Earliest serving United States governor

This page contains a list of the earliest serving governors among those currently living and a list of those who, at the time of their deaths, had served at the earliest date as Governor among those United States governors then living. Of those living, the earliest-serving governor is George Nigh. He first became governor on January 6, 1963.

Earliest serving Governors (historic)[edit]

This is a list of the governors who were, while in office or after, the earliest-serving living before they died.

Begin Date	End Date	Governor	State	First assumed office
December 7, 1787	March 29, 1789	Thomas Collins	Delaware	December 7, 1787 ^{[lower-alpha 1]}
March 29, 1789	April 17, 1790	Benjamin Franklin	Pennsylvania	December 12, 1787 ^{[lower-alpha 1]}
April 17, 1790	July 25, 1790	William Livingston	New Jersey	December 18, 1787 ^{[lower-alpha 1]}
July 25, 1790	August 30, 1812	George Mathews	Georgia	January 2, 1788 ^{[lower-alpha 1]}
August 30, 1812	November 2, 1828	Thomas Pinckney	South Carolina	May 23, 1788 ^{[lower-alpha 1]}
November 2, 1828	May 17, 1829	John Jay	New York	July 1, 1795
May 17, 1829	December 11, 1838	Isaac Tichenor	Vermont	October 16, 1797
December 11, 1838	April 7, 1844	Morgan Lewis	New York	July 1, 1804
April 7, 1844	January 12, 1853	William H. Cabell	Virginia	December 7, 1805
January 12, 1853	April 18, 1854	Nehemiah R. Knight	Rhode Island	May 7, 1817
April 18, 1854	January 3, 1863	John Branch	North Carolina	December 6, 1817
January 3, 1863	January 30, 1865	Thomas Bennett Jr.	South Carolina	December 1, 1820
January 30, 1865	February 21, 1871	William C. Gibbs	Rhode Island	May 2, 1821
February 21, 1871	November 1, 1874	Enos T. Throop	New York	March 12, 1829
November 1, 1874	February 11, 1888	Wyndham Robertson	Virginia	April 10, 1836
February 11, 1888	February 17, 1894	David Dunn	Maine	January 1, 1844
February 17, 1894	June 13, 1896	Alpheus Felch	Michigan	January 5, 1846
June 13, 1896	March 8, 1898	Peter Hansborough Bell	Texas	December 21, 1849
March 8, 1898	February 27, 1905	George S. Boutwell	Massachusetts	January 11, 1851
February 27, 1905	September 11, 1915	William Sprague IV	Rhode Island	May 29, 1860
September 11, 1915	April 13, 1933	Adelbert Ames	Mississippi	June 15, 1868
April 13, 1933	August 6, 1938	Joseph W. Fifer	Illinois	January 14, 1889
August 6, 1938	October 30, 1939	Roswell K. Colcord	Nevada	January 5, 1891
October 30, 1939	January 10, 1944	Frederick B. Fancher	North Dakota	January 3, 1899
January 10, 1944	June 8, 1946	John L. Bates	Massachusetts	January 8, 1903
June 8, 1946	May 9, 1958	Fenimore Chatterton	Wyoming	April 28, 1903
May 9, 1958	April 4, 1960	George L. Sheldon	Nebraska	January 3, 1907
April 4, 1960	July 29, 1960	Robert P. Bass	New Hampshire	January 5, 1911
July 29, 1960	August 22, 1960	Oswald West	Oregon	January 11, 1911
August 22, 1960	October 23, 1962	Henry D. Hatfield	West Virginia	March 14, 1913
October 23, 1962	April 10, 1964	John G. Townsend Jr.	Delaware	January 16, 1917
April 10, 1964	June 7, 1964	William P. Hobby	Texas	August 25, 1917
June 7, 1964	September 14, 1968	William H. McMaster	South Dakota	January 4, 1921
September 14, 1968	June 12, 1969	Percival P. Baxter	Maine	January 31, 1921
June 12, 1969	December 19, 1977	Nellie Tayloe Ross	Wyoming	January 5, 1925
December 19, 1977	October 12, 1987	Alf Landon	Kansas	January 9, 1933
October 12, 1987	June 15, 1991	Happy Chandler	Kentucky	December 10, 1935
June 15, 1991	March 4, 2001	Harold Stassen	Minnesota	January 2, 1939
March 4, 2001	August 8, 2002	Charles Poletti	New York	December 3, 1942
August 8, 2002	June 26, 2003	Strom Thurmond	South Carolina	January 21, 1947
June 26, 2003	February 6, 2005	Elbert N. Carvel	Delaware	January 18, 1949
February 6, 2005	May 9, 2013	George M. Leader	Pennsylvania	January 18, 1955
May 9, 2013	February 14, 2014	Mike Stepovich	Territory of Alaska	June 5, 1957
February 14, 2014	June 4, 2021	John M. Patterson	Alabama	January 19, 1959
June 4, 2021	present	George Nigh	Oklahoma	January 6, 1963

Earliest serving governors currently living[edit]

This is a list of the 30 earliest-serving United States governors, currently living, who first assumed the office at least 30-40 years ago. Territorial governors are included but are not ranked.

