Governors, JEF-RAO
Discover the governors who guided states and provinces through moments of growth, reform, crisis, and political change.
Governors Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Jefferson, Thomas
Thomas Jefferson was the draftsman of the Declaration of Independence of the United States and the nationâs first......
Johnson, Andrew
Andrew Johnson was the 17th president of the United States (1865â69), who took office upon the assassination of......
Johnson, Gary
Gary Johnson is an American business executive and politician who, while a member of the Republican Party, served......
Johnson, Hiram
Hiram Johnson was a reform governor of California (1911â17) and a U.S. senator for 28 years (1917â45), a Progressive......
Johnson, Thomas
Thomas Johnson was an American Revolutionary War leader, the first governor of Maryland (1777â79), and an associate......
Joyeuse, Anne, duc de
Anne, duc de Joyeuse was a French nobleman who became a leader of the Roman Catholic extremists opposing the Protestant......
JĂ€rta, Hans
Hans JĂ€rta was a Swedish political activist, administrator, and publicist who was a leader of the 1809 coup dâĂ©tat......
Kaine, Tim
Tim Kaine is an American politician who was elected as a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in 2012 and began representing......
Kane, Cheikh Hamidou
Cheikh Hamidou Kane was a Senegalese writer best known for his autobiographical novel LâAventure ambiguĂ« (1961;......
Kasich, John
John Kasich is an American Republican politician who served as a representative from Ohio in the U.S. House of......
Khuc Thua Du
Khuc Thua Du was a Vietnamese ruler in 906â907 whose rise to power, as a result of a successful rebellion in 906,......
KhÄlid al-QasrÄ«
KhÄlid al-QasrÄ« was a governor of Iraq under the Umayyad caliphate. KhÄlid began his official career in 710 as......
King, Angus
Angus King is an American politician who was elected as an Independent to the U.S. Senate in 2012 and began representing......
Kirchner, NĂ©stor
NĂ©stor Kirchner was an Argentine lawyer and politician, who was president of Argentina from 2003 to 2007. Kirchner......
Kovind, Ram Nath
Ram Nath Kovind is an Indian lawyer and politician who served as president of India (2017â22). He was the second......
Kubitschek, Juscelino
Juscelino Kubitschek was the president of Brazil (1956â61) noted for his ambitious public works, especially the......
La Follette, Robert M.
Robert M. La Follette was an American leader of the Progressive movement who, as governor of Wisconsin (1901â06)......
La Tour, Charles
Charles La Tour was a French colonist and fur trader who served as governor of Acadia (region of the North American......
Landon, Alf
Alf Landon was the governor of Kansas (1933â37) and an unsuccessful U.S. Republican presidential candidate in 1936.......
Langdon, John
John Langdon was a state legislator, governor, and U.S. senator during the Revolutionary and early national period......
Lee Jae-Myung
Lee Jae-Myung is the president of South Korea (2025â ), representing the left-leaning Democratic Party of Korea......
Lee, Henry
Henry Lee was an American cavalry officer during the American Revolution. He was the father of Robert E. Lee and......
Lentulus Spinther, Publius Cornelius
Publius Cornelius Lentulus Spinther was a leading supporter of the Roman general Pompey the Great during the Civil......
Lewis, Meriwether
Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer, who with William Clark led the Lewis and Clark Expedition through the......
Li Keqiang
Li Keqiang was a Chinese politician and government official who served as premier of China from 2013 to 2023. Li......
Li Xiannian
Li Xiannian was a Chinese politician, one of the eight ârevolutionary eldersâ and a leftist hard-liner who opposed......
Livingston, William
William Livingston was the first Revolutionary governor of New Jersey. A graduate of Yale, Livingston was admitted......
Loch, Henry Brougham Loch, 1st Baron
Henry Brougham Loch, 1st Baron Loch was a British soldier and administrator who served as high commissioner in......
Long, Huey
Huey Long was a flamboyant and demagogic governor of Louisiana and U.S. senator whose social reforms and radical......
Lowden, Frank Orren
Frank Orren Lowden was an American lawyer and politician, governor of Illinois (1917â21), and a leading contender......
Lowe, Sir Hudson
Sir Hudson Lowe was a British general, governor of St. Helena when Napoleon I was held captive there; he was widely......
Lugard, Frederick
Frederick Lugard was an administrator who played a major part in Britainâs colonial history between 1888 and 1945,......
Lysimachus
Lysimachus was a Macedonian general, satrap (provincial governor), and king who, as one of the diadochoi (âsuccessorsâ)......
