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The Governor of Alabama is the head of the executive branch of Alabama's 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 Alabama Legislature, to convene the legislature, and to grant pardons, except in cases of impeachment.^[1]

The first constitution of 1819 created the office of governor, to serve a term of two years and no more than four out of every six years.^[2] This remained in place until the constitution of 1868, which simply allowed governors to serve terms of two years.^[3] The current constitution of 1901 increased this to four years,^[4] but forbid governors from succeeding themselves.^[5] Amendment 282 to the constitution, passed in 1968, allowed governors to succeed themselves once.^[6] The constitution had no set date for the commencement of the governor's term until 1901, when it was set at the first Monday after the second Tuesday in the January following an election.^[5]

The office of lieutenant governor was created in 1868,^[7] abolished in the 1875 constitution,^[8] and recreated in 1901.^[9] According to the current constitution, should the governor be out of the state for more than 20 days, the lieutenant governor becomes acting governor, and if the office of governor becomes vacant the lieutenant governor fully becomes governor.^[10] Earlier constitutions said the powers of the governor devolved upon the successor, rather than them necessarily becoming governor,^[11] but the official listing includes these as full governors.^[12] The governor and lieutenant governor are not elected on the same ticket.

There have officially been 52 governors of the state of Alabama; this official numbering skips acting and military governors.^[12] In addition, the first governor, William Wyatt Bibb, also served as the only governor of Alabama Territory. Five people have served as acting governor, bringing the total number of people serving as governor to 57, spread over 62 distinct terms. Four governors have served multiple non-consecutive terms: Bibb Graves, James E. Folsom, Sr., and Forrest H. "Fob" James each served two terms, and George Wallace served three. Officially, these non-consecutive terms are numbered only with the number of their first term. William D. Jelks also served non-consecutive terms, but his first term was in an acting capacity. The longest-serving governor was George Wallace, who served twelve years over three terms. The shortest term for a non-acting governor was that of Hugh McVay, who served four and a half months after replacing the resigning Clement C. Clay. Lurleen Wallace, wife of George Wallace, was the first and so far only woman to serve as governor of Alabama, and only the third woman to serve as governor of any state. The current governor is Bob Riley, who took office on January 20, 2003; his term will expire in January 2011.

Governors

The land that became Alabama was mostly obtained by the United States in the American Revolution. The bulk was initially part of the state of Georgia, while the southern bit was part of the Spanish colony of West Florida. That portion was controlled in 1810 by the self-proclaimed Republic of West Florida, which had only one president, Fulwar Skipwith. Georgia sold its land to the federal government following the Yazoo land scandal, and Mississippi Territory was formed from that area in 1798, with part of the newly-annexed West Florida added to the territory in 1810. Alabama Territory was split from Mississippi Territory in 1817, and achieved statehood in 1819. See the lists of governors of Mississippi Territory (1798–1817), of Georgia (—1804), and colonial governors of Spanish Florida (—1810) for these periods.

Governor of Alabama Territory

Alabama Territory was formed on March 3, 1817 from Mississippi Territory. It had only one governor before it became a state; he later became the first state governor.

#	Name	Took office	Left office	Appointed by
1	William Wyatt Bibb	March 6, 1817^{[N 1]}	December 14, 1819	James Monroe

Governors of Alabama

Alabama was admitted to the Union on December 14, 1819. It seceded from the Union on January 11, 1861 and was a founding member of the Confederate States of America on February 4, 1861; there was no Union government in exile, so there was a single line of governors. Following the end of the American Civil War during Reconstruction, it was part of the Third Military District, which exerted some control over governor appointments and elections. Alabama was readmitted to the Union on July 14, 1868.

Alabama was a strongly Democratic state before the Civil War, electing only candidates from the Democratic-Republican and Democratic parties. It had two Republican governors following Reconstruction, but after the Democratic Party established control, 119 years passed before voters chose another Republican.

