List of governors of Missouri facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Governor of Missouri
State seal
Incumbent Mike Parson since June 1, 2018
Style	The Honorable
Residence	Missouri Governor's Mansion
Term length	Four years, renewable once
Precursor	Governor of Missouri Territory
Inaugural holder	Alexander McNair
Formation	September 18, 1820 (204 years ago) (1820-09-18) Constitution of Missouri
Deputy	Lieutenant Governor of Missouri
Salary	US$133,820.88 per year (2013)

The governor of Missouri is the head of government of the U.S. state of Missouri and the commander-in-chief of the Missouri National Guard. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Missouri Legislature, to convene the legislature and grant pardons, except in cases of impeachment.

The current governor is Republican Mike Parson, who took office on June 1, 2018.

List of governors

Louisiana was purchased from France in 1803, with it being proclaimed in St. Louis in Upper Louisiana on March 10, 1804, by Amos Stoddard, who remained as military commander of the region until October 1, 1804, when Orleans Territory was split from it. The remainder was designated the District of Louisiana and placed under the jurisdiction of Indiana Territory and its governor, William Henry Harrison.

Louisiana Territory and Missouri Territory

The District of Louisiana was organized as Louisiana Territory on July 4, 1805; it was renamed Missouri Territory on June 4, 1812, after the admission of the state of Louisiana. It had four governors appointed by the president of the United States, including both Meriwether Lewis and William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Governors of Louisiana and Missouri Territory

No.	Governor		Term in office	Appointed by
1		James Wilkinson (1757–1825)	July 4, 1805 – March 3, 1807 (successor appointed)	Jefferson, ThomasThomas Jefferson
2		Meriwether Lewis (1774–1809)	March 3, 1807 – October 11, 1809 (died in office)	Jefferson, ThomasThomas Jefferson
3		Benjamin Howard (1760–1814)	April 18, 1810 – October 31, 1812 (resigned)	Madison, JamesJames Madison
4		William Clark (1770–1838)	July 1, 1813 – September 18, 1820 (lost election)	Madison, JamesJames Madison
				Monroe, JamesJames Monroe

State of Missouri

Missouri was admitted to the union on August 10, 1821.

The original constitution of 1820 created the offices of governor and lieutenant governor, to serve terms of four years without being able to succeed themselves. Terms were shortened to 2 years in 1865, with a limit of serving no more than four out of every six years. They were returned in 1875 to the four-year term and limit on succession of the 1820 constitution, and the term limit changed to two terms in 1965. Originally, the lieutenant governor would act as governor in the event of a vacancy; a 1968 amendment made it so that the lieutenant governor becomes governor in that situation.

A group including the governor, lieutenant governor, and members of the Missouri General Assembly, proclaimed Missouri's secession from the Union on October 31, 1861, and it was admitted to the Confederate States of America on November 28, 1861. The Confederate government elected two governors, but only had any control in the south of the state, and was forced into exile in Marshall, Texas, after the Battle of Pea Ridge in March 1862.

