Connecticut State Library with state seal

Brief Descriptions of Connecticut State Agencies

Governor of Connecticut

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

Agency Web page

Statutory Authority:
Constitution of the State of Connecticut.

Agency History :

1639, Office established by the Fundamental Orders.

Published Histories/Articles :
See State Library Pathfinder on the Office of the Governor.

Archived Office of the Governor Web site, as harvested on 2007-04-10, by the Connecticut State Library, Connecticut Digital Archive.

Also check CONSULS under the subject heading :

Connecticut Governors Biography.

Agency Documents 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. Governor.

Annual Reports are located in : 
Not available

State Archives Record Group : RG 005

List of Governors :

From the 2004 Connecticut State Register and Manual :
Abbreviations for political parties denote the following: A, American; ACP, A Connecticut Party; AD, American Democrat; AR, American Republican; D, Democrat; F, Federalist; FSA, Free Soil American; NR, National Republican; O, No record; R, Republican; R*, Jeffersonian Republican; U, Union; W, Whig. Prior to 1660, state law prohibited governors from serving successive terms.

Governor

Town & Pol.

Term of Service

Years of Service

John Haynes

Hartford, O

1639, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53

8 yrs.

Edward Hopkins

Hartford, O

1640, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54

7 yrs.

George Wyllys

Hartford, O

1642

1 yr.

Thomas Welles

Hartford, O

1655, 58

2 yrs.

John Webster

Hartford, O

1656

1 yr.

John Winthrop

New London, O

1657, 59-76

18 yrs.

William Leete

Guilford, O

1676-83

7 yrs.

Robert Treat1

Milford, O

1683-98

15 yrs.

Fitz-John Winthrop

New London, O

1698-1707

9 yrs. 6 m.

Gurdon Saltonstall

New London, O

1708-24

17 yrs. 4 m.

Joseph Talcott2

Hartford, O

1724-41

16 yrs. 5 m.

Jonathan Law3

Milford, O

1741-50

9 yrs. 1 m.

Roger Wolcott

Windsor, O

1750-54

3 yrs. 6 m.

Thomas Fitch

Norwalk, O

1754-66

12 yrs.

William Pitkin4

Hartford, O

1766-69

3 yrs. 5 m.

Jonathan Trumbull

Lebanon, O

1769-84

14 yrs. 7 m.

Matthew Griswold

Lyme, F

1784-86

2 yrs.

Samuel Huntington5

Norwich, F

1786-96

9 yrs. 8 m.

Oliver Wolcott6

Litchfield, F

1796-97

1 yr. 11 m.

Jonathan Trumbull, 2nd7

Lebanon, F

1797-1809

11 yrs. 8 m.

John Treadwell

Farmington, F

1809-11

1 yr. 9 m.

Roger Griswold8

Lyme, F

1811-12

1 yr. 5 m.

John Cotton Smith

Sharon, F

1812-17

4 yrs. 7 m.

Oliver Wolcott, Jr.

Litchfield, R*

1817-27

10 yrs.

Gideon Tomlinson9

Fairfield, R*

1827-31

4 yrs.

John S. Peters

Hebron, NR

1831-33

2 yrs.

Henry W. Edwards

New Haven, D

1833-34

1 yr.

Samuel A. Foot

Cheshire, W

1834-35

1 yr.

Henry W. Edwards

New Haven, D

1835-38

3 yrs.

Wm. W. Ellsworth

Hartford, W

1838-42

4 yrs.

Chauncey F. Cleveland

Hampton, D

1842-44

2 yrs.

Roger S. Baldwin

New Haven, W

1844-46

2 yrs.

Isaac Toucey

Hartford, D

1846-47

1 yr.

Clark Bissell

Norwalk, W

1847-49

2 yrs.

Joseph Trumbull

Hartford, W

1849-50

1 yr.

Thomas H. Seymour

Hartford, D

1850-53

3 yrs. 1 m.

Charles H. Pond10

Milford, D

1853-54

11 m.

Henry Dutton

New Haven, W

1854-55

1 yr.

William T. Minor

Stamford, A

1855-57

2 yrs.

Alexander H. Holley

Salisbury, AR

1857-58

1 yr.

Wm. A. Buckingham

Norwich, R

1858-66

8 yrs.

Joseph R. Hawley

Hartford, R

1866-67

1 yr.

James E. English

New Haven, D

1867-69

2 yrs.

Marshall Jewell

Hartford, R

1869-70

2 yrs.

James E. English

New Haven, D

1870-71

1 yr.

Marshall Jewell

Hartford, R

1871-72

2 yrs.

Charles R. Ingersoll11

New Haven, D

1873-77

3 yrs. 9 m.

Richard D. Hubbard

Hartford, D

1877-79

2 yrs.

Charles B. Andrews

Litchfield, R

1879-81

2 yrs.

Hobart B. Bigelow

New Haven, R

1881-83

2 yrs.

Thomas M. Waller

New London, D

1883-85

2 yrs.

Henry B. Harrison

New Haven, R

1885-87

2 yrs.

