Governors of Kentucky

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GOVERNORS OF KENTUCKY

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 Kentucky Governors Category Page

Kentucky was the fourteenth state to join the Union, following the original thirteen colonies and Vermont. Since that time, the State of Kentucky has had 63 governors, including four individuals (Isaac Shelby, John L. Helm, James B. McCreary and Happy Chandler) who served non-consecutive terms.

William Goebel, who served just three days, remains the only governor of any U.S. state to die from assassination while in office. Martha Layne Collins is the only woman to have served as Governor of Kentucky.

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 THE STATE OF KENTUCKY

#	Governor	Born	Died	Term	Photo	C
1	Isaac Shelby	1750	1826	1792-1796		C
2	James Garrard	1749	1822	1796-1804		C
3	Christopher Greenup	1750	1818	1804-1808		C
4	Charles Scott	1739	1813	1808-1812		C
5	Isaac Shelby	1750	1826	1812-1816		C
6	George Madison	1763	1816	1816		C
7	Gabriel Slaughter	1767	1830	1816-1820		C
8	John Adair	1757	1830	1820-1824		C
9	Joseph Desha	1768	1842	1824-1828		C
10	Thomas Metcalfe	1780	1855	1828-1832		C
11	John Breathitt	1786	1834	1832-1834		C
12	James Turner Morehead	1797	1854	1834-1836		C
13	James Clark	1779	1839	1836-1839		C
14	Charles A. Wickliffe	1788	1869	1839-1840		C
15	Robert P. Letcher	1788	1861	1840-1844		C
16	William Owsley	1782	1862	1844-1848		C
17	John J. Crittenden	1787	1863	1848-1850		C
18	John L. Helm	1802	1867	1850-1851		C
19	Lazarus W. Powell	1812-1867	1851	1855		C
20	Charles S. Morehead	1802	1868	1855-1859		C
21	Beriah Magofin	1815	1885	1859-1862		C
22	James Fletcher Robinson	1800	1882	1862-1863		C
23	Thomas E. Bramlette	1817	1875	1863-1867		C
24	John L. Helm	1802	1867	1867		C
25	John W. Stevenson	1812	1886	1867-1871		C
26	Preston Leslie	1819	1907	1871-1875		C
27	James B. McCreary	1838	1918	1875-1879		C
28	Luke P. Blackburn	1816	1887	1879-1883		C
29	J. Proctor Knott	1830	1911	1883-1887		C
30	Simon Bolivar Buckner	1823	1914	1887-1891		C
31	John Y. Brown	1835	1904	1891-1895		C
32	William O'Connell Bradley	1847	1914	1895-1899		C
33	William S. Taylor	1853	1928	1899-1900		C
34	William Goebel	1856	1900	1900		C
35	J.C.W. Beckham	1869	1940	1900-1907		C
36	Augustus E. Willson	1846	1931	1907-1911		C
37	James B. McCreary	1838	1918	1911-1915		C
38	Augustus Owsley Stanley	1867	1958	1915-1919		C
39	James D. Black	1849	1938	1919		C
40	Edwin P. Morrow	1877	1935	1919-1923		C
41	William J. Fields	1877	1954	1923-1927		C
42	Flem D. Sampson	1875	1967	1927-1931		C
43	Ruby Laffoon	1869	1941	1931-1935		C
44	Happy Chandler	1896	1991	1935-1923		C
45	Keen Johnson	1896	1970	1939-1943		C
46	Simon Willis	1879	1965	1943-1947		C
47	Earle Clements	1896	1985	1947-1950		C
48	Lawrence Wetherby	1908	1994	1950-1955		C
49	Happy Chandler	1896	1991	1955-1959		C
50	Bert Combs	1911	1991	1959-1963		C
51	Ned Breathitt	1924	2003	1963-1967		C
52	Louie Nunn	1924	2004	1967-1971		C
53	Wendell Ford	1924	2015	1971-1974		C
54	Julian Carroll	1931	LIVING	1974-1979		C
55	John Y. Brown Jr.	1933	2022	1979-1983		C
56	Martha Layne Collins	1936	LIVING	1974-1979		C
57	Wallace Wilkinson	1941	2002	1987-1991		C
58	Brereton C. Jones	1939	LIVING	1991-1995		C
59	Paul E. Patton	1937	LIVING	1995-2003		C
60	Ernie Fletcher	1952	LIVING	2003-2007		C
61	Steve Beshear	1944	LIVING	2007-2015		C
62	Matt Bevin	1967	LIVING	2015-2019		C
63	Andy Beshear	1977	LIVING	2019-		C