Governors of the State of Missouri

No.	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor
1			Alexander McNair (1775–1826)	September 18, 1820 – November 17, 1824 (term-limited)	Democratic- Republican	1820		Ashley, William HenryWilliam Henry Ashley
2			Frederick Bates (1777–1825)	November 17, 1824 – August 4, 1825 (died in office)	Democratic- Republican	1824		Reeves, Benjamin HarrisonBenjamin Harrison Reeves (resigned July 1825)
							Vacant
3			Abraham J. Williams (1781–1839)	August 4, 1825 – January 20, 1826 (successor took office)	Democratic- Republican	President of the Senate acting
4			John Miller (1781–1846)	January 20, 1826 – November 21, 1832 (term-limited)	Democratic	1825 (special)
						1828		Dunklin, DanielDaniel Dunklin
5			Daniel Dunklin (1790–1844)	November 21, 1832 – September 30, 1836 (resigned)	Democratic	1832		Boggs, LilburnLilburn Boggs
6			Lilburn Boggs (1796–1860)	September 30, 1836 – November 18, 1840 (term-limited)	Democratic	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
						1836		Cannon, FranklinFranklin Cannon
7			Thomas Reynolds (1796–1844)	November 18, 1840 – February 9, 1844 (died in office)	Democratic	1840		Marmaduke, Meredith MilesMeredith Miles Marmaduke
8			Meredith Miles Marmaduke (1791–1864)	February 9, 1844 – November 20, 1844 (successor took office)	Democratic	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
9			John Cummins Edwards (1804–1888)	November 20, 1844 – December 27, 1848 (term-limited)	Democratic	1844		Young, JamesJames Young
10			Austin Augustus King (1802–1870)	December 27, 1848 – January 3, 1853 (term-limited)	Democratic	1848		Price, Thomas LawsonThomas Lawson Price
11			Sterling Price (1809–1867)	January 3, 1853 – January 5, 1857 (term-limited)	Democratic	1852		Brown, WilsonWilson Brown (died August 27, 1855)
							Vacant
12			Trusten Polk (1811–1876)	January 5, 1857 – February 27, 1857 (resigned)	Democratic	1856		Jackson, Hancock LeeHancock Lee Jackson
13			Hancock Lee Jackson (1796–1876)	February 27, 1857 – October 22, 1857 (successor took office)	Democratic	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
14			Robert Marcellus Stewart (1815–1871)	October 22, 1857 – January 3, 1861 (term-limited)	Democratic	1857 (special)		Jackson, Hancock LeeHancock Lee Jackson
15			Claiborne Fox Jackson (1806–1862)	January 3, 1861 – July 31, 1861 (office declared vacant)	Democratic	1860		Reynolds, Thomas CauteThomas Caute Reynolds
16			Hamilton Rowan Gamble (1798–1864)	July 31, 1861 – January 31, 1864 (died in office)	Unionist	Provisional governor elected by convention		Hall, Willard PrebleWillard Preble Hall
17			Willard Preble Hall (1820–1882)	January 31, 1864 – January 2, 1865 (successor took office)	Unionist	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
18			Thomas Clement Fletcher (1827–1899)	January 2, 1865 – January 12, 1869 (term-limited)	Republican	1864		Smith, GeorgeGeorge Smith
19			Joseph W. McClurg (1818–1900)	January 12, 1869 – January 9, 1871 (lost election)	Republican	1868		Stanard, Edwin O.Edwin O. Stanard
20			Benjamin Gratz Brown (1826–1885)	January 9, 1871 – January 8, 1873 (did not run)	Liberal Republican	1870		Gravely, Joseph J.Joseph J. Gravely (died April 28, 1872)
							Vacant
21			Silas Woodson (1819–1896)	January 8, 1873 – January 12, 1875 (did not run)	Democratic	1872		Johnson, Charles PhillipCharles Phillip Johnson
22			Charles Henry Hardin (1820–1892)	January 12, 1875 – January 8, 1877 (did not run)	Democratic	1874		Coleman, Norman JayNorman Jay Coleman
23			John S. Phelps (1814–1886)	January 8, 1877 – January 10, 1881 (term-limited)	Democratic	1876		Brockmeyer, Henry ClayHenry Clay Brockmeyer
24			Thomas Theodore Crittenden (1832–1909)	January 10, 1881 – January 12, 1885 (term-limited)	Democratic	1880		Campbell, Robert AlexanderRobert Alexander Campbell
25			John S. Marmaduke (1833–1887)	January 12, 1885 – December 28, 1887 (died in office)	Democratic	1884		Morehouse, Albert P.Albert P. Morehouse
26			Albert P. Morehouse (1835–1891)	December 28, 1887 – January 14, 1889 (lost nomination)	Democratic	Lieutenant governor acting		Acting as governor
27			David R. Francis (1850–1927)	January 14, 1889 – January 9, 1893 (term-limited)	Democratic	1888		Claycomb, Stephen HughStephen Hugh Claycomb
28			William J. Stone (1848–1918)	January 9, 1893 – January 11, 1897 (term-limited)	Democratic	1892		O'Meara, John BaptisteJohn Baptiste O'Meara
29			Lawrence Vest Stephens (1858–1923)	January 11, 1897 – January 14, 1901 (term-limited)	Democratic	1896		Bolte, August HenryAugust Henry Bolte
30			Alexander Monroe Dockery (1845–1926)	January 14, 1901 – January 9, 1905 (term-limited)	Democratic	1900		Lee, John AdamsJohn Adams Lee (resigned April 25, 1903)
