Governors of West Virginia

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Governors of West Virginia
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Arthur Ingram Boreman
July 24, 1823 - April 19, 1896(R) Wood
CountyElected governor in 1863, 1864, 1866
Boreman was elected West Virginia's first
governor in 1863.
Boreman contributed effectively to the government
of the new state, supporting legislation which
instituted the West Virginia Code, Board of
Public Works, and the public school system.
During the Civil War, he organized state militia
units to combat Confederate guerrillas in the
southern part of the state.
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Daniel Duane Tompkins Farnsworth
December 23, 1819 - December 5, 1892(R) Upshur
CountyAppointed to serve from February 26, 1869
- March 4, 1869
On February 26, 1869, Arthur I. Boreman resigned
as governor to join the United States Senate.
Farnsworth, as state senate president, succeeded
him, serving a seven-day term.
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William Erskine Stevenson
March 18, 1820 - November 29, 1883(R) Wood
CountyElected governor in 1868
As governor, Stevenson successfully advocated for
the right of Confederate veterans to vote.
Ironically, most Confederates were Democrats,
leading to Stevenson's defeat for re-election in
1870.
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John Jeremiah Jacob
December 9, 1829 - November 24, 1893(D)
Hampshire CountyElected governor in 1870
(two-year term) and in 1872 (four-year term)
Jacob supported the elimination of all remaining
legislation that discriminated against former
Confederates.
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Henry Mason Mathews
March 29, 1834 - April 28, 1884(D) Greenbrier
CountyElected governor in 1876
As governor, Mathews dealt with economic problems
associated with the national depression. In July
1877, four months into his term, Mathews sent the
state militia to Martinsburg, Berkeley County,
where Baltimore and Ohio Railroad workers had
been stopping trains to protest wage cuts.
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Jacob Beeson Jackson
April 6, 1829 - December 11, 1893(D) Wood
CountyElected governor in 1880
As governor, Jackson advocated improved
education, re- writing the West Virginia Code,
and tax reform.
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Emanuel Willis Wilson
August 11, 1844 - May 28, 1905(D) Kanawha
CountyElected governor in 1884
As governor, Wilson continued his opposition to
monopolies and dealt with the issue of political
corruption. He failed to secure legislation
forbidding the pollution of streams. Wilson
gained national attention by refusing to
extradite members of the Hatfield family to
Kentucky during the Hatfield-McCoy feud.
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Aretas Brooks Fleming
October 15, 1839 - October 13, 1923(D) Marion
CountyElected in 1888, assumed office Feb. 6,
1890
Fleming served only a three-year term, 1890-1893,
due to a dispute over the results of the 1888
election. The legislature finally selected
Fleming in January 1890. Bitter over the results,
Republicans blocked most of Fleming's
initiatives.
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William Alexander MacCorkle
May 7, 1857 - September 24, 1930(D) Kanawha
CountyElected governor in 1892
As governor, MacCorkle advocated increased
funding for state institutions and improved
transportation. Through an advertising program,
he actively promoted the state's natural
resources to attract industry. MacCorkle opposed
the growing labor movement among coal miners and
dispatched the state militia to break a strike.
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George Wesley Atkinson
June 29, 1845 - April 4, 1925(R) Ohio
CountyElected governor in 1896
Despite the fact Atkinson was the first
Republican governor in twenty-six years, his
policies were similar to those of his Democratic
predecessors. He advocated the growth of
industry, improved transportation, funding for
state institutions, and establishment of free
public libraries. He was also the first governor
to promote legislation to improve child welfare
and labor conditions.
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Albert Blakeslee White
September 22, 1856 - July 3, 1941(R) Wood
CountyElected governor in 1900
As governor, White focused on revising the
constitution and the tax code. He favored placing
more of the burden of taxes on corporations.
Despite opposition from industry, the legislature
enacted a series of tax reforms during a special
session in July 1904.
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William Mercer Owens Dawson
May 21, 1853 - March 12, 1916(R) Preston
CountyElected governor in 1904
During Dawson's term, the legislature increased
the powers and duties of the state tax
commissioner and gave the governor the right to
remove tax assessors for refusal to comply with
new tax laws. In 1909, state educational,
charitable, penal, and correctional institutions
were reorganized under a board of control.
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William Ellsworth Glasscock
December 13, 1862 - April 12, 1925(R) Monongalia
CountyElected governor in 1908
The last year of his term was marred by a violent
coal strike in the Paint Creek-Cabin Creek area
of Kanawha County. On three separate occasions,
Glasscock declared martial law and sent in
troops. He refused to release Mary Harris
"Mother" Jones.
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Henry Drury Hatfield
September 15, 1875 - October 23, 1962(R)
McDowell CountyElected governor in 1912
As governor, Hatfield's first act was to dictate
a settlement to the coal miners on strike in the
Paint Creek-Cabin Creek area of Kanawha County.
