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This is a list of the governors of Massachusetts who have presided over the Commonwealth of Massachusetts since 1780.
[edit] Colonial Massachusetts
- Further information: List of colonial governors of Massachusetts
[edit] Commonwealth of Massachusetts: 1780 – present
This is a complete list of governors of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Acting governors, denoted as "A" instead of numbered, are included when the Governor resigned or died. Acting governors show a vacancy in the lieutenant governorship. They remain as Lieutenant Governors and merely act as governor. Lieutenant governors in Massachusetts do not ascend to the governorship upon death or resignation of their predecessor.
# |
Governor |
Picture |
Took office |
Left office |
Party |
Lieutenant Governor(s) |
Notes |
1 |
John Hancock |
|
1780 |
1785 |
None |
Thomas Cushing |
[1] |
A |
Thomas Cushing |
|
1785 |
1785 |
None |
(vacant) |
[2] |
2 |
James Bowdoin |
|
1785 |
1787 |
None |
Thomas Cushing |
|
3 |
John Hancock |
|
May 30, 1787 |
October 8, 1793 |
None |
Thomas Cushing
(1787 - 1788) |
[3] |
Benjamin Lincoln
(1788 - 1789) |
Samuel Adams
(1789 - 1793) |
4 |
Samuel Adams
|
|
October 8, 1793 |
June 2, 1797 |
None |
Moses Gill
(1794 - 1799) |
[4] |
5 |
Increase Sumner |
|
June 2, 1797 |
June 7, 1799 |
Federalist |
[3] |
A |
Moses Gill |
|
June 7, 1799 |
May 20, 1800 |
None |
(vacant) |
[2][3] |
A |
Governor's Council |
|
May 20, 1800 |
May 30, 1800 |
None |
[5] |
6 |
Caleb Strong |
|
May 30, 1800 |
May 29, 1807 |
Federalist |
Samuel Phillips, Jr.
(1801 - 1802) |
|
Edward H. Robbins
(1802 - 1806) |
7 |
James Sullivan |
|
May 29, 1807 |
December 10, 1808 |
Democratic-Republican |
Levi Lincoln, Sr. |
[3] |
A |
Levi Lincoln, Sr. |
|
December 10, 1808 |
May 1, 1809 |
Democratic-Republican |
(vacant) |
[2] |
8 |
Christopher Gore |
|
May 1, 1809 |
June 10, 1810 |
Federalist |
David Cobb |
|
9 |
Elbridge Gerry |
|
June 10, 1810 |
March 4, 1812 |
Democratic-Republican |
William Gray |
|
10 |
Caleb Strong |
|
June 1812 |
May 30, 1816 |
Federalist |
William Phillips, Jr. |
|
11 |
John Brooks |
|
May 30, 1816 |
May 31, 1823 |
Federalist |
|
12 |
William Eustis |
|
May 31, 1823 |
February 6, 1825 |
Democratic-Republican |
Levi Lincoln, Jr.
