Historical List of Georgia Governors

Note: Unless otherwise indicated, Georgia chief executives have carried the title of ‘governor.’

Trustee Period

• James Edward Oglethorpe, Resident Trustee - 1733-1743 (The charter of the Georgia prohibited trustees from holding any formal office in the colony. Though he held no civilian title, James Oglethorpe represented the trustees during his stay in Georgia and served as de facto chief executive)
• William Stephens, President - 1743-1751
• Henry Parker , President - 1751-1752
• Patrick Graham , President - 1752-1754

Royal Period

• John Reynolds, Royal Governor - 1754-1757
• Henry Ellis, Royal Governor - 1757-1760
• James Wright, Royal Governor - 1760-1776 (When the revolutionaries took control in 1776, Wright fled from Georgia. he returned in 1779 and continued as royal governor of the British-held part of Georgia until 1782)

Provisional Period

• William Ewen, President of Council of Safety - 1775
• George Walton, President of Council of Safety - 1776
• William Ewen, President of Council of Safety - 1776

Revolutionary War Period Note: Since there were two governments during part of this period - the Revolutionary government and the restored Royal government - there will be some overlap in dates

• Archibald Bulloch, President of Council of Safety - 1776-1777
• Button Gwinnett, President of Council of Safety - 1777
• John Adam Treutlen - 1777-1778
• John Houstoun - 1778-1779
• Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell (Provisional Royal Governor) - 1778-1779
• William Glascock, President of Executive Council - 1779
• Seth John Cuthbert, President of Supreme Executive Council - 1779
• Lieutenant Colonel Jacques Marcus Prevost (Provisional Royal Governor) - 1779
• John Wereat, President of Supreme Executive Council - 1779-1780 (The patriots were divided into two factions. One elected Wereat and the other elected George Walton)
• George Walton, elected by irregular assembly - 1779-1780 (The patriots were divided into two factions. One elected Walton and the other elected John Wereat)
• Richard Howley - 1780 (Howley was elected both governor and representative to the Continental Congress. He chose to go to Congress in February)
• Humphrey Wells - 1780
• Stephen Heard, President of Executive Council - 1780 (The office of governor was briefly held by George Wells, President of the Executive Council, who was killed in a duel with James Jackson. For two days, he was replaced by Humphrey Wells before Stephen Heard took office)
• Myrick Davies, President of Executive Council - 1780-1781 (When Stephen Heard moved to North Carolina, he was briefly replaced by Myrick Davies, who was killed. Nathan Brownson was then chosen by the General Assembly)
• Nathan Brownson - 1781-1782
• James Wright, Restored Royal Governor - 1779-1782

