List of Governors of West Virginia

Governor of West Virginia
Seal of West Virginia.svg
Seal of the State of West Virginia
Incumbent
Joe Manchin
since January 17, 2005
Style His Excellency
Residence West Virginia Governor's Mansion
Term length Four years, maximum two term
Inaugural holder Arthur I. Boreman
Formation June 20, 1863
Deputy None
Salary $150,000 (2009)[1]
Website www.wvgov.org

The Governor of West Virginia is the head of the executive branch of West Virginia's government[2] and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.[3] The governor has a duty to enforce state laws,[2] and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the West Virginia Legislature,[4] to convene the legislature at any time,[5] and, except when prosecution has been carried out by the House of Delegates, to grant pardons and reprieves.[6]

Since West Virginia became a state, it has had 34 governors; 32 men have held the office (Arch A. Moore, Jr. and Cecil H. Underwood each served two nonconsecutive governorships). Six governors in the state's history have served multiple terms. The longest-serving governor was Moore, who served for three terms over twelve years. The state's first governor, Arthur I. Boreman, served the most consecutive terms, resigning a week before the end of his third term; he is the only governor so far to leave office before the end of his term. Daniel D.T. Farnsworth was Senate President at the time; he filled the last seven days of Boreman's term and remains the shortest-serving governor.

Underwood has the unusual distinction of being both the youngest person to be elected as Governor (age 34 upon his first term in 1957) and the oldest to both be elected and serve (age 74 upon his second term in 1997; age 78 at the end of his second term in 2001).

The current governor is Joe Manchin, who took office on January 17, 2005; his second term expires on January 14, 2013.

Contents

Governors

West Virginia was originally part of the state of Virginia, one of the original Thirteen Colonies. The northwestern counties of Virginia broke away during the American Civil War and formed the state, which was admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863. Two more Virginia counties, Berkeley and Jefferson, joined the state on March 10, 1866.

To be elected governor, a person must be at least 30 years old, and must have been a citizen of West Virginia for at least five years at the time of inauguration.[7] The Constitution of West Virginia, ratified in 1872, calls for a four-year term for the governor, commencing on the Monday after the second Wednesday in the January following an election.[7] The original constitution of 1863 had only a two-year term for governor.[8]

The constitution makes no mention of a lieutenant governor; if the governorship becomes vacant, the Senate President takes the position of acting governor. If more than one year remains in the governor's term at the time of vacancy, a new election is held; otherwise, the Senate President serves the remainder of the term.[9] A bill passed in 2000 grants the Senate President the honorary title of Lieutenant Governor,[10] but this title is rarely used in practice and the terms of the Senate President do not correspond with governorships. The current Senate President is Democrat Earl Ray Tomblin, who has served since 1995. (See List of Presidents of the West Virginia Senate.)

Portrait of a well-dressed nineteenth-century man, sitting.
Arthur I. Boreman, first Governor of West Virginia
Upper-body portrait of a well-dressed nineteenth-century man.
John J. Jacob, fourth Governor of West Virginia, served his first term as a Democrat and his second as an Independent.
Upper-body portrait of a mid-twentieth-century man in a suit.
William C. Marland, 24th Governor of West Virginia
Upper-body photograph of a twenty-first-century man in a suit.
Jay Rockefeller, 29th Governor of West Virginia

      Democratic (19)       Independent (1)       Republican (15)

# Governor Term start Term end Party Terms
[note 1]
1   Arthur I. Boreman June 20, 1863 February 26, 1869 Republican 2 1⁄2
[note 2]
2 Daniel D. T. Farnsworth February 26, 1869 March 4, 1869 Republican 1⁄2
[note 3]
3 William E. Stevenson March 4, 1869 March 4, 1871 Republican 2
4 John J. Jacob March 4, 1871 March 4, 1877 Democratic 2
[note 4]
[note 5]
  Independent
5 Henry M. Mathews March 4, 1877 March 4, 1881 Democratic 1
6 Jacob B. Jackson March 4, 1881 March 4, 1885 Democratic 1
7 Emanuel Willis Wilson March 4, 1885 February 6, 1890 Democratic 1
[note 6]
8 Aretas B. Fleming February 6, 1890 March 4, 1893 Democratic 1
9 William A. MacCorkle March 4, 1893 March 4, 1897 Democratic 1
10 George W. Atkinson March 4, 1897 March 4, 1901 Republican 1
11 Albert B. White March 4, 1901 March 4, 1905 Republican 1
12 William M. O. Dawson March 4, 1905 March 4, 1909 Republican 1
13 William E. Glasscock March 4, 1909 March 14, 1913 Republican 1
14 Henry D. Hatfield March 14, 1913 March 5, 1917 Republican 1
15 John J. Cornwell March 5, 1917 March 4, 1921 Democratic 1
16 Ephraim F. Morgan March 4, 1921 March 4, 1925 Republican 1
17 Howard M. Gore March 4, 1925 March 4, 1929 Republican 1
18 William G. Conley March 4, 1929 March 4, 1933 Republican 1
19 Herman G. Kump March 4, 1933 January 18, 1937 Democratic 1
20 Homer A. Holt January 18, 1937 January 13, 1941 Democratic 1
21 Matthew M. Neely January 13, 1941 January 15, 1945 Democratic 1
22 Clarence W. Meadows January 15, 1945 January 17, 1949 Democratic 1
23 Okey L. Patteson January 17, 1949 January 19, 1953 Democratic 1
24 William C. Marland January 19, 1953 January 14, 1957 Democratic 1
25 Cecil H. Underwood January 14, 1957 January 16, 1961 Republican 1
26 William Wallace Barron January 16, 1961 January 18, 1965 Democratic 1
27 Hulett C. Smith January 18, 1965 January 13, 1969 Democratic 1
28 Arch A. Moore, Jr. January 13, 1969 January 17, 1977 Republican 2
29 Jay Rockefeller January 17, 1977 January 14, 1985 Democratic 2
30 Arch A. Moore, Jr. January 14, 1985 January 16, 1989 Republican 1
31 Gaston Caperton January 16, 1989 January 13, 1997 Democratic 2
32   Cecil H. Underwood January 13, 1997 January 15, 2001 Republican 1
33 Bob Wise January 15, 2001 January 17, 2005 Democratic 1
34 Joe Manchin January 17, 2005 incumbent Democratic 2
[note 7]

Other high offices held

This is a table of congressional offices held by governors. All representatives and senators listed represented West Virginia. No governor of West Virginia has held any other federal office.

