Governors
The governor of the State of Kansas heads the executive branch, which includes the lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and attorney general. Territorial governors were appointed by U. S. presidents. From statehood January 29, 1861, and for more than 100 years, the electorate filled these offices every two years. Beginning with the 1974 election the term of office became four years.
| In territorial office | |
|---|---|
| Andrew Reeder | July 7, 1854 - April 17, 1855 |
| Daniel Woodson | April 17 - June 23, 1855, acting |
| Andrew Reeder | June 23 - August 16, 1855 |
| Daniel Woodson | August 16 - September 7, 1855, acting |
| Wilson Shannon | September 7, 1855 - June 24, 1856 |
| Daniel Woodson | June 24 - July 7, 1856, acting |
| Wilson Shannon | July 7 - August 18, 1856 |
| Daniel Woodson | August 18 - September 9, 1856, acting |
| John White Geary | September 9, 1856 - March 12, 1857 |
| Daniel Woodson | March 12 - April 16, 1857, acting |
| Frederick P. Stanton | April 16 - May 27, 1857, acting |
| Robert J. Walker | May 27, 1857 – December 15, 1857 |
| Frederick P. Stanton | November 16 - December 21, 1857, acting |
| James W. Denver |
December 21, 1857 - May 12, 1858, acting May 12 - July 3, 1858 |
| Hugh Sleight Walsh | July 3 - July 30, 1858, acting |
| James W. Denver | July 30 - October 10, 1858 |
| Hugh Sleight Walsh | October 10 - December 18, 1858, acting |
| Samuel Medary | December 20, 1858 – December 10, 1860 |
| In state office | |
| Charles L. Robinson | February 9, 1861 – January 12, 1863 |
| Thomas Carney | January 12, 1863 – January 9, 1865 |
| Samuel J. Crawford | January 9, 1865 – November 4, 1868 |
| Nehemiah Green | November 4, 1868 – January 11, 1869 |
| James M. Harvey | January 11, 1869 – January 13, 1873 |
| Thomas A. Osborn | January 13, 1873 – January 8, 1877 |
| George T. Anthony | January 8, 1877 – January 13, 1879 |
| John P. St. John | January 13, 1879 – January 8, 1883 |
| George W. Glick | January 8, 1883 – January 12, 1885 |
| John Alexander Martin | January 12, 1885 – January 14, 1889 |
| Lyman Humphrey | January 14, 1889 – January 9, 1893 |
| Lorenzo D. Lewelling | January 9, 1893 – January 14, 1895 |
| Edmund N. Morrill | January 14, 1895 – January 11, 1897 |
| John W. Leedy | January 11, 1897 – January 9, 1899 |
| William E. Stanley | January 9, 1899 – January 12, 1903 |
| Willis Bailey | January 12, 1903 – January 9, 1905 |
| Edward W. Hoch | January 9, 1905 – January 11, 1909 |
| Walter R. Stubbs | January 11, 1909 – January 13, 1913 |
| George H. Hodges | January 13, 1913 – January 11, 1915 |
| Arthur Capper | January 11, 1915 – January 13, 1919 |
| Henry J. Allen | January 13, 1919 – January 8, 1923 |
| Jonathan M. Davis | January 8, 1923 – January 12, 1925 |
| Benjamin S. Paulen | January 12, 1925 – January 14, 1929 |
| Clyde M. Reed | January 14, 1929 – January 12, 1931 |
| Harry Woodring | January 12, 1931 – January 9, 1933 |
| Alfred M. Landon | January 9, 1933 – January 11, 1937 |
| Walter A. Huxman | January 11, 1937 – January 9, 1939 |
| Payne Ratner | January 9, 1939 – January 11, 1943 |
| Andrew Schoeppel | January 11, 1943 – January 13, 1947 |
| Frank Carlson | January 13, 1947 – November 28, 1950 |
| Frank Hagaman | November 28, 1950 – January 8, 1951 |
| Edward F. Arn | January 8, 1951 – January 10, 1955 |
| Fred Hall | January 10, 1955 – January 3, 1957 |
| John McCuish | January 3, 1957 – January 14, 1957 |
| George Docking | January 14, 1957 – January 9, 1961 |
| John Anderson, Jr. | January 9, 1961 – January 11, 1965 |
| William H. Avery | January 11, 1965 – January 9, 1967 |
| Robert Docking | January 9, 1967 – January 6, 1975 |
| Robert F. Bennett | January 6, 1975 – January 8, 1979 |
| John Carlin | January 8, 1979 – January 12, 1987 |
| John Michael Hayden | January 12, 1987 – January 14, 1991 |
| Joan Finney | January 14, 1991 – January 9, 1995 |
| Bill Graves | January 9, 1995 – January 13, 2003 |
| Kathleen Sebelius | January 13, 2003 – April 28, 2009 |
| Mark Parkinson | April 28, 2009 – January 10, 2011 |
| Sam Brownback | January 10, 2011 - present |
Digitized copies of primary sources related to territorial and state governors are available in Kansas Memory. Documents for governors of the state are under the facets Government and Politics, State, Governors. Select the governor in which you are interested in the box on the left. Records from the territorial period are available at Government, Territorial Government, Governors.
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: November 2001
Date Modified: May 2012
The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.
