Roster of Connecticut Governors - Finding Aids

With Links to Biographical Sketches, Portraits, and Guides to Archival Records of Connecticut Governors

State Library staff have created brief biographical sketches and bibliographies of many of the governors. This is an ongoing project, and we hope to have sketches of all of the governors completed in the future. The currently available sketches, portraits, and guides to archival records are linked from the governor’s name.  The Official Governor’s Portraits Collection may be seen at the Museum of Connecticut History.

Additional biographical resources, and more information about archival records can be found on the Governors of Connecticut: Resources and Publications page.

State Capitol Building

Biographies/Portraits When_Served
Town_of_Residence Political_Party Guide_to_Archival_Records
John Haynes 1639 Hartford None known
Edward Hopkins 1640 Hartford None known
John Haynes 1641 Hartford None known
George Wyllys 1642 Hartford None known
John Haynes 1643 Hartford None known
Edward Hopkins 1644 Hartford None known
John Haynes 1645 Hartford None known
Edward Hopkins 1646 Hartford None known
John Haynes 1647 Hartford None known
Edward Hopkins 1648 Hartford None known
John Haynes 1649 Hartford None known
Edward Hopkins 1650 Hartford None known
John Haynes 1651 Hartford None known
Edward Hopkins 1652 Hartford None known
John Haynes 1653 Hartford None known
Edward Hopkins 1654 Hartford None known
Thomas Welles 1655 Hartford None known
John Webster 1656 Hartford None known
John Winthrop Jr. 1657 New London None known
Thomas Welles 1658 Hartford None known
John Winthrop Jr. 1659-76 New London None known
William Leete 1676-83 Guilford None known
Robert Treat 1683-98 Milford None known
Fitz-John Winthrop 1698-1707 New London None known
Gurdon Saltonstall 1708-24 New London None known
Joseph Talcott 1724-41 Hartford None known
Jonathan Law 1741-50 Milford None known
Roger Wolcott 1750-54 Windsor None known
Thomas Fitch 1754-66 Norwalk None known
William Pitkin 1766-69 Hartford None known Finding Aid William Pitkin
Jonathan Trumbull 1769-84 Lebanon None known Finding Aid Jonathan Trumbull         
Matthew Griswold 1784-86 Lyme Federalist Finding Aid Matthew Griswold
Samuel Huntington 1786-96 Norwich Federalist Finding Aid Samuel Huntington
Oliver Wolcott 1796-97 Litchfield Federalist Finding Aid Oliver Wolcott
Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. 1797-1809 Lebanon Federalist Finding Aid Jonathan Trumbull, Jr.
John Treadwell 1809-11 Farmington Federalist Finding Aid John Treadwell
Roger Griswold 1811-12 Lyme Federalist Finding Aid Roger Griswold
John Cotton Smith 1812-17 Sharon Federalist Finding Aid John Cotton Smith
Oliver Wolcott, Jr. 1817-27 Litchfield Jeffersonian Republican Finding Aid Oliver Wolcott, Jr.
Gideon Tomlinson 1827-31 Fairfield Jeffersonian Republican Finding Aid Gideon Tomlinson
John S. Peters 1831-33 Hebron National Republican Finding Aid John S. Peters
Henry W. Edwards 1833-34 New Haven Democrat Finding Aid Henry W. Edwards
Samuel A. Foot 1834-35 Cheshire Whig Finding Aid Samuel A. Foot
Henry W. Edwards 1835-38 New Haven Democrat Finding Aid Henry W. Edwards
William W. Ellsworth 1838-42 Hartford Whig Finding Aid William W. Ellsworth
Chauncey F. Cleveland 1842-44 Hampton Democrat Finding Aid Chauncey F. Cleveland
Roger S. Baldwin 1844-46 New Haven Whig Finding Aid Roger S. Baldwin
Isaac Toucey 1846-47 Hartford Democrat Finding Aid Isaac Toucey
Clark Bissell 1847-49 Norwalk Whig Finding Aid Clark Bissell
Joseph Trumbull 1849-50 Hartford Whig Finding Aid Joseph Trumbull
Thomas H. Seymour 1850-53 Hartford Democrat Finding Aid Thomas H. Seymour
Charles H. Pond 1853-54 Milford Democrat Finding Aid Charles H. Pond
Henry Dutton 1854-55 New Haven Whig Finding Aid Henry Dutton
William T. Minor 1855-57 Stamford American Finding Aid William T. Minor
Alexander H. Holley 1857-58 Salisbury American Republican Finding Aid Alexander H. Holley
