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

 

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.