Governors
The Kansas Governor heads the executive branch, which includes the lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and attorney general. Territorial governors were appointed by the U. S. president. After statehood, and for more than 100 years, governors were elected every two years. Beginning with the 1974 election, the term of office became four years.
The State Archives preserves records of all Kansas governors, with the exception of George Docking, Robert Docking and Robert Bennett. George Docking's records were destroyed after he left office; Robert Docking and Bennett's records are at the Spencer Research Library at the University of Kansas. See each governor's annual message or state of the state address on the Kansas State Library website.
See a chronological list of Kansas governors with links to biographies.
| Territorial Governors | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Andrew H. Reeder |
Commissioned June 29, 1854 Oath of office July,1854 October 7, 1854 - April 17, 1855 |
| 2. | Daniel Woodson | April 17 - June 23, 1855 (acting) |
| 3. | Andrew H. Reeder | June 23 - August 16,1855 |
| 4. | Daniel Woodson | August 16 - September 7,1855 |
| 5. | Wilson Shannon |
Commissioned August 10, 1855 September 7, 1855 - June 24, 1856 |
| 6. | Daniel Woodson | June 24 - July 7, 1856 (acting) |
| 7. | Daniel Woodson | August 18 - September 9, 1856 (acting) |
| 8. | John White Geary |
September 9, 1856 - March 12, 1857 Resigned March 4, to take effect March 20 |
| 9. | Daniel Woodson | March 12 - April 16, 1857 (acting) |
| 10. | Frederick P. Stanton | April 16 - May 27, 1857 |
| 11. | Robert Walker |
Oath May 9, 1857 May 27 - November 16, 1857 |
| 12. | Frederick P. Stanton | November 16 - December 21, 1857 (acting) |
| 13. | James W. Denver |
December 21, 1857 - May 12, 1858 (acting) May 12 - July 3, 1858 |
| 14. | Hugh Sleight Walsh | July 3 - July 30, 1858 (acting) |
| 15. | James W. Denver | July 30 - October 10, 1858 |
| 16. | Hugh Sleight Walsh | October 10 - December 18, 1858 (acting) |
| 17. | Samuel Medary |
Oath December 1, 1858 December 18, 1858 - August 1, 1859 |
| 18. | Hugh Sleight Walsh | August 1 - September 15, 1859 (acting) |
| 19. | Samuel Medary | September 15, 1859 - April 15, 1860 |
| 20. | Hugh Sleight Walsh | April 15 - June 16, 1860 (acting) |
| 21. | Samuel Medary | June 16 - September 11,1860 |
| 22. | George M. Beebe | September 11 - November 26, 1860 (acting) |
| 23. | Samuel Medary | November 26 - December 17, 1860 |
| 24. | George M. Beebe | December 17, 1860 - February 9, 1861 |
| Kansas Governors | ||
| 1. | Charles Robinson | February 9, 1861 - January 12, 1863 |
| 2. | Thomas Carney | January 12, 1863 - January 9, 1865 |
| 3. | Samuel Johnson Crawford | January 9, 1865 - November 4, 1868 |
| 4. | Nehemiah Green | November 4, 1868 - January 11, 1869 |
| 5. | James Madison Harvey | January 11, 1869 - January 13, 1873 |
| 6. | Thomas Andrew Osborn | January 13, 1873 - January 8, 1877 |
| 7. | George Tobey Anthony | January 8, 1877 - January 13, 1879 |
| 8. | John Pierce St. John | January 13, 1879 - January 8, 1883 |
| 9. | George Washington Glick | January 8, 1883 - January 12, 1885 |
| 10. | John Alexander Martin | January 12, 1885 - January 14, 1889 |
| 11. | Lyman Underwood Humphrey | January 14, 1889 - January 9, 1893 |
| 12. | Lorenzo Dow Lewelling | January 9, 1893 - January 14, 1895 |
| 13. | Edmund Needham Morrill | January 14, 1895 - January 11, 1897 |
| 14. | John Whitnah Leedy | January 11, 1897 - January 9, 1899 |
| 15. | William Eugene Stanley |
January 9, 1899 - January 12, 1903 First to occupy Governor's Mansion |
| 16. | Willis Joshua Bailey | January 12, 1903 - January 9, 1905 |
| 17. | Edward Wallis Hoch | January 9, 1905 - January 11, 1909 |
| 18. | Walter Roscoe Stubbs | January 11, 1909 - January 13, 1913 |
| 19. | George Hartshorn Hodges | January 13, 1913 - January 11, 1915 |
| 20. | Arthur Capper | January 11, 1915 - January 13, 1919 |
| 21. | Henry Justin Allen | January 13, 1919 - January 8, 1923 |
| 22. | Jonathan McMillen Davis | January 8, 1923 - January 12, 1925 |
| 23. | Ben Sanford Paulen | January 12, 1925 - January 14, 1929 |
| 24. | Clyde Martin Reed | January 14, 1929 - January 12, 1931 |
| 25. | Harry Hines Woodring | January 12, 1931 - January 9, 1933 |
| 26. | Alfred Mossman Landon | January 9, 1933 - January 11, 1937 |
| 27. | Walter Augustus Huxman | January 11, 1937 - January 9, 1939 |
| 28. | Payne Ratner | January 9, 1939 - January 11, 1943 |
| 29. | Andrew F. Schoeppel | January 11, 1943 - January 13, 1947 |
| 30. | Frank Carlson | January 13, 1947 - November 28, 1950 |
| 31. | Frank L. Hagaman | November 28, 1950 - January 8, 1951 |
| 32. | Edward F. Arn | January 8, 1951 - January 10, 1955 |
| 33. | Fred Hall | January 10, 1955 - January 3, 1957 |
| 34. | John McCuish | January 3, 1957 - January 14, 1957 |
| 35. | George Docking | January 14, 1957 - January 9, 1961 |
| 36. | John Anderson, Jr. |
January 9, 1961 - January 11, 1965 First to occupy Cedar Crest |
| 37. | William H. Avery | January 11, 1965 - January 9, 1967 |
| 38. | Robert B. Docking | January 9, 1967 - January 13, 1975 |
| 39. | Robert F. Bennett | January 13, 1975 - January 8, 1979 |
| 40. | John William Carlin | January 8, 1979 - January 12, 1987 |
| 41. | John Michael Hayden | January 12, 1987 - January 14, 1991 |
| 42. | Joan Finney | January 14, 1991 - January 9, 1995 |
| 43. | William Preston Graves | January 9, 1995 - January 13, 2003 |
| 44. | Kathleen Sebelius | January 13, 2003 - April 28, 2009 |
| 45. | Mark Parkinson | April 28, 2009 - January 10, 2011 |
| 46. | Samuel Dale Brownback | January 10, 2011 - January 31, 2018 |
| 47. | Jeff Colyer, M.D. | January 31, 2018 - January 14, 2019 |
| 48. | Laura Kelly | January 14, 2019 - present |
The State Archives houses records of all Kansas governors, with the exception of George Docking, Robert Docking, and Robert Bennett. George Docking destroyed his records after leaving office; Robert Docking and Bennett deposited theirs at the Spencer Research Library at the University of Kansas.
Governor's Annual Message or State of the State address on the Kansas State Library website.
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: February 2017
Date Modified: April 2019
The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.