Macquarie, Lachlan
Lachlan Macquarie was an early governor of New South Wales, Australia (1810â21), who expanded opportunities for......
Manchin, Joe
Joe Manchin is an American politician who represented West Virginia as a Democrat to the U.S. Senate (2010â25).......
Marcos, Ferdinand, Jr.
Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. is a Filipino politician who has been president of the Philippines since 2022. Prior to becoming......
Marcy, William L
William L. Marcy was a U.S. politician, governor, and Cabinet member, remembered primarily for his remark: âTo......
Marshall, Thomas R(iley)
Thomas R. Marshall was the 28th vice president of the United States (1913â21) in the Democratic administration......
Martinuzzi, György
György Martinuzzi was a Hungarian statesman and later cardinal who worked to restore and maintain the national......
Mausolus
Mausolus was a Persian satrap (governor), though virtually an independent ruler, of Caria, in southwestern Anatolia,......
McClellan, George B.
George B. McClellan was a general who skillfully reorganized Union forces in the first year of the American Civil......
McKinley, William
William McKinley was the 25th president of the United States (1897â1901). Under McKinleyâs leadership, the United......
Mendoza, Pedro de
Pedro de Mendoza was a Spanish soldier and explorer, the first governor of the RĂo de la Plata region of Argentina......
Menem, Carlos
Carlos Menem was a politician and lawyer who served as president of Argentina (1989â99)âthe first Peronist to be......
Mercoeur, Philippe-Emmanuel de Lorraine, Duke de
Philippe-Emmanuel de Lorraine, duke de Mercoeur was a prince who led the resistance in Brittany against King Henry......
Mercy, Claudius Florimund, Graf von
Claudius Florimund, count von Mercy was an Austrian field marshal and military governor of the Banat of TemesvĂĄr,......
Metcalfe, Charles T.
Charles T. Metcalfe was a British overseas administrator who, as acting governor-general of India, instituted in......
Metellus Pius Scipio, Quintus Caecilius
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio was a Roman politician, a leading supporter of his son-in-law Pompey the......
Milner, Alfred Milner, Viscount
Alfred Milner, Viscount Milner was an able but inflexible British administrator whose pursuit of British suzerainty......
Minuit, Peter
Peter Minuit was a Dutch colonial governor of New Amsterdam who is mainly remembered for his âpurchaseâ of Manhattan......
Monroe, James
James Monroe was the fifth president of the United States (1817â25), who issued an important contribution to U.S.......
Montmorency, Henri I, Duke de
Henri I, duke de Montmorency was the duke de Montmorency, brother of François de Montmorency and a leader of the......
Moore, Wes
In 2021, 43-year-old Wes Moore already had a long and eclectic résumé: he was a troubled-student-turned-Rhodes......
Morton, Levi (Parsons)
Levi Morton was the 22nd vice president of the United States (1889â1893) in the Republican administration of Benjamin......
Morton, Oliver H. P.T.
Oliver H. P. T. Morton was an American political leader and governor of Indiana during the American Civil War.......
Moultrie, William
William Moultrie was an American general who resisted British incursions into the South during the American Revolution......
Murphy, Frank
Frank Murphy was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1940 until his death. He was......
Murray, James
James Murray was a British soldier who was military and civilian governor of Quebec in 1760â68. Murray joined the......
Muskie, Edmund
Edmund Muskie was an American Democratic politician who served as governor of Maine (1955â59), U.S. senator (1959â80),......
Muñoz MarĂn, Luis
Luis Muñoz MarĂn was a statesman who served four four-year terms as the elected governor of Puerto Rico. Early......
Napier, Sir Charles James
Sir Charles James Napier was a British general, who conquered (1843) Sind (now in Pakistan) and served as its governor......
NaáčŁr ibn SayyÄr
NaáčŁr ibn SayyÄr was the governor of KhorÄsÄn (now part of Iran) and other eastern provinces from 738 to 748, under......
Necho I
Necho I was the governor of Sais, a city of the Egyptian Nile delta, under the Assyrians and ancestor of the 26th......
Newsom, Gavin
Gavin Newsom is an American Democratic politician who is the governor of California (2019â ). He previously served......
Nicolls, Richard
Richard Nicolls was the first English governor of the province of New York in the American colonies. The son of......
Noem, Kristi
Kristi Noem is a Republican politician who served as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (2025â26;......
Nogi Maresuke
Nogi Maresuke was a general in Meiji-period Japan. He served as governor of Taiwan (then occupied by Japan) and......