Rank	Governor	Date of birth	Assumed office	Left office	State	Party	Time since inauguration
1	George Nigh	June 9, 1927	January 6, 1963	January 14, 1963 ^{[lower-alpha 2]}	Oklahoma	Democratic	61 years, 324 days
2	Kenneth M. Curtis	February 8, 1931	January 5, 1967	January 2, 1975	Maine	Democratic	57 years, 325 days
3	Jimmy Carter	October 1, 1924	January 12, 1971	January 14, 1975	Georgia	Democratic	53 years, 318 days
4	Philip Noel	June 6, 1931	January 2, 1973	January 4, 1977	Rhode Island	Democratic	51 years, 328 days
5	Thomas P. Salmon	August 19, 1932	January 4, 1973	January 6, 1977	Vermont	Democratic	51 years, 326 days
6	Kit Bond	March 6, 1939	January 8, 1973	January 10, 1977 ^{[lower-alpha 3]}	Missouri	Republican	51 years, 322 days
7	George Ariyoshi	March 12, 1926	December 2, 1974	December 1, 1986	Hawaii	Democratic	49 years, 359 days
8	Michael Dukakis	November 3, 1933	January 2, 1975	January 4, 1979 ^{[lower-alpha 4]}	Massachusetts	Democratic	49 years, 328 days
9	Jerry Brown	April 7, 1938	January 6, 1975	January 3, 1983 ^{[lower-alpha 5]}	California	Democratic	49 years, 324 days
10	David Boren	April 21, 1941	January 13, 1975	January 3, 1979	Oklahoma	Democratic	49 years, 317 days
11	Jim Hunt	May 16, 1937	January 8, 1977	January 5, 1985 ^{[lower-alpha 6]}	North Carolina	Democratic	47 years, 322 days
12	Jay Rockefeller	June 18, 1937	January 17, 1977	January 14, 1985	West Virginia	Democratic	47 years, 313 days
13	Martin J. Schreiber	April 8, 1939	July 6, 1977	January 4, 1979	Wisconsin	Democratic	47 years, 142 days
N/A	Carlos S. Camacho	February 27, 1937	January 9, 1978	January 11, 1982	Northern Mariana Islands	Democratic	46 years, 321 days
14	Bruce Babbitt	June 27, 1938	March 4, 1978	January 5, 1987	Arizona	Democratic	46 years, 266 days
15	Robert List	September 1, 1936	January 1, 1979	January 3, 1983	Nevada	Republican	45 years, 329 days
16	John W. Carlin	August 3, 1940	January 8, 1979	January 12, 1987	Kansas	Democratic	45 years, 322 days
17	Bill Clinton	August 19, 1946	January 9, 1979	January 19, 1981 ^{[lower-alpha 7]}	Arkansas	Democratic	45 years, 321 days
18	Richard Riley	January 2, 1933	January 10, 1979	January 14, 1987	South Carolina	Democratic	45 years, 320 days
19	Fob James	September 15, 1934	January 15, 1979	January 17, 1983 ^{[lower-alpha 8]}	Alabama	Democratic	45 years, 315 days
20	Lamar Alexander	July 3, 1940	January 17, 1979	January 17, 1987	Tennessee	Republican	45 years, 310 days
21	Allen I. Olson	November 5, 1938	January 6, 1981	January 1, 1985	North Dakota	Republican	43 years, 324 days
22	Chuck Robb	June 26, 1939	January 16, 1982	January 18, 1986	Virginia	Democratic	42 years, 314 days
23	Thomas Kean	April 21, 1935	January 19, 1982	January 16, 1990	New Jersey	Republican	42 years, 311 days
24	Toney Anaya	April 29, 1941	January 1, 1983	January 1, 1987	New Mexico	Democratic	41 years, 329 days
24	James J. Blanchard	August 8, 1942	January 1, 1983	January 1, 1991	Michigan	Democratic	41 years, 329 days
26	Richard Bryan	July 16, 1937	January 3, 1983	January 3, 1989	Nevada	Democratic	41 years, 327 days
27	Bob Kerrey	August 27, 1943	January 6, 1983	January 9, 1987	Nebraska	Democratic	41 years, 324 days
27	John H. Sununu	July 2, 1939	January 6, 1983	January 4, 1989	New Hampshire	Republican	41 years, 324 days
29	Dick Celeste	November 11, 1937	January 10, 1983	January 14, 1991	Ohio	Democratic	41 years, 320 days
30	Joe Frank Harris	February 16, 1936	January 11, 1983	January 14, 1991	Georgia	Democratic	41 years, 319 days

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 Date that colony attained statehood.
↑ Later served two terms from January 3, 1979 to January 12, 1987.
↑ Later served one additional term from January 12, 1981 to January 14, 1985.
↑ Later served two additional terms from January 6, 1983 to January 3, 1991.
↑ Later served two additional terms from January 3, 2011 to January 7, 2019.
↑ Later served two additional terms from January 9, 1993 to January 6, 2001.
↑ Later served four additional terms from January 11, 1983 to December 12, 1992.
↑ Later served one additional term as a Republican from January 16, 1995 to January 18, 1999.

[statehood-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 Date that colony attained statehood.

[2] Later served two terms from January 3, 1979 to January 12, 1987.

[3] Later served one additional term from January 12, 1981 to January 14, 1985.

[4] Later served two additional terms from January 6, 1983 to January 3, 1991.

[5] Later served two additional terms from January 3, 2011 to January 7, 2019.

[6] Later served two additional terms from January 9, 1993 to January 6, 2001.

[7] Later served four additional terms from January 11, 1983 to December 12, 1992.

[8] Later served one additional term as a Republican from January 16, 1995 to January 18, 1999.

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