List of Presidents of the Ohio Senate

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The President of the Ohio State Senate is the leader of the Ohio State Senate. Under Ohio's first constitution, in effect from 1803 to 1851, the presiding officer of the Senate was called the speaker. Starting in 1851, when the second constitution took effect, a new office of lieutenant governor was created. The new position of lieutenant governor carried with it the office of president of the senate, and was nominally the presiding officer of the senate. During this time, the actual legislative leader of the senate majority was the president pro tempore of the Ohio Senate. In the 1970s, another change was made, which made the office of lieutenant governor elected jointly with the governor. At this time, the duty of presiding over the senate was removed from the lieutenant governor's portfolio and the majority party of the senate began electing its own president starting in 1979.

[edit] Speakers of the Ohio Senate, 1803-1851

Term Name Party Home County
1803-03-01 – 1803-12-04 Nathaniel Massie Democratic-Republican Ross
1803-12-05 – 1805-12-01 Daniel Symmes   Hamilton
1805-12-02 – 1806-11-30 James Pritchard   Jefferson
1806-12-01 – 1809-12-03 Thomas Kirker   Adams
1809-12-04 – 1810-12-02 Duncan McArthur Democratic-Republican Ross
1810-12-03 – 1813-12-05 Thomas Kirker (2nd)   Adams
1813-12-06 – 1814-12-04 Othniel Looker   Hamilton
1814-12-05 – 1815-12-03 Thomas Kirker (3rd)   Adams
1815-12-04 – 1816-12-01 Peter Hitchcock   Geauga
1816-12-02 – 1818-12-06 Abraham Shepherd   Adams
1818-12-07 – 1819-12-05 Robert Lucas   Pike
1819-12-06 – 1826-12-03 Allen Trimble   Highland
1826-12-04 – 1827-12-02 Abraham Shepherd (2nd)   Adams
1827-12-03 – 1829-12-06 Samuel Wheeler   Geauga
1829-12-07 – 1830-12-05 Robert Lucas (2nd)   Pike
1830-12-06 – 1831-12-04 Samuel R. Miller   Hamilton
1831-12-05 – 1832-12-02 William Doherty   Franklin
1832-12-03 – 1833-12-01 Samuel R. Miller (2nd)   Hamilton
1833-12-02 – 1834-11-30 David T. Disney Democratic Hamilton
1834-12-01 – 1835-12-06 Peter Hitchcock (2nd)   Geauga
1835-12-07 – 1837-12-03 Elijah Vance   Butler
1837-12-04 – 1838-12-02 George J. Smith   Warren
1838-12-03 – 1839-12-01 William Hawkins   Morgan
1839-12-02 – 1841-12-05 William McLaughlin   Richland
1841-12-06 – 1843-12-03 James J. Finan   Hamilton
1843-12-04 – 1844-12-01 Thomas W. Bartley Democratic Richland
1844-12-02 – 1845-11-30 David Chambers   Muskingum
1845-12-01 – 1846-12-06 Seabury Ford   Geauga
1846-12-07 – 1847-12-05 Edson B. Olds Democratic Pickaway
1847-12-06 – 1848-12-03 Charles B. Goddard   Muskingum
1848-12-04 – 1849-12-02 Brewster Randall   Ashtabula
1849-12-03 – 1850-12-01 Harrison G. O. Blake Republican Medina
1850-12-02 – 1852-01-04 Charles C. Converse   Muskingum

[edit] Presidents Pro Tempore of the Ohio Senate, 1852-1978

(At this time, the nominal presiding officer of the senate was the Lieutenant Governor of Ohio.)

