Indiana Governors*
The land that became Indiana was acquired by the United States after the American Revolutionary War. The region was originally organized as the Northwest Territory, consisting of all of the land in the United States north and west of the Ohio River. Indiana Territory was split from the Northwest Territory in 1800.
The Governor of Indiana is the head of the executive branch of Indiana's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Indiana General Assembly, to convene that body, and to grant pardons, except in cases of treason or impeachment.
While a territory, Indiana had two President-appointed governors. Since statehood in 1816, it has had 47 governors, serving 49 distinct terms; Isaac P. Gray and Henry F. Schricker are the only governors to have served non-consecutive terms. The longest-serving state governors are Otis R. Bowen and Evan Bayh at 8 years, 4 days; territorial governor William Henry Harrison served for over 12 years. The shortest-serving governor is Henry Smith Lane, who served two days before resigning to become a U.S. Senator. The current governor is Mitch Daniels, who took office on January 10, 2005 and was reelected in 2008 to serve until January 14, 2013.
Governors of Indiana Territory
Indiana Territory was formed on July 4, 1800, and consisted of present-day Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and parts of Michigan and Minnesota. Michigan Territory was split from the territory on June 30, 1805, and Illinois Territory followed on March 1, 1809, leaving Indiana Territory with its final borders. From October 1, 1804, to July 4, 1805, the District of Louisiana was under the jurisdiction of Indiana Territory.
|
Name |
Term of Office |
| William Henry Harrison | May 13, 1800 to December 28, 1812 |
| John Gibson | December 28, 1812 to March 3, 1813 (acting ONLY) |
| Thomas Posey | March 3, 1813 to November 7, 1816 |
Governors of the State of Indiana
Indiana was admitted to the Union on December 11, 1816. The original 1816 Constitution of Indiana provided for the election of a governor and a lieutenant governor every three years. The second and current constitution of 1851 lengthened terms to four years and set the commencement of the governor's term on the second Monday in the January following the election. Governors were allowed to serve for four years in any eight-year period, but this was extended by a 1972 amendment permitting governors to serve for eight years in any twelve-year period. Should the office of governor become vacant, the lieutenant governor assumes the title of governor. Nine lieutenant governors have succeeded to the governorship. If the office of lieutenant governor is vacant, the president pro tempore of the Indiana Senate becomes governor; this has happened once, when James B. Ray succeeded William Hendricks.
|
Name |
Term of Office |
| Jonathan Jennings (Democratic-Republican) | November 7, 1816 to September 12, 1822 |
| Ratliff Boon (Democratic-Republican) | September 12, 1822 to December 5, 1822 |
| William Hendricks (Democratic-Republican) | December 5, 1822 to February 12, 1825 |
| James B. Ray (Independent) | February 12, 1825 to December 7, 1831 |
| Noah Noble (Whig) | December 7, 1831 to December 6, 1837 |
| David Wallace (Whig) | December 6, 1837 to December 9, 1840 |
| Samuel Bigger (Whig) | December 9, 1840 to December 6, 1843 |
| James Whitcomb (Democrat) | December 6, 1843 to December 26, 1848 |
| Paris C. Dunning (Democrat) | December 26, 1848 to December 5, 1849 |
| Joseph A. Wright (Democrat) | December 5, 1849 to January 12, 1857 |
| Ashbel P. Willard (Democrat) | January 12, 1857 to October 4, 1860 |
| Abram A. Hammond (Democrat) | October 4, 1860 to January 14, 1861 |
| Henry Smith Lane (Republican) | January 14, 1861 to January 16, 1861 |
| Oliver P. Morton (Republican) | January 16, 1861 to January 23, 1867 |
| Conrad Baker (Republican) | January 23, 1867 to January 13, 1873 |
| Thomas A. Hendricks (Democrat) | January 13, 1873 to January 8, 1877 |
| James D. Williams (Democrat) | January 8, 1877 to November 20, 1880 |
| Isaac P. Gray (Democrat) | November 20, 1880 to January 10, 1881 |
| Albert G. Porter (Republican) | January 10, 1881 to January 12, 1885 |
| Isaac P. Gray (Democrat) | January 12, 1885 to January 14, 1889 |
| Alvin P. Hovey (Republican) | January 14, 1889 to November 23, 1891 |
| Ira Joy Chase (Republican) | November 23, 1891 to January 9, 1893 |
| Claude Matthew (Democrat) | January 9, 1893 to January 11, 1897 |
| James A. Mount (Republican) | January 11, 1897 to January 14, 1901 |
| Winfield T. Durbin (Republican) | January 14, 1901 to January 9, 1905 |
| J. Frank Hanly (Republican) | January 9, 1905 to January 11, 1909 |
| Thomas R. Marshall (Democrat) | January 11, 1909 to January 13, 1913 |
| Samuel M. Ralston (Democrat) | January 13, 1913 to January 8, 1917 |
| James P. Goodrich (Republican) | January 8, 1917 to January 10, 1921 |
| Warren T. McCray (Republican) | January 10, 1921 to April 30, 1924 |
| Emmett Forrest Branch (Republican) | April 30, 1924 to January 12, 1925 |
| Edward L. Jackson (Republican) | January 12, 1925 to January 14, 1929 |
| Harry G. Leslie (Republican) | January 14, 1929 to January 9, 1933 |
| Paul V. McNutt (Democrat) | January 9, 1933 to January 11, 1937 |
| M. Clifford Townsend (Democrat) | January 11, 1937 to January 13, 1941 |
| Henry F. Schricker (Democrat) | January 13, 1941 to January 8, 1945 |
| Ralph F. Gates (Republican) | January 8, 1945 to January 10, 1949 |
| Henry F. Schricker (Democrat) | January 10, 1949 to January 12, 1953 |
| George N. Craig (Republican) | January 12, 1953 to January 14, 1957 |
| Harold W. Handley (Republican) | January 14, 1957 to January 9, 1961 |
| Matthew E. Welsh (Democrat) | January 9, 1961 to January 11, 1965 |
| Roger D. Branigin (Democrat) | January 11, 1965 to January 13, 1969 |
| Edgar Whitcomb (Republican) | January 13, 1969 to January 9, 1973 |
| Otis R. Bowen (Republican) | January 9, 1973 to January 13, 1981 |
| Robert D. Orr (Republican) | January 13, 1981 to January 9, 1989 |
| Evan Bayh (Democrat) | January 9, 1989 to January 13, 1997 |
| Frank O'Bannon (Democrat) | January 13, 1997 to September 13, 2003 |
| Joe Kernan (Democrat) | September 13, 2003 to January 10, 2005 |
| Mitch Daniels (Republican) | January 10, 2005 to incumbent |
*Information courtesy of Wikipedia
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