(1823 - 1824) |
[3] |
Marcus Morton
(1824 - 1825) |
A |
Marcus Morton |
|
February 6, 1825 |
May 26, 1825 |
Democratic-Republican |
(vacant) |
[2] |
13 |
Levi Lincoln, Jr. |
|
May 26, 1825 |
January 9, 1834 |
Democratic-Republican |
Thomas L. Winthrop
(1826 - 1833) |
|
Samuel Turell Armstrong
(1833 - 1834) |
14 |
John Davis |
|
January 9, 1834 |
March 1, 1835 |
Whig |
Samuel Turell Armstrong |
[6] |
A |
Samuel Turell Armstrong |
|
March 1, 1835 |
January 13, 1836 |
Whig |
(vacant) |
[2] |
15 |
Edward Everett |
|
January 13, 1836 |
January 18, 1840 |
Whig |
George Hull |
|
16 |
Marcus Morton |
|
January 18, 1840 |
January 7, 1841 |
Democratic |
|
17 |
John Davis |
|
January 7, 1841 |
January 17, 1843 |
Whig |
|
18 |
Marcus Morton |
|
January 17, 1843 |
January 1844 |
Democratic |
Henry H. Childs |
|
19 |
George N. Briggs |
|
January 1844 |
January 11, 1851 |
Whig |
John Reed, Jr. |
|
20 |
George S. Boutwell |
|
January 11, 1851 |
January 14, 1853 |
Democratic |
Henry W. Cushman |
|
21 |
John H. Clifford |
|
January 14, 1853 |
January 12, 1854 |
Whig |
Elisha Huntington |
|
22 |
Emory Washburn |
|
January 12, 1854 |
January 4, 1855 |
Whig |
William C. Plunkett |
|
23 |
Henry J. Gardner |
|
January 4, 1855 |
January 7, 1858 |
Know-Nothing |
Simon Brown
(1855 - 1856) |
|
Henry W. Benchley
(1856 - 1858) |
24 |
Nathaniel Prentice Banks |
|
January 7, 1858 |
January 3, 1861 |
Republican |
Eliphalet Trask |
|
25 |
John Albion Andrew |
|
January 3, 1861 |
January 4, 1866 |
Republican |
John Z. Goodrich
(1861) |
|
John Nesmith
(1862) |
Joel Hayden
(1863 - 1866) |
26 |
Alexander H. Bullock |
|
January 4, 1866 |
January 7, 1869 |
Republican |
William Claflin |
|
27 |
William Claflin |
|
January 7, 1869 |
January 4, 1872 |
Republican |
Joseph Tucker |
|
28 |
William B. Washburn |
|
January 4, 1872 |
April 29, 1874 |
Republican |
Joseph Tucker
(1872 - 1873) |
[6] |
Thomas Talbot
(1873 - 1874) |
A |
Thomas Talbot |
|
April 29, 1874 |
January 7, 1875 |
Republican |
(vacant) |
[2] |
29 |
William Gaston |
|
January 7, 1875 |
January 6, 1876 |
Democratic |
Horatio G. Knight |
|
30 |
Alexander H. Rice |
|
January 6, 1876 |
January 2, 1879 |
Republican |
|
31 |
Thomas Talbot |
|
January 2, 1879 |
January 8, 1880 |
Republican |
John Davis Long |
|
32 |
John Davis Long |
|
January 8, 1880 |
January 4, 1883 |
Republican |
Byron Weston |
|
33 |
Benjamin Franklin Butler |
|
January 4, 1883 |
January 3, 1884 |
Democratic |
Oliver Ames |
|
34 |
George D. Robinson |
|
January 3, 1884 |
January 6, 1887 |
Republican |
|
35 |
Oliver Ames |
|
January 6, 1887 |
January 7, 1890 |
Republican |
John Q. A. Brackett |
|
36 |
John Q. A. Brackett |
|
January 7, 1890 |
January 8, 1891 |
Republican |
William H. Haile |
|
37 |
William E. Russell |
|
January 8, 1891 |
January 4, 1894 |
Democratic |
William H. Haile
(1891 - 1893) |
|
Roger Wolcott
(1893 - 1894) |
38 |
Frederic T. Greenhalge |
|
January 4, 1894 |
March 5, 1896 |
Republican |
Roger Wolcott |
[3] |
39 |
Roger Wolcott |
|
March 5, 1896 |
January 4, 1900 |
Republican |
(vacant)
(1896 - 1897) |
[4] |
Winthrop M. Crane
(1897 - 1900) |
40 |
Winthrop M. Crane |
|
January 4, 1900 |
January 8, 1903 |
Republican |
John L. Bates |
|
41 |
John L. Bates |
|
January 8, 1903 |
January 5, 1905 |
Republican |
Curtis Guild, Jr. |
|
42 |
William Lewis Douglas |
|
January 5, 1905 |
January 4, 1906 |
Democratic |
|
43 |
Curtis Guild, Jr. |
|
January 4, 1906 |
