41]
Joseph F. Johnston	Senator from Alabama	[42]
William J. Samford	Representative from Alabama	[43]
B. B. Comer	Senator from Alabama	[44]
Bob Riley	Representative from Alabama	[45]

Living former governors

There are six living former governors of Alabama, the oldest being John M. Patterson. The most recent death of a former governor was that of H. Guy Hunt (1987-1993) on January 30, 2009.

Governor	Years in office	Date of birth (and age)
John M. Patterson	1959–1963	September 27, 1921
Albert Brewer	1968–1971	October 26, 1928
Fob James	1979–1983 1995–1999	September 15, 1934
Jim Folsom, Jr.	1993–1995	May 14, 1949
Don Siegelman	1999–2003	February 24, 1946
Bob Riley	2003–2011	October 3, 1944

See also

• Timeline of Alabama

Notes

1. Records are scarce as to when Bibb was actually appointed. The territory was formed on March 3, 1817, but he was appointed by President James Monroe, who did not take office until the next day. Other resources indicate that other major appointments for the territory were made on March 6, 1817.^[4]
2. Includes four terms served by repeat governors and four terms served by acting governors.
3. The military governor is not included in the official numbering.
4. Includes one term served by a repeat governor.
5. Repeat governors are officially numbered only once; subsequent terms are marked with their original number italicized.
6. Each term for which a governor is elected is listed here; if multiple governors served in a single term, due to resignations, deaths, and the like, then that term will be shared among those governors. If a governor was elected multiple times, then there will be multiple terms listed for that governor.
7. The office of Lieutenant Governor was created in the 1868 constitution,^[10] abolished in the 1875 Constitution,^[11] and recreated in the 1901 Constitution.^[12]
8. Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
9. William Wyatt Bibb died in office; as president of the senate, Thomas Bibb became governor.
10. Gabriel Moore resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate. As president of the senate, Samuel B. Moore became governor.
11. Clay resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate. As president of the senate, McVay became governor.
12. Martin was a Democrat who opposed party leaders and ran as an independent.^[15]
13. Watts was arrested by Union forces soon after the American Civil War ended; he was released a few weeks later.^[16] Parsons was appointed provisional governor by the Union occupation. Between Watts's arrest and Parsons's appointment, Alabama had no governor, and was under the direct rule of General George Henry Thomas.^[17]
14. The United States Congress stripped Patton of most of his authority in March 1867, after which time the state was effectively under the control of Major General Swayne.^[18] The start date given for Swayne the date of the first Reconstruction Act, which placed Alabama into the Third Military District; all references only say "March 1867"^[18] and "when the Reconstruction Acts were passed".^[19] In December 1867, President Andrew Johnson ordered the removal of General Swayne, and he was replaced on January 11, 1868, by General Julius Hayden.^[20]
15. Lindsay was sworn into office on November 26, 1870, but Smith refused to leave his seat for two weeks, claiming Lindsay was fraudulently elected, finally leaving office on December 8, 1870, when a court so ordered.^[21]
16. Died in office.
17. At the start of Samford's term, he was out of state seeking medical treatment. As president of the senate, Jelks acted as governor in his absence. Samford later died in office, and Jelks became governor.^[22]
18. The 1901 constitution increased term lengths from two to four years.
19. Jelks was out of state for medical treatment for nearly a year, thus Cunningham acted as governor for that time.^[23]
20. McDowell, as lieutenant governor, acted as governor for two days when Brandon was out of state for 21 days as a delegate for the 1924 Democratic National Convention.^[3]
21. Wallace left the state for 20 days for medical treatment; as lieutenant governor, Brewer became acting governor on July 25, 1967. Wallace returned to the state later that day.^[3][24] Wallace later died in office, and Brewer became governor.
22. Beasley was lieutenant governor when Wallace spent 52 days in Maryland for medical treatment following an assassination attempt while campaigning for President of the United States; thus he was acting governor for 32 days.^[3]
23. Represented the Democratic Party.
24. Hunt was removed from office upon being convicted of illegally using campaign and inaugural funds to pay personal debts; he was later pardoned by the state parole board based on innocence.^[25] As lieutenant governor, Folsom became governor.
25. Represented the Republican Party.
26. Governor Bentley's second term expires on January 14, 2019; he will be term limited.