* Denotes those offices that the governor resigned to take.
† Denotes those offices that the governor resigned to be governor.
Governor Gubernatorial term U.S. House U.S. Senate Source
Arthur I. Boreman 1863–1869 — S* [11]
George W. Atkinson 1897–1901 H — [14]
Henry D. Hatfield 1913–1917 — S [15]
Matthew M. Neely 1941–1945 H S† [16]
Arch A. Moore, Jr. 1969–1977
1985–1989		 H — [17]
Jay Rockefeller 1977–1985 — S [18]
Bob Wise 2001–2005 H — [19]

Living former governors

As of July 2010, five former governors are alive, the oldest of whom is Hulett C. Smith (1965–1969, born 1918). The most recent governor to die was Cecil H. Underwood (1957–1961, 1997–2001), who died on November 24, 2008.[20]

Name Gubernatorial term Date of birth
Hulett C. Smith 1965–1969 October 21, 1918 (1918-10-21) (age 92)
Arch A. Moore, Jr. 1969–1977
1985–1989		 April 16, 1923 (1923-04-16) (age 87)
Jay Rockefeller 1977–1985 June 18, 1937 (1937-06-18) (age 73)
Gaston Caperton 1989–1997 February 21, 1940 (1940-02-21) (age 70)
Bob Wise 2001–2005 January 6, 1948 (1948-01-06) (age 63)

Notes

  1. ↑ The fractional terms of some governors are not to be understood literally; rather, they are meant to show single terms during which multiple governors served, due to resignations, deaths and the like.
  2. ↑ Resigned to run for the United States Senate, winning election.[11]
  3. ↑ As president of the state senate, filled unexpired term.[12]
  4. ↑ Jacob's second term was under the 1872 constitution, which increased term lengths from two to four years.
  5. ↑ Jacob was elected as a Democrat for his first term, and as an independent for his second.
  6. ↑ Did not run for re-election in 1888, but due to the election being disputed, remained in office until the investigation was completed.[13]
  7. ↑ Governor Manchin's second term expires on January 14, 2013; he is term limited.

References

General
Constitutions
Specific
  1. ↑ "Salaries vary for state employees: Public workers' pay examined". The Dominion Post (Morgantown, West Virginia). April 11, 2010. http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-regional/14267547-1.html. Retrieved July 7, 2010. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 WV Constitution article VII, § 5.
  3. ↑ WV Constitution article VII, § 12.
  4. ↑ WV Constitution article VII, § 14.
  5. ↑ WV Constitution article VI, § 18–19.
  6. ↑ WV Constitution article VII, § 11.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 WV Constitution article VII, § 1.
  8. ↑ WV 1863 Constitution article V, § 1.
  9. ↑ WV Constitution article VII, § 16.
  10. ↑ "H.B. 4781 (Enrolled March 11, 2009)". West Virginia Legislature, 2000 Sessions. http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Text_HTML/2000_SESSIONS/RS/Bills/hb4781%20enr.htm. Retrieved August 16, 2009. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Boreman, Arthur Ingram". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=B000638. Retrieved August 16, 2009. 
  12. ↑ "West Virginia Governor Daniel Duane Tompkins Farnsworth". National Governors Association. http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=07fff35df39b7010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e449a0ca9e3f1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD. Retrieved August 18, 2009. 
  13. ↑ "West Virginia Governor Emanuel Willis Wilson". National Governors Association. http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=b161f35df39b7010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e449a0ca9e3f1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD. Retrieved August 18, 2009. 
  14. ↑ "Atkinson, George Wesley". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=A000330. Retrieved August 16, 2009. 
  15. ↑ "Hatfield, Henry Drury". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=H000342. Retrieved August 16, 2009. 
  16. ↑ "Neely, Matthew Mansfield". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=N000023. Retrieved August 16, 2009. 
  17. ↑ "Moore, Arch Alfred, Jr.". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=M000892. Retrieved August 16, 2009. 
  18. ↑ "Rockefeller, John Davison IV (Jay)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=R000361. Retrieved August 16, 2009. 
  19. ↑ "Wise, Robert Ellsworth, Jr.". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Historian of the United States Senate. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=W000654. Retrieved August 18, 2009. 
  20. ↑ "Former Gov. Cecil Underwood has died at 86". Charleston Daily Mail. November 24, 2008. http://www.dailymail.com/News/200811240843. Retrieved August 12, 2009. 

External links

Governors of West Virginia
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Boreman · Farnsworth · Stevenson · Jacob · Mathews · Jackson · Wilson · Fleming · MacCorkle · Atkinson · White · Dawson · Glasscock · Hatfield · Cornwell · Morgan · Gore · Conley · Kump · Holt · Neely · Meadows · Patteson · Marland · Underwood · Barron · Smith · Moore · Rockefeller · Moore · Caperton · Underwood · Wise · Manchin · Tomblin
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