William Wyatt Bibb, 1st Governor of Alabama

Benjamin Fitzpatrick, 11th Governor of Alabama, and president *pro tempore* of the U.S. Senate

Thomas H. Watts, 18th Governor of Alabama, and Attorney General of the Confederacy

George Wallace, 45th Governor of Alabama

Democratic-Republican Democratic Republican Other

#	Name	Took office	Left office	Party	Lt. Governor^{[N 2]}	Terms^{[N 3]}
1	William Wyatt Bibb	December 14, 1819	July 10, 1820	Democratic-Republican	None	½^{[N 4]}
2	Thomas Bibb	July 10, 1820	November 9, 1821	Democratic-Republican	None	½^{[N 5]}
3	Israel Pickens	November 9, 1821	November 25, 1825	Democratic-Republican	None	2
4	John Murphy	November 25, 1825	November 25, 1829	Jackson Democrat	None	2
5	Gabriel Moore	November 25, 1829	March 3, 1831	Jackson Democrat	None	½^{[N 6]}
6	Samuel B. Moore	March 3, 1831	November 26, 1831	Democratic	None	½^{[N 5]}
7	John Gayle	November 26, 1831	November 21, 1835	Democratic	None	2
8	Clement C. Clay	November 21, 1835	July 17, 1837	Democratic	None	½^{[N 6]}
9	Hugh McVay	July 17, 1837	November 30, 1837	Democratic	None	½^{[N 5]}
10	Arthur P. Bagby	November 30, 1837	November 22, 1841	Democratic	None	2
11	Benjamin Fitzpatrick	November 22, 1841	December 10, 1845	Democratic	None	2
12	Joshua L. Martin	December 10, 1845	December 16, 1847	Independent^{[N 7]}	None	1
13	Reuben Chapman	December 16, 1847	December 17, 1849	Democratic	None	1
14	Henry W. Collier	December 17, 1849	December 20, 1853	Democratic	None	2
15	John A. Winston	December 20, 1853	December 1, 1857	Democratic	None	2
16	Andrew B. Moore	December 1, 1857	December 2, 1861	Democratic	None	2
17	John Gill Shorter	December 2, 1861	December 1, 1863	Democratic	None	1
18	Thomas H. Watts	December 1, 1863	May 1, 1865	Democratic	None	½^{[N 8]}
19	Lewis E. Parsons	June 21, 1865	December 13, 1865	Democratic	None	½^{[N 9]}
20	Robert M. Patton	December 13, 1865	July 24, 1868	Democratic	None	1^{[N 10]}
—	Wager Swayne	March 2, 1867	July 14, 1868	Military	None	—^{[N 11]}
21	William H. Smith	July 24, 1868	November 26, 1870	Republican	None	1^{[N 12]}^{[N 13]}
21	William H. Smith	July 24, 1868	November 26, 1870	Republican	Andrew J. Applegate	1^{[N 12]}^{[N 13]}
22	Robert B. Lindsay	November 26, 1870	November 17, 1872	Democratic	Edward H. Moren	1^{[N 13]}
23	David P. Lewis	November 17, 1872	November 24, 1874	Republican	Alexander McKinstry	1
24	George S. Houston	November 24, 1874	November 28, 1878	Democratic	Robert F. Ligon	2
24	George S. Houston	November 24, 1874	November 28, 1878	Democratic	None	2
25	Rufus W. Cobb	November 28, 1878	December 1, 1882	Democratic	None	2
26	Edward A. O'Neal	December 1, 1882	December 1, 1886	Democratic	None	2
27	Thomas Seay	December 1, 1886	December 1, 1890	Democratic	None	2
28	Thomas G. Jones	December 1, 1890	December 1, 1894	Democratic	None	2
29	William C. Oates	December 1, 1894	December 1, 1896	Democratic	None	1