References

General

• "Alabama Governors". Alabama Department of Archives & History. Retrieved August 1, 2007.
• "Alabama: Past Governors Bios". National Governors Association. Retrieved September 3, 2015.

Constitutions

• "Constitution of the State of Alabama". Alabama Legislature. 1901.
• "Constitution of the State of Alabama". Alabama Legislature. 1875.
• "Constitution of the State of Alabama". Alabama Legislature. 1868.
• "Constitution of the State of Alabama". Alabama Legislature. 1865.
• "Constitution of the State of Alabama". Alabama Legislature. 1861.
• "Constitution of the State of Alabama". Alabama Legislature. 1819.

Specific

1. "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries". The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
2. AL Const., art. V.
3. "Alabama Governors". Alabama Department of Archives and History. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
4. Shearer, Benjamin. The Uniting States – The Story of Statehood for the Fifty United States, Volume 1: Alabama to Kentucky. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. p. 41. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
5. 1819 Const. art. IV, § 4
6. 1868 Const. art. V, § 2
7. AL Const. art. V, § 114
8. AL Const. art. V, § 116
9. AL Const. amendment 282
10. 1868 Const. art. V, § 1
11. 1875 Const. art. V, § 1
12. AL Const. art. V, § 112
13. AL Const. art. V, § 127
14. 1819 Const. art. IV, § 18; 1861 Const. art. IV, § 18; 1865 Const. art V, § 19; 1868 Const. art. V, § 15; 1875 Const. art. V § 15
15. "Alabama Governor Joshua Lanier Martin". National Governors Association. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
16. "Alabama Governor Thomas Hill Watts". National Governors Association. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
17. "Alabama Governor Lewis Eliphalet Parsons". National Governors Association. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
18. "Alabama Governor Robert Miller Patton". National Governors Association. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
19. "Alabama Governor Robert Patton". Alabama Department of Archives & History. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
20. "Wager T. Swayne". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
21. White, James Terry (1900). The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. James T. White & Company. p. 435. Retrieved January 18, 2008.
22. "Alabama Governor William Jelks". Alabama Department of Archives & History. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
23. "Alabama Governor Russell Cunningham". Alabama Department of Archives & History. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
24. Owen, Thomas McAdory (1979). Alabama Official and Statistical Register. Alabama Department of Archives & History. p. 17. Retrieved September 28, 2008.
25. Nossiter, Adam (12 June 1997). "Ex-Gov. Hunt of Alabama Cleared by Pardon Board". The New York Times. p. 18. Retrieved September 28, 2008.
26. "Bibb, William Wyatt". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
27. "Pickens, Israel". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
28. "Murphy, John". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
29. "Moore, Gabriel". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
30. "Gayle, John". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
31. "Clay, Clement Comer". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
32. "Bagby, Arthur Pendleton". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
33. "Fitzpatrick, Benjamin". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
34. "Martin, Joshua Lanier". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
35. "Chapman, Reuben". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
36. "Alabama Governor John Anthony Winston". National Governors Association. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
37. "Alabama Governor John Gill Shorter". National Governors Association. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
38. "Alabama Governor Thomas Hill Watts". National Governors Association. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
39. "Alabama Governor David Peter Lewis". National Governors Association. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
40. "Houston, George Smith". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
41. "Oates, William Calvin". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
42. "Johnston, Joseph Forney". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
43. "Samford, William James". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
44. "Comer, Braxton Bragg". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
45. "Riley, Robert". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 13, 2008.

External links

• Office of the Governor of Alabama