List_of_Governors_of_Pennsylvania List_of_Governors_of_Pennsylvania

List of Governors of Pennsylvania - Definition and Overview

List of Pennsylvania Governors

The office of Pennsylvania governor was created by the state's Constitution of 1790. Before 1790, those who are listed below had held the office called president of the state Supreme Executive Council.

Presidents of the Supreme Executive Council to 1790

  1. 1777-1778.....Thomas Wharton, Jr. (no party affiliation)
  2. 1778..............George Bryan (no party affiliation)
  3. 1778-1781.....Joseph Reed (no party affiliation)
  4. 1781-1782.....William Moore (no party affiliation)
  5. 1782-1785.....John Dickinson (no party affiliation)
  6. 1785-1790.....Benjamin Franklin (no party affiliation)

Governors since 1790

Term Began<B>Term Ended<B>Governor<B>Party<B>Notes
21 Dec 179017 Dec 1799Thomas MifflinNone
17 Dec 179920 Dec 1808Thomas McKeanDem-Rep
20 Dec 180816 Dec 1817Simon SnyderDem-Rep
16 Dec 181719 Dec 1820William FindlayDem-Rep
19 Dec 182016 Dec 1823Joseph HiesterDem-Rep
16 Dec 182315 Dec 1829John Andrew ShulzeDem-Rep
15 Dec 182915 Dec 1835George WolfDem-Rep
15 Dec 183515 Jan 1839Joseph RitnerAnti-Masonic
15 Jan 183921 Jan 1845David Rittenhouse PorterDemocraticFirst Gov. under Constitution of 1838
21 Jan 184509 Jul 1848Francis Rawn ShunkDemocraticResigned
09 Jul 184826 Jul 1848- office vacant; see below -
26 Jul 184820 Jan 1852William Freame JohnstonWhig
20 Jan 185216 Jan 1855William BiglerDemocratic
16 Jan 185519 Jan 1858James PollockWhig
19 Jan 185815 Jan 1861William Fisher PackerDemocratic
15 Jan 186115 Jan 1867Andrew Gregg CurtinRepublican
15 Jan 186721 Jan 1873John White GearyRepublican
21 Jan 187321 Jan 1879John Frederick HartranftRepublicanFirst Gov. under Constitution of 1874
21 Jan 187916 Jan 1883Henry Martin HoytRepublican
16 Jan 188318 Jan 1887Robert Emory PattisonDemocratic
18 Jan 188720 Jan 1891James Addams BeaverRepublican
20 Jan 189115 Jan 1895Robert Emory PattisonDemocratic2nd Administration
15 Jan 189517 Jan 1899Daniel Hartman HastingsRepublican
17 Jan 189920 Jan 1903William Alexis StoneRepublican
20 Jan 190315 Jan 1907Samuel Whitaker PennypackerRepublican
15 Jan 190717 Jan 1911Edwin Sydney StuartRepublican
17 Jan 191119 Jan 1915John Kinley TenerRepublican
19 Jan 191521 Jan 1919Martin Grove BrumbaughRepublican
21 Jan 191916 Jan 1923William Cameron SproulRepublican
16 Jan 192318 Jan 1927Gifford PinchotRepublican
18 Jan 192720 Jan 1931John Stuchell FisherRepublican
20 Jan 193115 Jan 1935Gifford PinchotRepublican2nd Administration
15 Jan 193517 Jan 1939George Howard EarleDemocratic
17 Jan 193919 Jan 1943Arthur Horace JamesDemocratic
19 Jan 194303 Jan 1947Edward MartinRepublicanResigned; see below.
03 Jan 194721 Jan 1947John Cromwell Bell, Jr.Republican
21 Jan 194716 Jan 1951James Henderson DuffRepublican
16 Jan 195118 Jan 1955John Sydney FineRepublican
18 Jan 195520 Jan 1959George Michael LeaderRepublican
20 Jan 195915 Jan 1963David Leo LawrenceDemocratic
15 Jan 196317 Jan 1967William Warren ScrantonRepublican
17 Jan 196719 Jan 1971Raymond Philip ShaferRepublican
19 Jan 197116 Jan 1979Milton Jerrold Shapp (Shapiro)DemocraticFirst Gov. under Constitution of 1968
16 Jan 197920 Jan 1987Richard "Dick" ThornburghRepublican
20 Jan 198717 Jan 1995Robert Patrick CaseyDemocratic
June, 1993January, 1994Mark S. SingelDemocraticActed as Governor; see below.
17 Jan 199505 Oct 2001Thomas Joseph RidgeRepublicanResigned; see below.
05 Oct 200121 Jan 2003Mark Stephen SchweikerRepublicanActed as Governor, 13 Sep - 05 Oct, 2001
21 Jan 2003- current -Edward G. RendellDemocratic
  • - Following Governor Shunk's resignation due to illness, an interregnum of 17 days occurred before Governor Johnston was sworn in, during which time the office was vacant. Under the state's constitution of the time, the Speaker of the Senate should have become Governor upon Shunk's resignation. Johnston however was not officially notified until six days after Shunk's death (17 days following his resignation).
  • - Governor Martin resigned to take a seat in the United States Senate.
  • - In June 1993, Governor Casey underwent a heart-lung transplant operation, installing Singel as Acting Governor until he recovered. Exact dates for this temporary transfer of power are still being researched.
  • - On September 13, 2001, Governor Ridge was enlisted to aid in national homeland security efforts following the September 11th terrorist attacks, temporarily transferring his powers to Schweiker. He later resigned to accept the position of Director of Homeland Security (now Secretary of Homeland Security).


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