Connecticut State Library with state seal

Brief Descriptions of Connecticut State Agencies

Secretary of the State

Agency Web page | Statutory Authority |Agency History |
Published histories/articles | State Library Collections | List of Commissioners

Agency Web page

Statutory Authority :
CGS sec. 3-77ff.

Agency History:

1639, established by the Fundamental Orders.

Published Histories/Articles :
 Armstead, George. The State Services of Connecticut. Published under the direction of the Committee on Public Information and the House Committee on Publications of the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut. Hartford?: 1946, pp.5-6. [CSL Call Number ConnDoc G25 ar]

Agency Documents and Records in the State Library Collections :
Check the State Library catalog, CONSULS, under these author headings for publications by the agency available in the State Library :

Connecticut. Secretary of the State.

Annual Reports are located in :

Connecticut Public Documents. [CSL Call Number ConnDoc T71r]

Digest of Administrative Reports to the Governor. [CSL Call Number ConnDoc F40 d] and 2002-, the online version

State Archives Record Group : RG 006

List of Secretaries of the State :
From the Register and Manual 2004.

Secretary of the State

Town & Pol.

Term of Service

Years of Service

Edward Hopkins

Hartford, O

1639-41

2 yrs.

Thomas Welles

Hartford, O

1641-48

7 yrs.

John Cullick

Hartford, O

1648-58

10 yrs.

Daniel Clark

Windsor, O

1658-64, 65-67

8 yrs.

John Allyn

Hartford, O

1664-65, 67-96

30 yrs.

Eleazer Kimberly

Glastonbury, O

1696-1709

13 yrs.

William Whiting

Hartford, O

1709

3 m.

Caleb Stanly

Hartford, O

1709-12

3 yrs.

Richard Lord

Hartford, O

1712

17 d.

Hezekiah Wyllys

Hartford, O

1712-35

23 yrs.

George Wyllys

Hartford, O

1735-96

61 yrs.

Samuel Wyllys

Hartford, O

1796-1810

14 yrs.

Thomas Day

Hartford, O

1810-35

25 yrs.

Royal R. Hinman

Southbury, O

1835-42

7 yrs.

Noah A. Phelps

Hartford, O

1842-44

2 yrs.

Daniel P. Tyler

Pomfret, O

1844-46

2 yrs.

Charles W. Bradley

Hartford, O

1846-47

1 yr.

John B. Robertson

New Haven, O

1847-49

2 yrs.

Roger H. Mills

New Hartford, O

1849-50

1 yr.

Hiram Weed1

Danbury, D

1850

1 m.

John P. C. Mather

New London, D

1850-54

3 yrs. 11 m.

Oliver H. Perry

Fairfield, W

1854-55

1 yr.

Nehemiah D. Sperry

New Haven, A

1855-57

2 yrs.

Orville H. Platt

Meriden, AR

1857-58

1 yr.

John Boyd

Winchester, R

1858-61

3 yrs.

J. H. Trumbull

Hartford, R

1861-66

5 yrs.

Leverett E. Pease

Somers, U

1866-69

3 yrs.

Hiram Appleman

Groton, R

1869-70

1 yr.

Thomas M. Waller

New London, D

1870-71

1 yr.

Hiram Appleman2

Groton, R

1871-73

2 yrs.

D. W. Edgecomb

Fairfield, R

1873

12 d.

Marvin H. Sanger

Canterbury, D

1873-77

4 yrs.

Dwight Morris

Bridgeport, D

1877-79

2 yrs.

David Torrance

Derby, R

1879-81

2 yrs.

Charles E. Searls

Thompson, R

1881-83

2 yrs.

D. Ward Northrop

Middletown, D

1883-85

2 yrs.

Charles A. Russell

Killingly, R

1885-87

2 yrs.

Leverett M. Hubbard

Wallingford, R

1887-89

2 yrs.

R. Jay Walsh

Greenwich, R

1889-93

4 yrs.

John J. Phelan

Bridgeport, D

1893-95

2 yrs.

William C. Mowry

Norwich, R

1895-97

2 yrs.

Charles Phelps

Rockville, R

1897-99

2 yrs.

Huber Clark

Willimantic, R

1899-1901

2 yrs.

Charles G. R. Vinal

Middletown, R

1901-05

4 yrs.

Theodore Bodenwein

New London, R

1905-09

4 yrs.

Matthew H. Rogers

Bridgeport, R

1909-13

4 yrs.

Albert Phillips

Stamford, D

1913-15

2 yrs.

Charles D. Burnes

Greenwich, R

1915-17

2 yrs.

Frederick L. Perry

New Haven, R

1917-21

4 yrs.

Donald J. Warner

Salisbury, R

1921-23

2 yrs.

Francis A. Pallotti

Hartford, R

1923-29

6 yrs.

William L. Higgins

Coventry, R

1929-33

4 yrs.

John A. Danaher

Hartford, R

1933-35

2 yrs.

C. John Satti

New London, D

1935-39

4 yrs.

Sara B. Crawford

Westport, R

1939-41

2 yrs.

Chase G. Woodhouse

New London, D

1941-43

2 yrs.

Frances B. Redick

Newington, R

1943-45

2 yrs.

Charles J. Prestia

New Britain, D

1945-47

2 yrs.

Frances B. Redick

Newington, R

1947-49

2 yrs.

Winifred McDonald

Waterbury, D

1949-51

2 yrs.

Alice K. Leopold3

Weston, R

1951-53

2 yrs. 10 m. 27 d.

Charles B. Keats4

Bridgeport, R

1953-55

1 yr. 1 m. 4 d.

Mildred P. Allen

Hartford, R

1955-59

4 yrs.

Ella T. Grasso

Windsor Locks, D

1959-71

12 yrs.

Gloria Schaffer5

Woodbridge, D

1971-78

7 yrs. 8 m. 19 d.

Henry S. Cohn6

West Hartford, D

1978-79

3 m. 9 d.

Barbara B. Kennelly7

Hartford, D

1979-82

3 yrs. 22 d.

Maura L. Melley8

Wethersfield, D

1982-83

11 m. 8 d.

Julia H. Tashjian

Windsor, D

1983-91

8 yrs.

Pauline R. Kezer

Plainville, R

1991-95

4 yrs.

Miles S. Rapoport

West Hartford, D

1995-99

4 yrs.

Susan Bysiewicz

Middletown, D

1999-2011

 12 yrs.

Denise Merrill

Mansfield, D

2011-

  

1Died in office, June 7, 1850 and John P. C. Mather was appointed by the General Assembly, June 21, 1850 to fill the vacancy.

2Resigned April 25, 1873 and D. W. Edgecomb was appointed to the vacancy by Governor Jewell.

3Resigned November 30, 1953 to become Director of Women's Bureau, U.S. Labor Dept.

4Appointed December 1, 1953 by Governor John Lodge to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Alice K. Leopold.

5Resigned September 25, 1978 to become a member of the Federal Civil Aeronautics Board.

6Appointed Secretary of the State by Governor Ella T. Grasso effective September 25, 1978 to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Gloria Schaffer.

7Resigned January 25, 1982. Elected to the 97th Congress on January 12, 1982 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of William R. Cotter.

8Appointed Secretary of the State by Governor William A. O'Neill effective January 29, 1982 to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Barbara B. Kennelly.

Prepared by the Government Information and Reference Services Unit, page revised 01/2011.