Term Name Party Home County
1852-01-05 – 1854-01-01 Joel W. Wilson
George Rex		   Sandusky
Wayne
1854-01-02 – 1856-01-06 Robert J. Atkinson   Carroll
1856-01-07 – 1858-01-03 Robert W. Taylor   Trumbull
1858-01-04 – 1860-01-01 Edward M. Phelps   Defiance
1860-01-02 – 1862-01-05 Richard A. Harrison   Madison
1862-01-06 – 1864-01-03 James Monroe Republican Lorain
1864-01-04 – 1865-12-31 Samuel Humphreyville   Medina
1866-01-01 – 1868-01-05 H. S. Martin   Stark
1868-01-06 – 1870-01-02 Thomas J. Godfrey   Mercer
1870-01-03 – 1871-12-31 Samuel F. Hunt   Hamilton
1872-01-01 – 1874-01-04 Allen T. Brinsmade   Cuyahoga
1874-01-05 – 1876-01-02 Emery D. Potter   Lucas
1876-01-03 – 1878-01-06 H. W. Curtiss   Cuyahoga
1878-01-07 – 1880-01-03 James W. Owens   Licking
1880-01-04 – 1882-01-01 Reese G. Richards   Jefferson
1882-01-02 – 1884-01-06 R. A. Horr   Lorain
1884-01-07 – 1886-01-03 Elmer White   Defiance
1886-01-04 – 1888-01-01 John O'Neill
Silas A. Conrad		 Democratic
 		 Muskingum
Stark
1888-01-02 – 1890-01-05 Theodore F. Davis   Washington
1890-01-06 – 1892-01-03 Perry M. Adams   Seneca
1892-01-04 – 1894-01-02 Elbert L. Lampson   Ashtabula
1894-01-03 – 1896-01-05 Thomas H. McConica Republican Hancock
1896-01-06 – 1898-01-02 John C. Hutsinpiller Republican Gallia
1898-01-03 – 1899-12-31 Thaddeus E. Cromley Democratic Pickaway
1900-01-01 – 1902-01-05 Oscar Sheppard Republican Preble
1902-01-06 – 1904-01-03 Frank B. Archer Republican Belmont
1904-01-04 – 1905-12-31 G. H. Chamberlain Republican Lorain
1906-01-01 – 1909-01-03 James M. Williams Democratic Cuyahoga
1909-01-04 – 1911-01-01 Nation O. Mather Republican Summit
1911-01-02 – 1915-01-03 William Green Democratic Coshocton
1915-01-04 – 1916-12-31 C. J. Howard Republican Belmont
1917-01-01 – 1919-01-05 J. H. Miller Democratic Licking
1919-01-06 – 1922-12-31 Frank E. Whitemore Republican Summit
1923-01-01 – 1925-01-04 George E. Kryder Republican Henry
1925-01-05 – 1927-01-02 Joseph R. Gardner Republican Hamilton
1927-01-03 – 1929-01-06 Chester C. Bolton Republican Cuyahoga
1929-01-07 – 1931-01-04 Allan G. Aigler Republican Sandusky
1931-01-05 – 1933-01-01 Earl R. Lewis Republican Belmont
1933-01-02 – 1935-01-06 D. H. DeArmond Democratic Hamilton
1935-01-07 – 1937-01-03 Paul P. Yoder Democratic Montgomery
1937-01-04 – 1939-01-01 Keith Lawrence Democratic Cuyahoga
1939-01-02 – 1949-01-02 Frank E. Whitemore (2nd) Republican Summit
1949-01-03 – 1950-12-31 Margaret A. Mahoney Democratic Cuyahoga
1951-01-01 – 1953-01-04 Roscoe R. Walcutt Republican Franklin
1953-01-05 – 1959-01-04 C. Stanley Mechem Republican Athens
1959-01-05 – 1961-01-01 Frank W. King Democratic Lucas
1961-01-02 – 1965-01-03 C. Stanley Mechem (2nd) Republican Athens
1965-01-04 – 1975-01-05 Thodore M. Gray Republican Miami
1975-01-06 – 1979-01-01 Oliver R. Ocasek Democratic Summit

[edit] Presidents of the Ohio Senate, 1979-present

Term Name Party Home County
1979-01-02 – 1981-01-04 Oliver R. Ocasek Democratic Summit
1981-01-05 – 1983-01-02 Paul E. Gillmor Republican Ottawa
1983-01-03 – 1985-01-06 Harry Meshel Democratic Mahoning
1985-01-07 – 1989-01-02 Paul E. Gillmor (2nd) Republican Ottawa
1989-01-03 – 1997? Stanley J. Aronoff Republican Hamilton
1997–2003 Richard H. Finan Republican  
2003–2005 Doug White Republican  
2005— Bill Harris Republican