Oddly Named Governors - Part I

There’s 50 states, right? And some of them have been around for over 200 years. So, chances are we’re going to get some crazy names in there, right? So … let’s have at 'em.

NOTE: Some of these states actually haven’t been around that long. So, I’m including territorial governors as well. Drawing the line on colonial governors though. I mean, ya gotta draw the line somewhere, right?

 

Alabama

Clement Comer Clay (1835-1837, Democrat)

Nothing like a little of the ol’ alliteration to get us started.

Fun fact:  Father of Clement Claiborne Clay, US & Confederate senator

Honorable mention:  Israel Pickens, Rufus W Cobb, Fob James (All-American running back at Auburn), Bibb Graves, Chauncey Sparks

 

Alaska

Jefferson C Davis (1867-1870)

Wait a minute. Shouldn’t this guy be a little further south than this?

Fun fact:  Civil War general (for the Union); shot & killed his commanding officer, William “Bull” Nelson, after getting sacked (& with absolutely no repercussions!)

Honorable mention:  Lyman Enos Knapp, John C Tidball, Wilford Bacon Hoggett

 

Arizona

Frederick Augustus Tritle (1882-1885, Republican)

Fun fact:  Associated with the “Thieving 13^th,” a corrupt legislature

Honorable mention:  John Philo Hoyt, Bruce Babbitt (Sec. of the Interior, 1988 presidential candidate), C Meyer Zulick, Fife Symington (convicted of extortion & bank fraud), Rawghlie Clement Stanford

 

Arkansas

Xenophon Overton Pindall (1907-1909, Democrat)

Fun fact:  Original Xenophon was a Greek historian and military strategist

Honorable mention:  Dale Bumpers, Jeff Davis (again, and not the one you're thinking of), Ozra Amander Hadley, Orval Faubus

 

California

Henry Huntly Haight (1867-1871, Democrat)

Astonishingly awesome alliteration

Fun fact:  Probable namesake for Haight-Ashbury

Honorable mention:  Friend Richardson, Arnold Schwarzenegger (3-time Mr Universe)

 

Colorado

John Hickenlooper (2011-2019. Democrat)

Fun fact:  Quaker, presidential candidate, grand-nephew of Bourke B (see Iowa)

Honorable mention: Roy Romer, Julius Caldeen Gunter, Teller Ammons, John V Vanderhoof

 

Connecticut

You can get married at his house!

Phineas C Lounsbury (1887-1889 , Republican)

Fun fact:  Shoe manufacturer

Honorable mentions:  Chauncey Fitch Cleveland, Hobart B Bigelow

 

Delaware

Simeon S Pennewill (1899-1907, Republican)

Fun fact:  Peach farmer

Honorable mention:  Sherman W Tribbitt, Cornelius P Comegys (haven’t a clue how to pronounce that last name), Gove Saulsbury, Ebe W Tunnell

 

Florida

Spessard Holland (1941-1945, Democrat)

Fun fact:  Offered a baseball contract by Connie Mack but declined

Honorable mention:  John Milton, Ossian B Hart, Reubin Askew

 

Georgia

Button Gwinett (1777)

Fun fact:  Also a signer of the Declaration of Independence; killed in a duel

Honorable mention:  Wilson Lumpkin, Herschell Vespasian Johnson, Rufus Bullock

 

Hawaii

Linda Lingle (2002-2010, Republican)

Fun fact:  First female & first Jewish governor of the Aloha State; shoulda kept that maiden name (Cutter)

Honorable mention:  Lucius E Pinkham, John D. Waiheʻe III, Ingram Stainback

 

Idaho

Thank you, Interwebs

Butch Otter (2007-2019, Republican)

Fun fact:  Real given name is Clement Leroy

Honorable mention:  Dirk Kempthorne, Barzilla W Clark

 

Illinois

"Bond ... Shadrach Bond"

Shadrach Bond (1818-1822, Democrat)

And, no, there are no Meshachs or Abednegos out there

Fun fact:  Came from a part of Illinois called the American Bottom

Honorable mention:  Ninian Edwards

 

Indiana

Ratliff Boon (1822, Democrat)

Fun fact:  Such an excellent wolf hunter that the state ended its bounty program after paying him $700 (over $18,000 today)

Honorable mention:  Ira Joy Chase, Ashbel P Willard, Noah Noble

Iowa

Not sure why this little guy’s blue, of all colors

Bourke B Hickenlooper (1943-1945, Republican)

Fun fact:  Nickname was “Hick”; is John’s great-uncle (see Colorado)

Honorable mention:  Horace Boies, Herschel C Loveless

Kansas

Extra points for the ‘stache

John St John (1879-1883, Prohibition)

Now, that’s creative …

Fun fact:  Prohibition Party’s presidential candidate in 1884 (see Montana for another one)

Honorable mention:  Harry Hines Woodring, Lyman U Humphrey, George Washington Glick, Lorenzo D Lewelling

Kentucky

Ruby Laffoon (1931-1935, Democrat)

Fun fact:  Known as "the terrible Turk from Madisonville”

Honorable mention:  Augustus Owsley Stanley, Happy Chandler (2^nd Commissioner of Baseball), Simon Bolivar Buckner (terrible Confederate general), Flem D Sampson, Beriah Magoffin (kept KY neutral in the Civil War)

Louisiana

PBS Pinchback (1872-1873, Republican)

And here I thought he was named after my favorite radio station

Fun fact:  1st African-American governor

Honorable mention:  Edwin Edwards (served 8 years in federal prison for racketeering), Oramel H Simpson, Ruffin G Pleasant

 

Maine

Sebastian Streeter Marble (1887-1889, Republican)

Fun fact:  Was president of Maine’s Senate when the previous guy passed away (Maine does not have lieutenant governors)

Honorable mention:  William D Williamson, Clinton Clauson, Hannibal Hamlin (Lincoln’s 1^st VP), Sumner Sewall

Maryland

Yup, he said it

Spiro Agnew (1967-1969, Republican)

Fun fact:  US VP, 2^nd one to resign (Calhoun was the 1^st)

Honorable mention:  Samuel Sprig, Harry Nice, Levin Winder, Oden Bowie, Lloyd Lowndes Jr (say it three times fast)

 

Massachusetts

Increase Sumner (1797-1799, Federalist)

Fun fact:  Wrote 7 books

Honorable mention:  Marcus Morton, Endicott Peabody (hard to get any more Boston Brahmin than that), John QA Brackett, Foster Furcolo, Leverett Saltonstall (I actually have this guy’s autograph)

Minnesota

Epaphroditus Ransom (1848-1850, Democrat)

Fun facts:  Original Epaphroditus was Roman emperor Nero’s secretary

Honorable mention:  Adolph Olson Eberhart, Henry H Crapo, Hazen S Pingree, Alfeus Felch

 

Mississippi

That particular type of facial hair is called an “imperial”

Adelbert Ames (1870-1874, Republican)

Fun facts:  A Union general in the Civil War (Medal of Honor winner), he was the last surviving one, passing away at age 97 in 1930

Honorable mention:  Tilghman Tucker, Alexander G McNutt, William McWillie, Theodore G Bilbo

 

Missouri

Meredith Miles Marmaduke (1844, Democrat)

How appropriate he’s from M-M-M-Missouri

“Fun” fact:  Became governor when the previous guy, Thomas Reynolds, committed suicide

Honorable mention:  Kit Bond, Trusten Polk, Daniel Dunklin, Lilburn Boggs, Meriwether Lewis (of Lewis & Clark fame, I know, but still pretty odd), Elliott Woolfolk Major

Need some more?  Click here!