January 7, 1909 |
Republican |
Ebenezer Sumner Draper |
|
44 |
Ebenezer Sumner Draper |
|
January 7, 1909 |
January 5, 1911 |
Republican |
Louis A. Frothingham |
|
45 |
Eugene Foss |
|
January 5, 1911 |
January 8, 1914 |
Democratic |
Louis A. Frothingham
(1911 - 1912) |
|
Robert Luce
(1912 - 1913) |
David I. Walsh
(1913 - 1914) |
46 |
David I. Walsh |
|
January 8, 1914 |
January 6, 1916 |
Democratic |
Edward P. Barry
(1914 - 1915) |
|
Grafton D. Cushing
(1915 - 1916) |
47 |
Samuel W. McCall |
|
January 6, 1916 |
January 2, 1919 |
Republican |
Calvin Coolidge |
|
48 |
Calvin Coolidge |
|
January 2, 1919 |
January 6, 1921 |
Republican |
Channing H. Cox |
|
49 |
Channing H. Cox |
|
January 6, 1921 |
January 8, 1925 |
Republican |
Alvan T. Fuller |
|
50 |
Alvan T. Fuller |
|
January 8, 1925 |
January 3, 1929 |
Republican |
Frank G. Allen |
|
51 |
Frank G. Allen |
|
January 3, 1929 |
January 8, 1931 |
Republican |
William S. Youngman |
|
52 |
Joseph B. Ely |
|
January 8, 1931 |
January 3, 1935 |
Democratic |
William S. Youngman
(1931 - 1933) |
|
Gaspar G. Bacon
(1933 - 1935) |
53 |
James Michael Curley |
|
January 3, 1935 |
January 7, 1937 |
Democratic |
Joseph L. Hurley |
|
54 |
Charles F. Hurley |
|
January 7, 1937 |
January 5, 1939 |
Democratic |
Francis E. Kelly |
|
55 |
Leverett Saltonstall |
|
January 5, 1939 |
January 3, 1945 |
Republican |
Horace T. Cahill |
|
56 |
Maurice J. Tobin |
|
January 3, 1945 |
January 2, 1947 |
Democratic |
Robert F. Bradford |
|
57 |
Robert F. Bradford |
|
January 2, 1947 |
January 6, 1949 |
Republican |
Arthur W. Coolidge |
|
58 |
Paul A. Dever |
|
January 6, 1949 |
January 8, 1953 |
Democratic |
Charles F. Sullivan |
|
59 |
Christian Herter |
|
January 8, 1953 |
January 3, 1957 |
Republican |
Sumner G. Whittier |
|
60 |
Foster Furcolo |
|
January 3, 1957 |
January 5, 1961 |
Democratic |
Robert F. Murphy
(1957 - 1960) |
|
61 |
John A. Volpe |
|
January 5, 1961 |
January 3, 1963 |
Republican |
Edward F. McLaughlin, Jr. |
|
62 |
Endicott Peabody |
|
January 3, 1963 |
January 7, 1965 |
Democratic |
Francis X. Belotti |
|
63 |
John A. Volpe |
|
January 7, 1965 |
January 22, 1969 |
Republican |
Elliot Richardson
(1965 - 1967) |
[7] |
Francis W. Sargent
(1967 - 1969) |
64 |
Francis W. Sargent |
|
January 22, 1969 |
January 2, 1975 |
Republican |
Donald R. Dwight |
[4] |
65 |
Michael Dukakis |
|
January 2, 1975 |
January 4, 1979 |
Democratic |
Thomas P. O'Neill III |
|
66 |
Edward J. King |
|
January 4, 1979 |
January 6, 1983 |
Democratic |
|
67 |
Michael Dukakis |
|
January 6, 1983 |
January 3, 1991 |
Democratic |
John Kerry
(1983 - 1985) |
|
(vacant)
(1985 - 1987) |
Evelyn Murphy
(1987 - 1991) |
68 |
William F. Weld |
|
January 3, 1991 |
July 29, 1997 |
Republican |
A. Paul Cellucci |
[8] |
69 |
A. Paul Cellucci |
|
July 29, 1997 |
April 10, 2001 |
Republican |
(vacant)
(1997 - 1999) |
[4][9] |
Jane Swift
(1999 - 2001) |
A |
Jane Swift |
|
April 10, 2001 |
January 2, 2003 |
Republican |
(vacant) |
[2] |
70 |
W. Mitt Romney |
|
January 2, 2003 |
January 4, 2007 |
Republican |
Kerry Healey |
|
71 |
Deval Patrick |
|
January 4, 2007 |
Incumbent |
Democratic |
Timothy P. Murray |
[10] |
[edit] Other high offices held
This is a table of congressional and other federal offices held by governors. All representatives and senators mentioned represented Massachusetts. * denotes those offices which the governor resigned to take.