William A. Buckingham 1858-66 Norwich Republican Finding Aid William A. Buckingham
Joseph R. Hawley 1866-67 Hartford Republican Finding Aid Joseph R. Hawley
James E. English 1867-69 New Haven Democrat Finding Aid James E. English
Marshall Jewell 1869-70 Hartford Republican Finding Aid Marshall Jewell
James E. English 1870-71 New Haven Democrat Finding Aid James E. English
Marshall Jewell 1871-72 Hartford Republican Finding Aid Marshall Jewell
Charles R. Ingersoll 1873-77 New Haven Democrat Finding Aid Charles R. Ingersoll
Richard D. Hubbard 1877-79 Hartford Democrat Finding Aid Richard D. Hubbard
Charles B. Andrews 1879-81 Litchfield Republican Finding Aid Charles B. Andrews
Hobart B. Bigelow 1881-83 New Haven Republican Finding Aid Hobart B. Bigelow
Thomas M. Waller 1883-85 New London Democrat Finding Aid Thomas M. Waller
Henry B. Harrison 1885-87 New Haven Republican Finding Aid Henry B. Harrison
Phineas C. Lounsbury 1887-89 Ridgefield Republican Finding Aid Phineas C. Lounsbury
Morgan G. Bulkeley 1889-93 Hartford Republican Finding Aid Morgan G. Bulkeley
Luzon B. Morris 1893-95 New Haven Democrat Finding Aid Luzon B. Morris
O. Vincent Coffin 1895-97 Middletown Republican Finding Aid O. Vincent Coffin
Lorrin A. Cooke 1897-99 Winsted Republican Finding Aid Lorrin A. Cooke
George E. Lounsbury 1899-1901 Ridgefield Republican Finding Aid George E. Lounsbury
George P. McLean 1901-03 Simsbury Republican Finding Aid George P. McLean
Abiram Chamberlain 1903-05 Meriden Republican Finding Aid Abiram Chamberlain
Henry Roberts 1905-07 Hartford Republican Finding Aid Henry Roberts
Rollin S. Woodruff 1907-09 New Haven Republican Finding Aid Rollin S. Woodruff
George L. Lilley 1909 Waterbury Republican Finding Aid George L. Lilley
Frank B. Weeks 1909-11 Middletown Republican Finding Aid Frank B. Weeks
Simeon E. Baldwin 1911-15 New Haven Democrat Finding Aid Simeon E. Baldwin
Marcus H. Holcomb 1915-21 Southington Republican Finding Aid Marcus H. Holcomb
Everett J. Lake 1921-23 Hartford Republican Finding Aid Everett J. Lake
Charles A. Templeton 1923-25 Waterbury Republican Finding Aid Charles A. Templeton
Hiram Bingham 1925 New Haven Republican Finding Aid Hiram Bingham
John H. Trumbull 1925-31 Plainville Republican Finding Aid John H. Trumbull
Wilbur L. Cross 1931-39 New Haven Democrat Finding Aid Wilbur L. Cross
Raymond E. Baldwin 1939-41 Stratford Republican Finding Aid Raymond E. Baldwin
Robert A. Hurley 1941-42 Bridgeport Democrat Finding Aid Robert A. Hurley
Raymond E. Baldwin 1943-46 Stratford Republican Finding Aid Raymond E. Baldwin
Wilbert Snow 1946-47 Middletown Democrat Finding Aid Wilbert Snow
James L. McConaughy 1947-48 Cornwall Republican Finding Aid James L. McConaughy
James C. Shannon 1948-49 Bridgeport Republican Finding Aid James C. Shannon
Chester Bowles 1949-51 Essex Democrat Finding Aid Chester Bowles
John Lodge 1951-55 Westport Republican Finding Aid John Lodge
Abraham Ribicoff 1955-61 Hartford Democrat Finding Aid Abraham Ribicoff
John Dempsey 1961-71 Putnam Democrat Finding Aid John Dempsey
Thomas J. Meskill 1971-75 New Britain Republican Finding Aid Thomas J. Meskill
Ella T. Grasso 1975-80 Windsor Locks Democrat Finding Aid Ella T. Grasso
William A. O’Neill 1980-91 East Hampton Democrat Finding Aid William A. O’Neill
Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. 1991-95 Greenwich A Connecticut Party Finding Aid William A. O’Neill
John G. Rowland 1995-2004 Waterbury Republican Finding Aid John G. Rowland
M. Jodi Rell 2004-2011 Brookfield Republican Finding Aid M. Jodi Rell
Dannel P. Malloy 2011-2019 Stamford Democrat Finding Aid Dannel P. Malloy

The laws of Connecticut did not allow governors to serve consecutive terms until 1660. In 1875, voters approved an amendment to the State Constitution increasing the term of the governor to two years. The 1965 State Constitution increased the term from two to four years.