Statehood

• John Martin - 1782-1783
• Lyman Hall - 1783-1784
• John Houstoun - 1784-1785
• Samuel Elbert - 1785-1786
• Edward Telfair - 1786-1787
• George Mathews - 1787-1788
• George Handley - 1788-1789
• George Walton - 1789-1790
• Edward Telfair - 1790-1793
• George Mathews - 1793-1796
• Jared Irwin - 1796-1798
• James Jackson - 1798-1801
• David Emanuel, President of Senate - 1801 (as president of the Senate, became acting governor upon a vacancy in that office)
• Josiah Tattnall - 1801-1802
• John Milledge - 1802-1806
• Jared Irwin, President of the Senate - 1806-1809 (as president of the Senate, became acting governor upon a vacancy in that office)
• David B. Mitchell - 1809-1813
• Peter Early - 1813-1815
• David B. Mitchell - 1815-1817
• William Rabun, President of the Senate - 1817-1819 (as president of the Senate, became acting governor upon a vacancy in that office)
• Mathew Talbot , President of Senate - 1819 (as president of the Senate, became acting governor upon a vacancy in that office)
• John Clark - 1819-1823
• George M. Troup - 1823-1827
• John Forsyth - 1827-1829
• George R. Gilmer - 1829-1831
• Wilson Lumpkin - 1831-1835
• William Schley - 1835-1837
• George R. Gilmer - 1837-1839
• Charles J. McDonald - 1839-1843
• George W. Crawford - 1843-1847
• George Towns - 1847-1851
• Howell Cobb - 1851-1853
• Herscel V. Johnson - 1853-1857
• Joseph E. Brown - 1857-1865 (Civil War, 1861-1865)
• James Johnson, Provisional Governor - 1865 (appointed by President Andrew Johnson)
• Charles J. Jenkins - 1865-1868 (When Jenkins refused to pay for the 1867 constitutional convention, he was removed from office by General George Meade, the U.S. general in charge of Georgia)
• Thomas H. Ruger, Provisional Governor - 1868 (General Meade named Ruger to replaced Jenkins as governor)
• Rufus B. Bullock, Provisional Governor - 1868
• Rufus B. Bullock - 1868-1871 (Rather than face impeachment, Bullock resigned. Benjamin Conley held office until a special election was held)
• Benjamin Conley, President of Senate - 1871-1872
• James M. Smith - 1872-1877
• Alfred H. Colquitt - 1877-1882
• Alexander H. Stephens - 1882-1883
• James S. Boynton, President of Senate - 1883
• Henry D. McDaniel - 1883-1886
• John B. Gordon - 1886-1890
• William J. Northen - 1890-1894
• William Y. Atkinson - 1894-1898
• Allen D. Candler - 1898-1902
• Joseph M. Terrell - 1902-1907
• Hoke Smith - 1907-1909
• Joseph M. Brown - 1909-1911
• Hoke Smith - 1911 (when Smith resigned to serve in the U.S. Senate, John M. Slaton served out his term)
• John M. Slaton, President of Senate - 1911-1912
• Joseph M. Brown - 1912-1913
• John M. Slaton - 1913-1915
• Nathaniel E. Harris - 1915-1917
• Hugh M. Dorsey - 1917-1921
• Thomas W. Hardwick - 1921-1923
• Clifford M. Walker - 1923-1927
• Lamartine G. Hardman - 1927-1931
• Richard B. Russell, Jr. - 1931-1933
• Eugene Talmadge - 1933-1937
• Eurith D. Rivers - 1937-1941
• Eugene Talmadge - 1941-1943
• Ellis G. Arnall - 1943-1947
• Herman E. Talmadge - 1947 (Eugene Talmadge won the election but died on December 21, 1946, before taking office. The legislature elected his son, Herman Talmadge, to serve the remainder of the term. Talmadge served from January to March 1947, when the Georgia Supreme Court ruled his election unconstitutional. Lieutentant Governor Melvin Thompson then served as acting governor until a special election could be held. That election, held in September 1948, was won by Herman Talmadge, who took office in November 1948 to serve the two remaining years of his father’s term)
• Melvin E. Thompson - 1947-1948 (Eugene Talmadge won the election but died on December 21, 1946, before taking office. The legislature elected his son, Herman Talmadge, to serve the remainder of the term. Talmadge served from January to March 1947, when the Georgia Supreme Court ruled his election unconstitutional. Lieutentant Governor Melvin Thompson then served as acting governor until a special election could be held. That election, held in September 1948, was won by Herman Talmadge, who took office in November 1948 to serve the two remaining years of his father’s term)
• Herman E. Talmadge - 1948-1955
• Marvin Griffin - 1955-1959
• Ernest Vandiver, Jr. - 1959-1963
• Carl E. Sanders - 1963-1967
• Lester Maddox - 1967-1971
• Jimmy Carter - 1971-1975
• George Busbee - 1975-1983
• Joe Frank Harris - 1983-1991
• Zell Miller - 1991-1999
• Roy Barnes - 1999 -2003
• Sonny Perdue - 2003 - 2011
• Nathan Deal - 2011-

Georgia Governor’s Term of Office As Provided for by Georgia Constitutions