30	Joseph F. Johnston	December 1, 1896	December 1, 1900	Democratic	None	2
—	William D. Jelks	December 1, 1900	December 26, 1900	Democratic	None	⅓^{[N 14]}
31	William J. Samford	December 1, 1900	June 11, 1901	Democratic	None	⅓^{[N 4]}
32	William D. Jelks	June 11, 1901	January 14, 1907	Democratic	None	1⅓^{[N 15]}^{[N 16]}
32	William D. Jelks	June 11, 1901	January 14, 1907	Democratic	Russell M. Cunningham	1⅓^{[N 15]}^{[N 16]}
—	Russell M. Cunningham	April 25, 1904	March 5, 1905	Democratic	acting as governor	—^{[N 17]}
33	B. B. Comer	January 14, 1907	January 17, 1911	Democratic	Henry B. Gray	1
34	Emmet O'Neal	January 17, 1911	January 18, 1915	Democratic	Walter D. Seed, Sr.	1
35	Charles Henderson	January 18, 1915	January 20, 1919	Democratic	Thomas Kilby	1
36	Thomas Kilby	January 20, 1919	January 15, 1923	Democratic	Nathan Lee Miller	1
37	William W. Brandon	January 15, 1923	January 17, 1927	Democratic	Charles S. McDowell	1
—	Charles S. McDowell	July 10, 1924	July 11, 1924	Democratic	acting as governor	—^{[N 18]}
38	Bibb Graves	January 17, 1927	January 19, 1931	Democratic	William C. Davis	1
39	Benjamin M. Miller	January 19, 1931	January 14, 1935	Democratic	Hugh D. Merrill	1
38	Bibb Graves	January 14, 1935	January 17, 1939	Democratic	Thomas E. Knight	1
40	Frank M. Dixon	January 17, 1939	January 19, 1943	Democratic	Albert A. Carmichael	1
41	Chauncey Sparks	January 19, 1943	January 20, 1947	Democratic	Leven H. Ellis	1
42	James E. Folsom, Sr.	January 20, 1947	January 15, 1951	Democratic	James C. Inzer	1
43	Gordon Persons	January 15, 1951	January 17, 1955	Democratic	James Allen	1
42	James E. Folsom, Sr.	January 17, 1955	January 19, 1959	Democratic	William G. Hardwick	1
44	John Patterson	January 19, 1959	January 14, 1963	Democratic	Albert Boutwell	1
45	George Wallace	January 14, 1963	January 16, 1967	Democratic	James Allen	1
46	Lurleen Wallace	January 16, 1967	May 7, 1968	Democratic	Albert Brewer	½^{[N 4]}^{[N 19]}
47	Albert Brewer	May 7, 1968	January 18, 1971	Democratic	vacant	½^{[N 20]}^{[N 19]}
45	George Wallace	January 18, 1971	January 15, 1979	Democratic	Jere Beasley	2
—	Jere Beasley	June 5, 1972	July 7, 1972	Democratic	acting as governor	—^{[N 21]}
48	Forrest H. "Fob" James Jr.	January 15, 1979	January 17, 1983	Democratic	George McMillan	1
45	George Wallace	January 17, 1983	January 19, 1987	Democratic	Bill Baxley	1
49	H. Guy Hunt	January 19, 1987	April 22, 1993	Republican	James E. Folsom, Jr.	1½^{[N 22]}
50	James E. Folsom, Jr.	April 22, 1993	January 16, 1995	Democratic	vacant	½^{[N 20]}
48	Forrest H. "Fob" James Jr.	January 16, 1995	January 18, 1999	Republican	Don Siegelman	1
51	Don Siegelman	January 18, 1999	January 20, 2003	Democratic	Steve Windom	1
52	Bob Riley	January 20, 2003	incumbent	Republican	Lucy Baxley	2^{[N 23]}
52	Bob Riley	January 20, 2003	incumbent	Republican	James E. Folsom, Jr.	2^{[N 23]}