Odaenathus, Septimius
Septimius Odaenathus was a prince of the Roman colony of Palmyra (q.v.), in what is now Syria, who prevented the......
Oglesby, Richard James
Richard James Oglesby was the governor of Illinois (1865â69, 1873, 1885â89) and a U.S. senator (1873â79). Oglesby,......
Oñate, Juan de
Juan de Oñate was a conquistador who established the colony of New Mexico for Spain. During his despotic governorship,......
Palin, Sarah
Sarah Palin is an American politician who served as governor of Alaska (2006â09) and was selected by Sen. John......
Pat Brown
Pat Brown was the two-term Democratic governor of California from 1959 to 1967, who helped oversee massive growth......
Paterson, William
William Paterson was an Irish-born American jurist, one of the framers of the U.S. Constitution, U.S. senator (1789â90),......
Patil, Pratibha
Pratibha Patil is an Indian lawyer and politician who was the first woman to serve as president of India (2007â12).......
Patrick, Deval
Deval Patrick is an American politician, the first Black governor of Massachusetts, serving from 2007 to 2015,......
Pawlenty, Tim
Tim Pawlenty is an American politician who served as governor of Minnesota (2003â11). He sought the Republican......
Pence, Mike
Mike Pence is the 48th vice president of the United States (2017â21) in the Republican administration of Pres.......
Penn, William
William Penn was an English Quaker leader and advocate of religious freedom, who oversaw the founding of the American......
Pepperrell, Sir William, Baronet
Sir William Pepperrell, Baronet was a colonial American merchant, politician, and soldier who in 1745 commanded......
Peralta, Pedro de
Pedro de Peralta was a Spanish colonial official who established Santa Fe as the capital of New Mexico. Peralta......
Perry, Rick
Rick Perry is an American politician who was the longest-serving governor of Texas (2000â15) and who later was......
Peña Nieto, Enrique
Enrique Peña Nieto is a Mexican politician of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional;......
Phillip, Arthur
Arthur Phillip was a British admiral whose convict settlement established at Sydney in 1788 was the first permanent......
Phocion
Phocion was an Athenian statesman and general, virtual ruler of Athens between 322 and 318. Formidable in the defense......
Pigot, George Pigot, Baron
George Pigot, Baron Pigot was a British East India merchant and governor of the Madras Presidency who was arrested......
Pilate, Pontius
Pontius Pilate was a Roman prefect (governor) of Judaea (26â36 ce) under the emperor Tiberius who presided at the......
Pinchot, Gifford
Gifford Pinchot was a pioneer of U.S. forestry and conservation and a public official. Pinchot graduated from Yale......
Pinckney, Charles
Charles Pinckney was an American Founding Father, political leader, and diplomat whose proposals for a new governmentâcalled......
Pinckney, Thomas
Thomas Pinckney was an American soldier, politician, and diplomat who negotiated Pinckneyâs Treaty (Oct. 27, 1795)......
Pitt, Thomas
Thomas Pitt was a British merchant whose involvement in the East India trade brought him into conflict with the......
Polk, James K.
James K. Polk was the 11th president of the United States (1845â49). Under his leadership, the United States fought......
Prevost, Sir George, 1st Baronet
Sir George Prevost, 1st Baronet was a soldier in the service of Great Britain, who was governor in chief (1811â15)......
Price, Sterling
Sterling Price was an antebellum governor of Missouri, and Confederate general during the U.S. Civil War. After......
Printz, Johan Björnsson
Johan Björnsson Printz was a Swedish military officer and colonial governor of New Sweden on the Delaware River.......
Pritzker, J.B.
J.B. Pritzker is an American Democratic politician and businessman who is governor of Illinois (2019â ). He is......
Ptolemy I Soter
Ptolemy I Soter was a Macedonian general of Alexander the Great, who became ruler of Egypt (323â285 bce) and founder......
Quadros, JĂąnio da Silva
JĂąnio da Silva Quadros was a Brazilian politician who unexpectedly resigned the presidency after serving only seven......
Raffles, Sir Stamford
Sir Stamford Raffles was a British East Indian administrator and founder of the port city of Singapore (1819),......
Randolph, Edmund Jennings
Edmund Jennings Randolph was a Virginia lawyer who played an important role in drafting and ratifying the U.S.......
Rao, P.V. Narasimha
P.V. Narasimha Rao was a leader of the Congress (I) Party faction of the Indian National Congress (Congress Party)......