Governors of Alabama

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GOVERNORS OF ALABAMA

This sub-project is part of the larger U.S. Governors Project. Please visit the main project page for details on the goals and objectives of this project.

Link to the Alabama Governors Category Page

Alabama Territory was formed on 3 Mar 1817, from Mississippi Territory. William Wyatt Bibb served as the only governor of the Alabama Territory and when Alabama was admitted to the Union on 14 Dec 1819, he became the first state governor.

On 11 Jan 1861, Alabama seceded from the Union and became a founding member of the Confederate States of America on 4 Feb 1861. During Reconstruction, Alabama was part of the Third Military District, which exerted some control over governor appointments and elections. Alabama was readmitted to the Union on 14 Jul 1868.

There have officially been 54 governors of the state of Alabama; this official numbering skips acting and military governors. Five people have served as acting governor, bringing the total number of people serving as governor to 59, 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.

Lurleen Wallace, wife of George Wallace, was the first woman to serve as governor of Alabama, and the third woman to serve as governor of any state. Alabama's current governor, Kay Ivey, is the state's second female governor.

In the below list, columns can be sorted by clicking on the arrow button in any category heading box. A "C" in the final column denotes a Notable who has been successfully connected to the Big Tree. "N/C" stands for Not Connected.

GOVERNORS OF ALABAMA TERRITORY

#	Governor	Born	Died	Term	Photo	C
1	William Wyatt Bibb	1781	1820	1817-1819		C

GOVERNORS OF THE STATE OF ALABAMA

#	Governor	Born	Died	Term	Photo	C
1	William Wyatt Bibb	1781	1820	1819-1820		C
2	Thomas Bibb	1783	1839	1820-1821		C
3	Israel Pickens	1780	1827	1821-1825		C
4	John Murphy	1786	1841	1825-1829		C
5	Gabriel Moore	1785	1844	1829-1831		C
6	Samuel B. Moore	1789	1846	1831		C
7	John Gayle	1792	1859	1831-1835		C
8	Clement Commer Clay	1789	1866	1835-1837		C
9	Hugh McVey	1766	1851	1837		C
10	Arthur Bagby	1794	1858	1837-1841		C
11	Benjamin Fitzpatrick	1802	1869	1841-1845		C
12	Joshua L. Martin	1799	1856	1845-1847		C
13	Reuben Chapman	1799	1882	1847-1849		C
14	Henry B. Collier	1801	1855	1849-1853		C
15	John A. Winston	1812	1871	1853-1857		C
16	Andrew B. Moore	1807	1873	1857-1861		C
17	John Gill Shorter	1818	1872	1861-1863		C
18	Thomas H. Watts	1819	1892	1863-1865	Image:Watts-3020.jpg	C
19	Lewis E. Parsons	1817	1895	1865		C
20	Robert M. Patton	1809	1885	1865-1868		C
MIL	Wager Swayne	1834	1902	1867-1868		C
21	William Hugh Smith	1826	1899	1868-1870		C
22	Robert B. Lindsay	1824	1902	1870-1872		C
23	David P. Lewis	1820	1884	1872-1874		C
24	George S. Houston	1811	1879	1874-1878		C
25	Rufus W. Cobb	1829	1913	1878-1892		C
26	Edward A. O'Neal	1818	1890	1882-1886		C
27	Thomas Seay	1846	1896	1886-1890		C
28	Thomas G. Jones	1844	1914	1890-1894		C
29	William C. Oates	1835	1910	1894-1896		C
30	Joseph F. Johnston	1843	1913	1896-1900		C
ACT	William D. Jelks	1855	1931	1900		C
31	William J. Samford	1844	1901	1900-1901		C
32	William D. Jelks	1855	1931	1901-1907		C
33	B.B. Comer	1848	1927	1907-1911		C
34	Emmet O'Neal	1853	1922	1911-1915		C
35	Charles Henderson	1860	1837	1915-1919		C
36	Thomas Kilby	1865	1843	1919-1923		C
37	William W. Brandon	1868	1934	1923-1927		C
38	Bibb Graves	1873	1942	1927-1931		C
39	Benjamin M. Miller	1864	1944	1931-1935		C
40	Frank M. Dixon	1892	1965	1939-1943		C
41	Chauncy Sparks	1864	1968	1943-1947		C
42	Jim Folsom	1908	1987	1947-1951		C
43	Gordon Persons	1902	1965	1951-1955		C
(42)	Jim Folsom	1908	1987	1955-1959		C
44	John M. Patterson	1921	2021	1959-1963		C
45	George Wallace	1919	1998	1963-1967		C
46	Lurleen Wallace	1926	1968	1967-1968		C
47	Albert Brewer	1928	2017	1968-1971		C
(45)	George Wallace	1919	1998	1971-1979		C
48	Fob James	1934	LIVING	1979-1983		N/C
(45)	George Wallace	1919	1998	1983-1987		C
49	H. Guy Hunt	1933	2009	1987-1993		C
50	Jim Folsom Jr.	1949	LIVING	1993-1995		C
(48)	Fob James	1934	LIVING	1995-1999		C
51	Don Siegelman	1946	LIVING	1999-2003		N/C
52	Bob Riley	1944	LIVING	2003-2011		N/C
53	Robert J. Bentley	1943	LIVING	2011-2017		N/C
54	Kay Ivey	1944	LIVING	2017-present		N/C