Notes

^ Records are scarce as to when Bibb was actually appointed. The territory was formed on March 3, 1817, but he was appointed by President James Monroe, who did not take office until the next day. Other resources indicate that other major appointments for the territory were made on March 6, 1817.^[13]
^ The office of Lieutenant Governor was created in the 1868 constitution,^[7] abolished in the 1875 Constitution,^[8] and recreated in the 1901 Constitution.^[9]
^ The fractional terms of some governors are not to be understood absolutely literally; rather, they are meant to show single terms during which multiple governors served, due to resignations, deaths and the like.
^ ^a ^b ^c Died in office.
^ ^a ^b ^c As president of the state senate, filled unexpired term.
^ ^a ^b Resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
^ Martin was a Democrat who opposed party leaders and ran as an independent.
^ Arrested by Union forces soon after the American Civil War ended; was released a few weeks later.
^ Provisional governor appointed by the Union occupation; between Watts's arrest and Parsons's appointment, it appears Alabama had no governor.
^ The U.S. Congress stripped Patton of most of his authority in March 1867, after which time the state was effectively under the control of Major General Wager Swayne.
^ Military governor appointed during Reconstruction; though Patton was still officially governor, he was mostly a figurehead. The term start date given is the date of the first Reconstruction Act, which placed Alabama into the Third Military District; all references only say "March 1867" and "when the Reconstruction Acts were passed". The term end is also ambiguous, but it is assumed Swayne lost power the day Alabama was readmitted to the Union.
^ Smith refused to take office, having been elected in February 1868, due to the failure of voters to ratify the 1868 constitution; he was installed by the U.S. Congress.
^ ^a ^b Robert Lindsay was sworn in to office on November 26, 1870, but William H. Smith refused to leave his seat for three weeks, claiming Lindsay was fraudulently elected, finally leaving office on December 8, 1870, when a court so ordered.^[14]
^ Acting governor for 26 days. Jelks was president of the state senate when Governor Samford was out of state at the start of his term seeking medical treatment.
^ As president of the state senate, filled unexpired term, and was subsequently elected in his own right.
^ Gubernatorial terms were increased from two to four years during Jelks' governorship; his first term was filling out Samford's two-year term, and he was elected in 1902 for a four-year term.
^ Acting governor for nearly a year. Cunningham was lieutenant governor when Governor Jelks was out of state for medical treatment.
^ Acting governor for two days. McDowell was lieutenant governor when Governor Brandon was out of state for 21 days as a delegate for the 1924 Democratic National Convention.
^ ^a ^b Governor Lurleen Wallace left the state for 20 days for medical treatment; as lieutenant governor, Brewer became acting governor on July 25, 1967. Wallace returned to the state later that day.^[15]
^ ^a ^b As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term.
^ Acting governor for 32 days. Beasley was lieutenant governor when Governor George Wallace spent 52 days in Maryland for medical treatment following an assassination attempt while campaigning for President of the United States.
^ Removed from office upon being convicted of illegally using campaign and inaugural funds to pay personal debts; he was later pardoned by the state parole board based on innocence.^[16]
^ Governor Riley's second term expires on January 17, 2011; he is term limited.

Other high offices held

This is a table of congressional, confederate and other federal offices held by governors.^[17] All representatives and senators mentioned represented Alabama except where noted. * denotes those offices which the governor resigned to take. † denotes those offices from which the governor resigned to take the governorship.

Name	Gubernatorial term	U.S. Congress		Other offices held
Name	Gubernatorial term	House	Senate	Other offices held
William Wyatt Bibb	1817–1820			U.S. Representative and Senator†^[18] from Georgia
Israel Pickens	1821–1825		S
John Murphy	1825–1829	H
Gabriel Moore	1829–1831	H	S*
John Gayle	1831–1835	H
Clement Comer Clay	1835–1837	H	S*
Arthur P. Bagby	1837–1841		S	U.S. Ambassador to Russia
Benjamin Fitzpatrick	1841–1845		S	President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate (twice)
Joshua L. Martin	1845–1847	H
Reuben Chapman	1847–1849	H
John A. Winston	1853–1857			Elected to the U.S. Senate but was refused his seat
John Gill Shorter	1861–1863			Provisional Confederate Deputy†^[19]
Thomas H. Watts	1863–1865			Attorney General of the Confederate States
Lewis E. Parsons	1865			Elected to the U.S. Senate but was refused his seat
David P. Lewis	1872–1874			Provisional Confederate Deputy
George S. Houston	1874–1878	H	S
Joseph F. Johnston	1896–1900		S
William J. Samford	1900–1901	H
B. B. Comer	1907–1911		S
Bob Riley	2003–present	H

