List of Governors of Indiana

The Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis, which houses the office of the governor

The Governor of Indiana is the head of the executive branch of Indiana's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Indiana General Assembly, to convene that body, and to grant pardons, except in cases of treason or impeachment.[1]

While a territory, Indiana had two President-appointed governors.[2] Since statehood in 1816, it has had 47 governors, serving 49 distinct terms; Isaac P. Gray and Henry F. Schricker are the only governors to have served non-consecutive terms. The longest-serving state governors are Otis R. Bowen, Evan Bayh and Mitch Daniels at 8 years, 4 days; territorial governor William Henry Harrison served for over 12 years. The shortest-serving governor is Henry Smith Lane, who served two days before resigning to become a U.S. Senator.[3] The current governor is Eric Holcomb who took office on January 9, 2017 succeeding Mike Pence who later became Vice President of the United States on January 20, 2017.

Governors

The United States acquired the land that became Indiana after the American Revolutionary War. The region was originally organized as the Northwest Territory, consisting of all of the land in the United States north and west of the Ohio River. The Indiana Territory was split from the Northwest Territory in 1800.

For the period before the Indiana Territory was formed, see the list of Governors of Northwest Territory.

Governors of the Indiana Territory

Indiana Territory was formed on July 4, 1800, and consisted of present-day Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and parts of Michigan and Minnesota. Michigan Territory was split from the territory on June 30, 1805, and Illinois Territory followed on March 1, 1809, leaving Indiana Territory with its final borders.[4] From October 1, 1804, to July 4, 1805, the District of Louisiana was under the jurisdiction of Indiana Territory.[5]

#GovernorTerm in officeAppointed by
1 William Henry Harrison January 10, 1801
–
December 28, 1812		 John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
– John Gibson December 28, 1812
–
March 3, 1813		 acting[lower-alpha 1]
2 Thomas Posey March 3, 1813
–
November 7, 1816		 James Madison

Governors of the state of Indiana

Indiana was admitted to the Union on December 11, 1816.[7] The original 1816 Constitution of Indiana provided for the election of a governor and a lieutenant governor every three years.[8] The second and current constitution of 1851 lengthened terms to four years and set the commencement of the governor's term on the second Monday in the January following the election.[9] Governors were allowed to serve for four years in any eight-year period,[9] but this was extended by a 1972 amendment permitting governors to serve for eight years in any twelve-year period.[10] Should the office of governor become vacant, the lieutenant governor becomes governor.[11] Nine lieutenant governors have succeeded to the governorship. If the office of lieutenant governor is vacant, the president pro tempore of the Indiana Senate becomes governor;[11] this has happened once, when James B. Ray succeeded William Hendricks.[12]