Phineas C. Lounsbury

Ridgefield, R

1887-89

2 yrs.

Morgan G. Bulkeley

Hartford, R

1889-93

4 yrs.

Luzon B. Morris

New Haven, D

1893-95

2 yrs.

O. Vincent Coffin

Middletown, R

1895-97

2 yrs.

Lorrin A. Cooke

Winsted, R

1897-99

2 yrs.

George E. Lounsbury

Ridgefield, R

1899-1901

2 yrs.

George P. McLean

Simsbury, R

1901-03

2 yrs.

Abiram Chamberlain

Meriden, R

1903-05

2 yrs.

Henry Roberts

Hartford, R

1905-07

2 yrs.

Rollin S. Woodruff

New Haven, R

1907-09

2 yrs.

George L. Lilley12

Waterbury, R

1909

3 m. 15 d.

Frank B. Weeks

Middletown, R

1909-11

1 yr. 8 m. 15 d.

Simeon E. Baldwin

New Haven, D

1911-15

4 yrs.

Marcus H. Holcomb

Southington, R

1915-21

6 yrs.

Everett J. Lake

Hartford, R

1921-23

2 yrs.

Chas. A. Templeton

Waterbury, R

1923-25

2 yrs.

Hiram Bingham13

New Haven, R

1925

1 d.

John H. Trumbull14

Plainville, R

1925-31

6 yrs.

Wilbur L. Cross

New Haven, D

1931-39

8 yrs.

Raymond E. Baldwin

Stratford, R

1939-41

2 yrs.

Robert A. Hurley

Bridgeport, D

1941-42

2 yrs.

Raymond E. Baldwin15

Stratford, R

1943-46

3 yrs. 11 m. 21 d.

Wilbert Snow16

Middletown, D

1946-47

13 d.

James L. McConaughy17

Cornwall, R

1947-48

1 yr. 2 m.

James C. Shannon

Bridgeport, R

1948-49

9 m. 29 d.

Chester Bowles

Essex, D

1949-51

2 yrs.

John Lodge

Westport, R

1951-55

4 yrs.

Abraham Ribicoff18

Hartford, D

1955-61

6 yrs. 16 d.

John Dempsey19

Putnam, D

1961-71

9 yrs. 11 m. 15 d.

Thomas J. Meskill

New Britain, R

1971-75

4 yrs.

Ella T. Grasso20

Windsor Locks, D

1975-80

5 yrs. 11 m. 28 d.

William A. O'Neill21

East Hampton, D

1980-91

10 yrs. 10 d.

Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.

Greenwich, ACP

1991-95

4 yrs.

John G. Rowland22

Waterbury, R

1995-2004

9 yrs. 6 m.

M. Jodi Rell23

Brookfield, R

2004-2011

 6 yrs. 6 m.
Dannel P. Malloy Stamford, D 2011-  

1Gov. Treat's term includes the period when Sir Edmund Andros as royal governor with de facto executive.

2Died in office October 11, 1741. The General Assembly, then being in session, elected Jonathan Law, Governor.

3Died in office November 6, 1750. At a special session of November 21-22 the General Assembly elected Roger Wolcott, Governor.

4Died October 1, 1769. At its October 1769 session of the General Assembly elected Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., Governor.

5Died January 5, 1796. At the regular May 1796 election the freemen failed to give any candidate a majority. The General Assembly then elected Oliver Wolcott, Governor.

6Died December 1, 1797. At the regular May 1798 election the freemen elected Jonathan Trumbull, Jr., Governor.

7Died August 7, 1809. At the regular October 1809 session the General Assembly elected John Treadwell, Governor.

8Died October 25, 1812. At the regular October 1812 session the General Assembly refused to elect a Governor. At the regular May 1813 election the freemen elected John Cotton Smith, Governor.

9Resigned to become United States Senator.

10Governor Pond was elected Lieutenant-Governor in April, 1853, and became Governor by resignation of Governor Seymour on October 13, 1853, when the latter was appointed Minister to Russia.

11By Constitutional Amendment of 1875, the term for 1876-7 was made to expire January, 1877.

12Died in office, April 21, 1909, and Frank B. Weeks became Governor.

13Resigned January 8, 1925 to become United States Senator.

14Succeeded Hiram Bingham.

15Resigned December 27, 1946 to become U.S. Senator.

16Became Governor December 27, 1946.

17Died in office, March 7, 1948 and James C. Shannon became Governor.

18Resigned January 21, 1961 to become Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare.

19Became Governor January 21, 1961, in succession to Abraham Ribicoff. Elected Governor for a full term beginning January 9, 1963; reelected November 8, 1966.

20Resigned December 31, 1980 because of ill health.

21Became Governor December 31, 1980, in succession to Ella Grasso. Elected Governor for a full term beginning January 5, 1983; reelected November 4, 1986.

22Resigned July 1, 2004 at 12:00 Noon.

23Became Governor July 1, 2004 at 12:00 Noon, in succession to John G. Rowland, who resigned.

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