Living former governors

As of October 2008^[update], seven former governors were alive, the oldest being John Patterson (born (1921-09-27) September 27, 1921 (age 102)). The most recent death of a former governor was that of George Wallace (1971–1979, 1983–1987), on September 13, 1998.

Name	Gubernatorial term	Date of birth
John Patterson	1959–1963	(1921-09-27) September 27, 1921 (age 102)
Albert Brewer	1968–1971	(1928-10-26) October 26, 1928 (age 95)
Jere Beasley	1972 (acting)	(1935-12-12) December 12, 1935 (age 88)
Forrest H. "Fob" James Jr.	1979–1983, 1995–1999	(1934-09-15) September 15, 1934 (age 89)
H. Guy Hunt	1987–1993	(1933-06-17) June 17, 1933 (age 90)
James E. Folsom, Jr.	1993–1995	(1949-05-14) May 14, 1949 (age 75)
Don Siegelman	1999–2003	(1946-02-24) February 24, 1946 (age 78)

References

General

"Alabama Governors". Alabama Department of Archives & History. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
"Governors of Alabama". National Governors Association. Retrieved 2007-08-01.

Constitutions

"Constitution of the State of Alabama". Alabama Legislature. 1901. Retrieved 2008-03-26.
"Constitution of the State of Alabama". Alabama Legislature. 1875. Retrieved 2008-07-03.
"Constitution of the State of Alabama". Alabama Legislature. 1868. Retrieved 2008-07-03.
"Constitution of the State of Alabama". Alabama Legislature. 1865. Retrieved 2008-07-03.
"Constitution of the State of Alabama". Alabama Legislature. 1861. Retrieved 2008-07-03.
"Constitution of the State of Alabama". Alabama Legislature. 1819. Retrieved 2008-07-03.

Specific

^ AL Const. art. V
^ 1819 Const. art. IV, § 4
^ 1868 Const. art. V, § 2
^ AL Const. art. V, § 114
^ ^a ^b AL Const. art. V, § 116
^ AL Const. amendment 282
^ ^a ^b 1868 Const. art. V, § 1
^ ^a ^b 1875 Const. art. V, § 1
^ ^a ^b AL Const. art. V, § 112
^ AL Const. art. V, § 127
^ 1819 Const. art. IV, § 18; 1861 Const. art. IV, § 18; 1865 Const. art V, § 19; 1868 Const. art. V, § 15; 1875 Const. art. V § 15
^ ^a ^b "Alabama Governors". Alabama Department of Archives & History. Retrieved 2008-07-03.
^ Shearer, Benjamin. The Uniting States - The Story of Statehood for the Fifty United States, Volume 1: Alabama to Kentucky (PDF). p. 41. Retrieved 2007-07-14.
^ White, James Terry (1900). The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. James T. White & Company. p. 435. Retrieved 2008-01-18.
^ Owen, Thomas McAdory (1979). Alabama Official and Statistical Register. Alabama Department of Archives and History. p. 17. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
^ Nossiter, Adam (June 12, 1997). "Ex-Gov. Hunt of Alabama Cleared by Pardon Board". The New York Times. New York City: The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
^ "Governors of Alabama". National Governors Association. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
^ "William Wyatt Bibb". Our Georgia History. Retrieved 2008-03-26.
^ "Alabama Governor John Shorter". Alabama Department of Archives & History. Retrieved 2008-03-26.

External links

Office of the Governor of Alabama

Pages in category "Novels by Jim Mortimore"

The following 6 pages are in this category, out of 6 total. This list may not reflect recent changes.

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