# Governor Term in office Party Election Lt. Governor[lower-alpha 2]
1   Jonathan Jennings November 7, 1816
–
September 12, 1822		 Democratic-Republican 1816
[lower-alpha 3]		   Christopher Harrison
(resigned December 18, 1818)
Vacant
1819
[lower-alpha 4]		 Ratliff Boon
2 Ratliff Boon September 12, 1822
–
December 5, 1822		 Democratic-Republican Vacant
3 William Hendricks December 5, 1822
–
February 12, 1825		 Democratic-Republican 1822
[lower-alpha 5]		 Ratliff Boon
(resigned January 30, 1824)
Vacant
4 James B. Ray February 12, 1825
–
December 7, 1831		 Independent
1825 John H. Thompson
1828 Milton Stapp
5 Noah Noble December 7, 1831
–
December 6, 1837		 Whig 1831 David Wallace
1834
6 David Wallace December 6, 1837
–
December 9, 1840		 Whig 1837 David Hillis
7 Samuel Bigger December 9, 1840
–
December 6, 1843		 Whig 1840 Samuel Hall
8 James Whitcomb December 6, 1843
–
December 27, 1848		 Democratic 1843 Jesse D. Bright
(resigned December 8, 1845)
Vacant
1846
[lower-alpha 6]		 Paris C. Dunning
9 Dunning, Paris C.Paris C. Dunning December 27, 1848
–
December 5, 1849		 Democratic Vacant
10 Wright, Joseph A.Joseph A. Wright December 5, 1849
–
January 12, 1857		 Democratic 1849 James Henry Lane
1852
[lower-alpha 7]		 Ashbel P. Willard
11 Ashbel P. Willard January 12, 1857
–
October 4, 1860		 Democratic 1856
[lower-alpha 8]		 Abram A. Hammond
12 Abram A. Hammond October 4, 1860
–
January 14, 1861		 Democratic Vacant
13 Henry Smith Lane January 14, 1861
–
January 16, 1861		 Republican 1860
[lower-alpha 9]		 Oliver P. Morton
14 Oliver P. Morton January 16, 1861
–
January 24, 1867		 Republican Vacant
1864
[lower-alpha 10][lower-alpha 11]		 Conrad Baker
15 Conrad Baker January 24, 1867
–
January 13, 1873		 Republican Vacant
1868 Will Cumback
(resigned January 11, 1871)
Vacant
16 Thomas A. Hendricks January 13, 1873
–
January 8, 1877		 Democratic 1872 Leonidas Sexton
17 James D. Williams January 8, 1877
–
November 20, 1880		 Democratic 1876
[lower-alpha 12]		 Isaac P. Gray
18 Isaac P. Gray November 20, 1880
–
January 10, 1881		 Democratic Vacant
19 Albert G. Porter January 10, 1881
–
January 12, 1885		 Republican 1880 Thomas Hanna
20 Isaac P. Gray January 12, 1885
–
January 14, 1889		 Democratic 1884 Mahlon Dickerson Manson
(resigned July 1886)
Vacant
21 Alvin P. Hovey January 14, 1889
–
November 23, 1891		 Republican 1888
[lower-alpha 13]		 Ira Joy Chase
22 Ira J. Chase November 23, 1891
–
January 9, 1893		 Republican Vacant
23 Claude Matthews January 9, 1893
–
January 11, 1897		 Democratic 1892 Mortimer Nye
24 James A. Mount January 11, 1897
–
January 14, 1901		 Republican 1896 William S. Haggard
25 Winfield T. Durbin January 14, 1901
–
January 9, 1905		 Republican 1900 Newton W. Gilbert
26 J. Frank Hanly January 9, 1905
–
January 11, 1909		 Republican 1904 Hugh Thomas Miller
27 Thomas R. Marshall January 11, 1909
–
January 13, 1913		 Democratic 1908 Frank J. Hall
28 Samuel M. Ralston January 13, 1913
–
January 8, 1917		 Democratic 1912 William P. O'Neill
29 James P. Goodrich January 8, 1917
–
January 10, 1921		 Republican 1916 Edgar D. Bush
30 Warren T. McCray January 10, 1921
–
April 30, 1924		 Republican 1920
[lower-alpha 14]		 Emmett Forrest Branch
31 Emmett Forrest Branch April 30, 1924
–
January 12, 1925		 Republican Vacant
32 Edward L. Jackson January 12, 1925
–
January 14, 1929		 Republican 1924 F. Harold Van Orman
33 Harry G. Leslie January 14, 1929
–
January 9, 1933		 Republican 1928 Edgar D. Bush
34 Paul V. McNutt January 9, 1933
–
January 11, 1937		 Democratic 1932 M. Clifford Townsend
35 M. Clifford Townsend January 11, 1937
–
January 13, 1941		 Democratic 1936 Henry F. Schricker
36 Henry F. Schricker January 13, 1941
–
January 8, 1945		 Democratic 1940 Charles M. Dawson
37 Ralph F. Gates January 8, 1945
–
January 10, 1949		 Republican 1944 Richard T. James
(resigned April 1, 1948)
Vacant
Rue J. Alexander
(appointed April 14, 1948)
(died January 2, 1949)
Vacant
38 Henry F. Schricker January 10, 1949
–
January 12, 1953		 Democratic 1948 John A. Watkins
39 George N. Craig January 12, 1953
–
January 14, 1957		 Republican 1952 Harold W. Handley
40 Harold W. Handley January 14, 1957
–
January 9, 1961		 Republican 1956 Crawford F. Parker
41 Matthew E. Welsh January 9, 1961
–
January 11, 1965		 Democratic 1960 Richard O. Ristine
42 Roger D. Branigin January 11, 1965
–
January 13, 1969		 Democratic 1964 Robert L. Rock
43 Edgar Whitcomb January 13, 1969
–
January 8, 1973		 Republican 1968 Richard E. Folz
44 Otis R. Bowen January 8, 1973
–
January 12, 1981		 Republican 1972 Robert D. Orr
1976
45 Robert D. Orr January 12, 1981
–
January 9, 1989		 Republican 1980 John Mutz
1984
46 Evan Bayh January 9, 1989
–
January 13, 1997		 Democratic 1988 Frank O'Bannon
1992
47 Frank O'Bannon January 13, 1997
–
September 13, 2003		 Democratic 1996 Joe Kernan
2000
[lower-alpha 15]
48 Joe Kernan September 13, 2003
–
January 10, 2005		 Democratic Vacant
Kathy Davis
(appointed October 20, 2003)
49 Mitch Daniels January 10, 2005
–
January 14, 2013		 Republican 2004 Becky Skillman
2008
50 Mike Pence January 14, 2013
–
January 9, 2017		 Republican 2012 Sue Ellspermann
(resigned March 2, 2016)
Vacant
Eric Holcomb
(appointed March 3, 2016)
51 Eric Holcomb January 9, 2017
–
Present		 Republican 2016
[lower-alpha 16]		 Suzanne Crouch