Name |
Gubernatorial term |
U.S. Congress |
Other offices held |
House |
Senate |
John Hancock |
1787–1793, 1780–1785 |
|
|
Delegate to the Continental Congress (including twice as President of the Continental Congress) |
Thomas Cushing |
1785 (acting) |
|
|
Delegate to the Continental Congress |
Samuel Adams |
1793–1797 |
|
|
Delegate to the Continental Congress |
Caleb Strong |
1800–1807, 1812–1816 |
|
S |
Delegate to the Continental Congress |
James Sullivan |
1807–1808 |
|
|
Delegate to the Continental Congress, but did not attend |
Levi Lincoln, Sr. |
1808–1809 (acting) |
H |
|
U.S. Attorney General |
Christopher Gore |
1813–1816 |
|
S |
|
Elbridge Gerry |
1810–1812 |
H |
|
Delegate to the Continental Congress, Vice President of the United States |
William Eustis |
1823–1825 |
H |
|
Ambassador to the Netherlands, U.S. Secretary of War |
Marcus Morton |
1825 (acting), 1840–1841, 1843–1844 |
H |
|
|
Levi Lincoln, Jr. |
1825–1834 |
H |
|
|
John Davis |
1834–1835, 1841–1843 |
H |
S* |
|
Edward Everett |
1836–1840 |
H |
S |
Ambassador to Great Britain, U.S. Secretary of State |
George N. Briggs |
1844–1851 |
H |
|
|
George S. Boutwell |
1851–1853 |
H |
S |
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury |
Nathaniel Prentice Banks |
1858–1861 |
H |
|
Speaker of the House |
William B. Washburn |
1874–1874 |
H |
S* |
|
Alexander H. Rice |
1876–1879 |
H |
|
|
John Davis Long |
1880–1883 |
H |
|
U.S. Secretary of the Navy |
Benjamin Franklin Butler |
1883–1884 |
H |
|
|
George D. Robinson |
1884–1887 |
H |
|
|
Frederic T. Greenhalge |
1894–1896 |
H |
|
|
Winthrop M. Crane |
1900–1903 |
|
S |
|
Eugene Foss |
1911–1914 |
H |
|
|
David I. Walsh |
1914–1916 |
|
S |
|
Samuel W. McCall |
1916–1919 |
H |
|
|
Calvin Coolidge |
1919–1921 |
|
|
Vice President of the United States, President of the United States |
Alvan T. Fuller |
1925–1929 |
H |
|
|
James Michael Curley |
1935–1937 |
H |
|
|
Leverett Saltonstall |
1939–1945 |
|
S |
|
Maurice J. Tobin |
1945–1947 |
|
|
U.S. Secretary of Labor |
Christian Herter |
1953–1957 |
H |
|
U.S. Secretary of State |
Foster Furcolo |
1957–1961 |
H |
|
|
John A. Volpe |
1961–1963, 1965–1969 |
|
|
U.S. Secretary of Transportation* |
Paul Cellucci |
1997–2001 |
|
|
Ambassador to Canada* |
[edit] Living former governors
As of March 2008, five former governors were alive, the oldest being Michael Dukakis (1975–1979, 1983–1991, born 1933). The most recent governor to die was Edward J. King (1979–1983), on September 18, 2006.