								Rubey, Thomas L.Thomas L. Rubey (appointed April 25, 1903)
31			Joseph W. Folk (1869–1923)	January 9, 1905 – January 11, 1909 (term-limited)	Democratic	1904		McKinley, John C.John C. McKinley
32			Herbert S. Hadley (1872–1927)	January 11, 1909 – January 13, 1913 (term-limited)	Republican	1908		Gmelich, Jacob F.Jacob F. Gmelich
33			Elliott Woolfolk Major (1864–1949)	January 13, 1913 – January 8, 1917 (term-limited)	Democratic	1912		Painter, William RockWilliam Rock Painter
34			Frederick D. Gardner (1869–1933)	January 8, 1917 – January 10, 1921 (term-limited)	Democratic	1916		Crossley, WallaceWallace Crossley
35			Arthur M. Hyde (1877–1947)	January 10, 1921 – January 12, 1925 (term-limited)	Republican	1920		Lloyd, HiramHiram Lloyd
36			Sam Aaron Baker (1874–1933)	January 12, 1925 – January 14, 1929 (term-limited)	Republican	1924		Bennett, Philip AllenPhilip Allen Bennett
37			Henry S. Caulfield (1873–1966)	January 14, 1929 – January 9, 1933 (term-limited)	Republican	1928		Winter, Edward HenryEdward Henry Winter
38			Guy Brasfield Park (1872–1946)	January 9, 1933 – January 11, 1937 (term-limited)	Democratic	1932		Harris, Frank GainesFrank Gaines Harris (died December 30, 1944)
39			Lloyd C. Stark (1886–1972)	January 11, 1937 – February 26, 1941 (term-limited)	Democratic	1936
40			Forrest C. Donnell (1884–1980)	February 26, 1941 – January 8, 1945 (term-limited)	Republican	1940
							Vacant
41			Phil M. Donnelly (1891–1961)	January 8, 1945 – January 10, 1949 (term-limited)	Democratic	1944		Davis, Walter NaylorWalter Naylor Davis
42			Forrest Smith (1886–1962)	January 10, 1949 – January 12, 1953 (term-limited)	Democratic	1948		Blair Jr., James T.James T. Blair Jr.
43			Phil M. Donnelly (1891–1961)	January 12, 1953 – January 14, 1957 (term-limited)	Democratic	1952
44			James T. Blair Jr. (1902–1962)	January 14, 1957 – January 9, 1961 (term-limited)	Democratic	1956		Long, Edward V.Edward V. Long (resigned September 23, 1960)
							Vacant
45			John M. Dalton (1900–1972)	January 9, 1961 – January 11, 1965 (term-limited)	Democratic	1960		Bush, Hilary A.Hilary A. Bush
46			Warren E. Hearnes (1923–2009)	January 11, 1965 – January 8, 1973 (term-limited)	Democratic	1964		Eagleton, ThomasThomas Eagleton (resigned December 27, 1968)
							Vacant
						1968		Morris, William S.William S. Morris
47			Kit Bond (b. 1939)	January 8, 1973 – January 10, 1977 (lost election)	Republican	1972		Phelps, BillBill Phelps
48			Joseph P. Teasdale (1936–2014)	January 10, 1977 – January 12, 1981 (lost election)	Democratic	1976
49			Kit Bond (b. 1939)	January 12, 1981 – January 14, 1985 (did not run)	Republican	1980		Rothman, KenKen Rothman
50			John Ashcroft (b. 1942)	January 14, 1985 – January 11, 1993 (term-limited)	Republican	1984		Woods, HarriettHarriett Woods
						1988		Carnahan, MelMel Carnahan
51			Mel Carnahan (1934–2000)	January 11, 1993 – October 16, 2000 (died in office)	Democratic	1992		Wilson, Roger B.Roger B. Wilson
						1996
52			Roger B. Wilson (b. 1948)	October 16, 2000 – January 8, 2001 (did not run)	Democratic	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
								Maxwell, JoeJoe Maxwell (appointed November 15, 2000)
53			Bob Holden (b. 1949)	January 8, 2001 – January 10, 2005 (lost nomination)	Democratic	2000
54			Matt Blunt (b. 1970)	January 10, 2005 – January 12, 2009 (did not run)	Republican	2004		Kinder, PeterPeter Kinder
55			Jay Nixon (b. 1956)	January 12, 2009 – January 9, 2017 (term-limited)	Democratic	2008
						2012
56			Eric Greitens (b. 1974)	January 9, 2017 – June 1, 2018 (resigned)	Republican	2016		Parson, MikeMike Parson
57			Mike Parson (b. 1955)	June 1, 2018 – Incumbent	Republican	Succeeded from lieutenant governor	Vacant
								Kehoe, MikeMike Kehoe (appointed June 18, 2018)
						2020

Confederate governors

Thomas Caute Reynolds, 2nd Confederate governor of Missouri

During the Civil War, after the capture of Jefferson City by the Union, a constitutional convention declared the office then held by Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson to be vacant. In October, Jackson, Lieutenant Governor Thomas Caute Reynolds, and some members of the General Assembly, organized at Neosho and passed an Ordinance of Secession. This Confederate government never displaced the government in Jefferson City, and Missouri remained in the Union through the entire war. Jackson continued on as governor until his death on December 6, 1862, at which time Reynolds took over, serving until he fled to Mexico in June 1865 after the end of the war.

See also

• Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Missouri