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John Jacob Cornwell
July 11, 1867 - September 8, 1953(D) Hampshire
CountyElected governor in 1916
One month after Cornwell took office, the United
States entered World War I. Due in part to the
governor's efforts, West Virginia had one of the
highest percentages of volunteers of any state.
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Ephraim Franklin Morgan
January 16, 1869 - January 15, 1950(R) Marion
CountyElected governor in 1920
At the time Morgan became governor, a virtual
state of war existed between union coal miners
and coal operators. The United Mine Workers union
was protesting for the right to organize miners
in the southwestern part of the state. In late
summer 1921, the governor called upon President
Warren G. Harding to dispatch federal troops to
end an armed miners' march in Boone and Logan
counties. After the conflict ended, Morgan used
National Guard troops to discourage miners from
again taking up arms.
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Howard Mason Gore
October 12, 1887 - June 20, 1947(R) Harrison
CountyElected governor in 1924
As governor, Gore improved the state's
agricultural programs and acted on requests from
rural areas for reforms in handling state funds.
Through a bipartisan commission, he was able to
disperse more tax money to counties and
municipalities. In addition, his support of road
construction earned Gore the nickname, "road
building governor."
In 1927, fire destroyed the temporary "pasteboard
capitol," built after the old capitol burned in
1921.
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William Gustavus Conley
January 8, 1866 - October 21, 1940(R) Kanawha
CountyElected governor in 1928
During the Conley administration, the legislature
established a public unemployment bureau, library
commission, bridge commission, water commission,
athletic commission, and raised taxes to pay for
the main building of the new state capitol.
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Herman Guy Kump
October 31, 1877 - February 14, 1962(D) Randolph
CountyElected governor in 1932
Kump became governor at the height of the Great
Depression, inheriting a state treasury deficit
of 4 million. The legislature spent a record 240
days in session in 1933, developing a new tax
program.
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Homer Adams Holt
March 1, 1898 - January 16, 1975(D) Fayette
CountyElected governor in 1936
As governor, Holt instituted a program to improve
the facilities of state institutions. He drew
criticism for his attacks on school lobbyists and
the labor movement, resulting in a split within
the Democratic party.
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Matthew Mansfield Neely
November 9, 1874 - January 18, 1958(D) Marion
CountyElected governor in 1940
Neely's candidacy was the result of a split
within the Democratic party. With the support of
labor, he backed improvements in unemployment
compensation and the establishment of a human
rights commission.
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Clarence Watson Meadows
February 11, 1904 - September 12, 1961(D)
Raleigh CountyElected governor in 1944
More than any of his predecessors, Meadows used
radio to convey his message to the people. He
helped mediate a number of labor disputes.
Meadows reorganized the state's Board of
Education, Conservation Commission, Industrial
Publicity Commission, and West Virginia
University's Board of Governors.
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Okey Leonidas Patteson
September 14, 1898 - July 3, 1989(D) Fayette
CountyElected governor in 1948
As governor, one of Patteson's most important and
controversial decisions was to locate the state
School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Nursing in
Morgantown. During his term, the legislature
created the position of state Tax Commissioner
and authorized cities to levy sales taxes. In
1952, Patteson organized the state Turnpike
Commission to oversee the construction of the
West Virginia Turnpike.
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William Casey Marland
March 26, 1918 - November 26, 1965(D) Wyoming
CountyElected governor in 1952
Three days after becoming governor, Marland
proposed a severance tax on extractive
industries, most notably coal. The legislature,
heavily backed by the coal industry, blocked this
tax and others which would have benefitted
schools and roads. Marland advocated the
desegregation of schools, expansion of the state
parks and other recreational facilities, improved
unemployment and workers' compensation laws, and
an industrial development program.
After his term as governor he moved to Chicago to
work for a coal company. Several years later, he
was discovered driving a taxi cab following a
battle with alcoholism.
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Cecil Harland Underwood
(R) Tyler CountyElected governor in 1956
In 1957, he became the youngest governor in the
history of the state and the first Republican
governor in twenty-four years.
In his first term as governor, Underwood worked
to improve roads and assist those impoverished by
rapid technological changes, particularly the
mechanization of the coal industry.
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William Wallace Barron
December 8, 1911 -(D) Randolph CountyElected
governor in 1960
In Barron's first year as governor, the
legislature created the Public Employees
Retirement System, the Department of Natural
Resources, the Air Pollution Control Commission,
the Human Rights Commission, the Industrial
Development Authority, and the Department of
Commerce.
In 1971, he was indicted on jury tampering
charges associated with the 1968 trial. He was
sentenced to prison, fined, and stripped of his
law license.
