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Governors

Gov. Alf Landon speaking from a railroad car.The Kansas Governor heads the executive branch, which includes the lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and attorney general. Territorial governors were appointed by the U. S. president. After statehood, and for more than 100 years, governors were elected every two years. Beginning with the 1974 election, the term of office became four years.

The State Archives preserves records of all Kansas governors, with the exception of George Docking, Robert Docking and Robert Bennett. George Docking's records were destroyed after he left office; Robert Docking and Bennett's records are at the Spencer Research Library at the University of Kansas. See each governor's annual message or state of the state address on the Kansas State Library website.

See a chronological list of Kansas governors with links to biographies.

Territorial Governors
1. Andrew H. Reeder Commissioned June 29, 1854
Oath of office July,1854
October 7, 1854 - April 17, 1855
2. Daniel Woodson April 17 - June 23, 1855 (acting)
3. Andrew H. Reeder June 23 - August 16,1855
4. Daniel Woodson August 16 - September 7,1855
5. Wilson Shannon Commissioned August 10, 1855
September 7, 1855 - June 24, 1856
6. Daniel Woodson June 24 - July 7, 1856 (acting)
7. Daniel Woodson August 18 - September 9, 1856 (acting)
8. John White Geary September 9, 1856 - March 12, 1857
Resigned March 4, to take effect March 20
9. Daniel Woodson March 12 - April 16, 1857 (acting)
10. Frederick P. Stanton April 16 - May 27, 1857
11. Robert Walker Oath May 9, 1857
May 27 - November 16, 1857
12. Frederick P. Stanton November 16 - December 21, 1857 (acting)
13. James W. Denver December 21, 1857 - May 12, 1858 (acting)
May 12 - July 3, 1858
14. Hugh Sleight Walsh July 3 - July 30, 1858 (acting)
15. James W. Denver July 30 - October 10, 1858
16. Hugh Sleight Walsh October 10 - December 18, 1858 (acting)
17. Samuel Medary Oath December 1, 1858
December 18, 1858 - August 1, 1859
18. Hugh Sleight Walsh August 1 - September 15, 1859 (acting)
19. Samuel Medary September 15, 1859 - April 15, 1860
20. Hugh Sleight Walsh April 15 - June 16, 1860 (acting)
21. Samuel Medary June 16 - September 11,1860
22. George M. Beebe September 11 - November 26, 1860 (acting)
23. Samuel Medary November 26 - December 17, 1860
24. George M. Beebe December 17, 1860 - February 9, 1861
Kansas Governors
1. Charles Robinson February 9, 1861 - January 12, 1863
2. Thomas Carney January 12, 1863 - January 9, 1865
3. Samuel Johnson Crawford January 9, 1865 - November 4, 1868
4. Nehemiah Green November 4, 1868 - January 11, 1869
5. James Madison Harvey January 11, 1869 - January 13, 1873
6. Thomas Andrew Osborn January 13, 1873 - January 8, 1877
7. George Tobey Anthony January 8, 1877 - January 13, 1879
8. John Pierce St. John January 13, 1879 - January 8, 1883
9. George Washington Glick January 8, 1883 - January 12, 1885
10. John Alexander Martin January 12, 1885 - January 14, 1889
11. Lyman Underwood Humphrey January 14, 1889 - January 9, 1893
12. Lorenzo Dow Lewelling January 9, 1893 - January 14, 1895
13. Edmund Needham Morrill January 14, 1895 - January 11, 1897
14. John Whitnah Leedy January 11, 1897 - January 9, 1899
15. William Eugene Stanley January 9, 1899 - January 12, 1903
First to occupy Governor's Mansion
16. Willis Joshua Bailey January 12, 1903 - January 9, 1905
17. Edward Wallis Hoch January 9, 1905 - January 11, 1909
18. Walter Roscoe Stubbs January 11, 1909 - January 13, 1913
19. George Hartshorn Hodges January 13, 1913 - January 11, 1915
20. Arthur Capper January 11, 1915 - January 13, 1919
21. Henry Justin Allen January 13, 1919 - January 8, 1923
22. Jonathan McMillen Davis January 8, 1923 - January 12, 1925
23. Ben Sanford Paulen January 12, 1925 - January 14, 1929
24. Clyde Martin Reed January 14, 1929 - January 12, 1931
25. Harry Hines Woodring January 12, 1931 - January 9, 1933
26. Alfred Mossman Landon January 9, 1933 - January 11, 1937
27. Walter Augustus Huxman January 11, 1937 - January 9, 1939
28. Payne Ratner January 9, 1939 - January 11, 1943
29. Andrew F. Schoeppel January 11, 1943 - January 13, 1947
30. Frank Carlson January 13, 1947 - November 28, 1950
31. Frank L. Hagaman November 28, 1950 - January 8, 1951
32. Edward F. Arn January 8, 1951 - January 10, 1955
33. Fred Hall January 10, 1955 - January 3, 1957
34. John McCuish January 3, 1957 - January 14, 1957
35. George Docking January 14, 1957 - January 9, 1961
36. John Anderson, Jr. January 9, 1961 - January 11, 1965
First to occupy Cedar Crest
37. William H. Avery January 11, 1965 - January 9, 1967
38. Robert B. Docking January 9, 1967 - January 13, 1975
39. Robert F. Bennett January 13, 1975 - January 8, 1979
40. John William Carlin January 8, 1979 - January 12, 1987
41. John Michael Hayden January 12, 1987 - January 14, 1991
42. Joan Finney January 14, 1991 - January 9, 1995
43. William Preston Graves January 9, 1995 - January 13, 2003
44. Kathleen Sebelius January 13, 2003 - April 28, 2009
45. Mark Parkinson April 28, 2009 - January 10, 2011
46. Samuel Dale Brownback January 10, 2011 - January 31, 2018
47. Jeff Colyer, M.D. January 31, 2018 - January 14, 2019
48. Laura Kelly January 14, 2019 - present

The State Archives houses records of all Kansas governors, with the exception of George Docking, Robert Docking, and Robert Bennett. George Docking destroyed his records after leaving office; Robert Docking and Bennett deposited theirs at the Spencer Research Library at the University of Kansas.

Governor's Annual Message or State of the State address on the Kansas State Library website.

Entry: Governors

Author: Kansas Historical Society

Author information: The Kansas Historical Society is a state agency charged with actively safeguarding and sharing the state's history.

Date Created: February 2017

Date Modified: April 2019

The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.