Living former U.S. governors of Indiana

As of January 2017, there are four former governors of Indiana who are currently living at this time, the oldest being Joe Kernan (served 2003–2005, born 1946). The most recent governor to die was Edgar Whitcomb (served 1969–1973, born 1917), on February 4, 2016. The most recently serving governor to die was Frank O'Bannon (served 1997–2003, born 1930), in office on September 13, 2003.

Notes

    1. ↑ John Gibson is sometimes known as Indiana's second territorial governor. He actually only served as acting governor of the Indiana Territory during the absences of Governor William Henry Harrison.[6]
    2. ↑ Does not include acting lieutenant governors. All lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor.
    3. ↑ Jennings was appointed a United States commissioner to conclude a treaty with native tribes on April 15, 1818; after this time, Harrison was acting as governor. However, by accepting the post, Harrison believed Jennings had vacated the seat, and thus felt he had succeeded Jennings to the governorship. The state legislature declined to confirm this, and Harrison resigned on December 18, 1818.[13]
    4. ↑ Jennings resigned to take an elected seat in the United States House of Representatives; as lieutenant governor, Boon succeeded him.
    5. ↑ Hendricks resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate; as the office of lieutenant governor was vacant, Ray, as president pro tempore of the senate, succeeded him.
    6. ↑ Whitcomb resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate; as lieutenant governor, Dunning succeeded him.
    7. ↑ Terms were lengthened from three to four years beginning with this term.
    8. ↑ Willard died in office; as lieutenant governor, Hammond succeeded him.
    9. ↑ Lane resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate; as lieutenant governor, Morton succeeded him.
    10. ↑ Morton resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate; as lieutenant governor, Baker succeeded him.
    11. ↑ Baker acted as governor from October 1865 to March 1866 while Morton sought treatment for a stroke and handed over executive powers.[14]
    12. ↑ Williams died in office; as lieutenant governor, Gray succeeded him.
    13. ↑ Hovey died in office; as lieutenant governor, Chase succeeded him.
    14. ↑ McCray resigned following his conviction for mail fraud, and served three years in prison until he was pardoned by President Herbert Hoover.[15] As lieutenant governor, Branch succeeded him.
    15. ↑ O'Bannon died in office; as lieutenant governor, Kernan succeeded him.
    16. ↑ Governor Holcomb's first term expires on January 11, 2021.

    References

    Wikimedia Commons has media related to Governors of Indiana.
    General
    Constitutions
    Specific
    1. ↑ IN Const. art V
    2. ↑ Funk, p. 204
    3. ↑ "Henry Smith Lane". Indiana Historical Bureau. Retrieved December 6, 2008.
    4. ↑ Funk, p. 188
    5. ↑ Shoemaker, Floyd Calvin (1916). Missouri's Struggle for Statehood, 1804–1821. Jefferson City: The Hugh Stephens Printing Co. pp. 15–24. OCLC 4014912. Retrieved December 23, 2008.
    6. ↑ "John Gibson Letters". Indiana State Library. Archived from the original on December 2, 2008. Retrieved December 6, 2008.
    7. ↑ Funk, p. 36
    8. ↑ 1816 Const. art. IV, § 3
    9. 1 2 IN Const. art. V, § 1
    10. ↑ McLauchlan p. 94
    11. 1 2 IN Const. art. V, § 10
    12. ↑ Woollen, p. 56
    13. ↑ 1919 Year Book, p. 981
    14. ↑ "Indiana Governor Conrad Baker". National Governors Association. Archived from the original on January 4, 2010. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
    15. ↑ "Warren Terry McCray". Indiana Historical Bureau. Archived from the original on November 16, 2008. Retrieved December 6, 2008.

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