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Hulett Carlson Smith October 21, 1918 -(D)
Raleigh CountyElected governor in 1964
During Smith's term, the legislature enacted
measures to control air and stream pollution and
protect human rights, as well as passing some of
the state's first strip mining legislation. In
his first year as governor, Smith signed into law
a bill repealing the death penalty.
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Arch Alfred Moore, Jr.
April 16, 1923 -(R) Marshall CountyElected
governor in 1968, 1972, 1984
With the passage of the Governor's Succession
Amendment in 1970, Moore became the first
governor to succeed himself since 1872.
The 1968 Modern Budget Amendment also gave him
more budgetary powers than any previous governor.
Moore presided over the establishment of the
Department of Highways and the construction of
modern interstate systems, begun during the
administration of Governor Cecil Underwood. The
Board of Regents was created to manage all state
colleges and universities. Other accomplishments
of his first term included designation of "black
lung" as a coal mining disease and the
development of public kindergartens
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Arch Alfred Moore, Jr.
On February 26, 1972, an earthen dam broke on
Buffalo Creek , unleashing 135 million gallons of
water, near the community of Man, Logan County.
The resulting flood killed 125 people and 4,000
lost their homes and possessions.
Governor Moore negotiated a 1 million
settlement, while the state eventually paid the
federal government 9.5 million in clean-up costs
and interest.
During Moore's second term, new state medical
schools were established in Lewisburg and at
Marshall University in Huntington. One of his pet
projects was the West Virginia Science and
Culture Center on the State Capitol Complex.
In 1975, Moore and his campaign manager were
indicted for extortion, the first seated governor
to be officially charged with a crime. Both were
found not guilty.
In 1990, Moore was found guilty of mail fraud. He
served over two years in federal prison and paid
a settlement to the state.
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John Davison Rockefeller, IV
June 18, 1937 -(D) Kanawha CountyElected
governor in 1976 1980
As governor, Rockefeller promoted the state's
energy resources and chaired the President's
Commission on Coal. He cut the size of state
government and dealt with the issues of
inflation, fuel shortages, a lengthy coal strike,
floods, and the effects of two severe winters.
In 1984, Rockefeller was elected to the United
States Senate.
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Arch Alfred Moore, Jr.
April 16, 1923 -(R) Marshall CountyElected
governor in 1968, 1972, 1984
At the beginning of Moore's third term, West
Virginia had the highest unemployment rate in the
nation due to a recession in the coal industry.
Moore expanded corporate tax credits to attract
businesses to the state. In addition, the
legislature reduced the amount coal companies
were required to pay into workers' compensation.
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William Gaston Caperton III
February 21, 1940 -(D) Kanawha CountyElected
governor in 1988 1992
As governor, Caperton reorganized state
government to reduce a large debt incurred during
the 1980s. To combat this public debt, he secured
legislation to raise taxes and supported a
constitutional amendment to adopt a state
lottery. Caperton advocated placing computers in
all schools.
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Cecil Harland Underwood
(R) Cabell CountyElected governor in 1996
In 1996, Underwood defeated Democrat Charlotte
Pritt to become the state's oldest governor,
forty years after being the state's youngest
executive. In a 2000 bid for re-election, he was
defeated by Bob Wise.
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WISE, Robert Ellsworth, Jr., Governor of West
Virginia, 2000-2005. a Representative from West
Virginia born in Washington, D.C., January 6,
1948 B.A., Duke University, Durham, N.C., 1970
J.D., Tulane University School of Law, New
Orleans, La., 1975 admitted to the West Virginia
bar in 1975 and commenced practice in Charleston
member, State senate, 1980-1982 elected as a
Democrat to the Ninety-eighth and to the eight
succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1983-January 3,
2001) was not a candidate for reelection to the
United States House of Representatives in 2000
Governor of West Virginia, 2000-2005.
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Joseph "Joe" Manchin III (born August 24,
1947)2 is an American politician who has been
Governor of West Virginia since January 17, 2005.
He won the November 2010 U.S. Senate election in
West Virginia and will leave office as Governor
to take his seat in the Senate. He is a member of
the Democratic Party and a member of a Democratic
political family in his home state.
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Earl Ray Tomblin
Earl Ray Tomblin is West Virginias 35th
governor. He was born March 15, 1952, in Logan
County. He received his undergraduate degree from
West Virginia University, an M.B.A. from Marshall
University and attended the University of
Charleston. A self-employed businessman and
former school teacher, Governor Tomblin was
elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates
in 1974 at the age of 22 and held that position
until he was elected to the West Virginia Senate
in 1980. Governor Tomblin is the longest serving
Senate President, a position he has held since
his election in 1995. He was named the states
first Lieutenant Governor in 2000. He has
dedicated his professional career to public
service for the betterment of West Virginia. He
started acting as Governor in November 2010, when
Governor Manchin resigned the position to fill
the unexpired term of U. S. Senator Robert C.
Byrd.
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Compiled by the West Virginia State Archives