Governors of Tennessee

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GOVERNORS OF TENNESSEE

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 Tennessee Governors Category Page

The Southwest Territory, officially known as the Territory South of the River Ohio, was formed in 1790 from lands ceded by North Carolina to the United States government. William Blount was the territory's only governor. On 1 Jun 1796, Tennesse was granted statehood, and since that time it has had 50 governors. Seven governors (Sevier, Carroll, Johnson, Taylor, Browning, Clement, and Ellington) have served non-consecutive terms. When a Tennessee governor holds office in non-consecutive terms, they are numbered only once. Thus, John Sevier is considered the state's first governor only - not the first and third.

Judge Robert L. Caruthers was elected Governor of Tennessee in 1863 by the state's Confederates, but never took office and thus does not appear on the list below. Edward H. East served briefly as the state's Acting-Governor after Gov. Andrew Johnson was inaugurated Vice President of the United States on 4 Mar 1865, until his elected successor was sworn into office 5 Apr 1865.

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.

GOVERNOR OF THE SOUTHWEST TERRITORY

#	Governor	Born	Died	Term	Photo	C
1	William Blount	1749	1800	1790-1796		C

GOVERNORS OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE

#	Governor	Born	Died	Term	Photo	C
1	John Sevier	1745	1815	1796-1801		C
2	Archibald Roane	1759	1819	1801-1803		C
1	John Sevier	1745	1815	1803-1809		C
3	Willie Blount	1768	1835	1809-1815		C
4	Joseph McMinn	1758	1824	1815-1821		C
5	William Carroll	1788	1844	1821-1827		C
6	Sam Houston	1799	1863	1827-1829		C
7	William Hall	1775	1856	1829-1829		C
5	William Carroll	1788	1844	1829-1835		C
8	Newton Cannon	1781	1841	1835-1839		C
9	James K. Polk	1795	1849	1839-1841		C
10	James C. Jones	1809	1859	1841-1845		C
11	Aaron V. Brown	1795	1859	1845-1847		C
12	Neill S. Brown	1810	1886	1847-1849		C
13	William Trousdale	1790	1872	1849-1851		C
14	William B. Campbell	1807	1867	1851-1853		C
15	Andrew Johnson	1808	1875	1853-1857		C
16	Isham G. Harris	1818	1897	1857-1862		C
15	Andrew Johnson	1808	1875	1862-1865		C
Act	Edward H. East	1830	1904	1865-1865		C
17	William G. Brownlow	1805	1877	1865-1869		C
18	DeWitt Clinton Senter	1830	1898	1869-1871		C
19	John C. Brown	1827	1889	1871-1875		C
20	James D. Porter	1828	1912	1875-1879		C
21	Albert S. Marks	1836	1891	1879-1881		C
22	Alvin Hawkins	1821	1905	1881-1883		C
23	William B. Bate	1820	1905	1887-1891		C
24	Robert Love Taylor	1850	1912	1887-1891		C
25	John P. Buchanan	1847	1930	1891-1893		C
26	Peter Turney	1827	1903	1893-1897		C
24	Robert Love Taylor	1850	1912	1897-1899		C
27	Benton McMillin	1845	1933	1899-1903		C
28	James B. Frazier	1856	1937	1903-1905		C
29	John I. Cox	1855	1946	1905-1907		C
30	Malcolm R. Patterson	1861	1935	1907-1911		C
31	Ben W. Hooper	1870	1957	1911-1915		C
32	Thomas C. Rye	1863	1953	1915-1919		C
33	Albert H. Roberts	1868	1946	1919-1921		C
34	Alfred A. Taylor	1848	1931	1921-1923		C
35	Austin Peay	1876	1927	1923-1927		C
36	Henry Hollis Horton	1866	1934	1927-1933		C
37	Hills McAlister	1875	1959	1933-1937		C
38	Gordon Browning	1889	1976	1837-1939		C
39	Prentice Cooper	1895	1969	1939-1945		C
40	Jim Nance McCord	1879	1968	1945-1949		C
38	Gordon Browning	1889	1976	1949-1953		C
41	Frank G. Clement	1920	1969	1953-1959		C
42	Buford Ellington	1907	1972	1959-1963		C
41	Frank G. Clement	1920	1969	1963-1967		C
42	Buford Ellington	1907	1972	1967-1971		C
43	Winfield Dunn	1927	LIVING	1971-1975		C
44	Ray Blanton	1930	1996	1975-1979		C
45	Lamar Alexander	1940	LIVING	1979-1987		C
46	Ned McWherter	1930	2011	1987-1995		C
47	Don Sundquist	1936	LIVING	1995-2003		C
48	Phil Bredesen	1943	LIVING	2002-2011		N/C
49	Bill Haslam	1958	LIVING	2011-2019		N/C
50	Bill Lee	1959	LIVING	2019-present		N/C