http://www.sos.state.ga.us/archives/rs/governors.htm Who was Georgia’s first governor? Who was Georgia’s first President? How many Presidents did Georgia have in the early days? Who was Georgia’s first governor? The first governor of Georgia would be considered John Adam Treutlen (1777-1778), elected under the Georgia Constitution of 1777. During the Trustee period, James Edward Oglethorpe (1733-1743) had no title from the Trustees and should be called "Resident Trustee". Who was Georgia’s first President? How many Presidents did Georgia have in the early days? William Stephens (1743-1751), Henry Parker (1751-1752), and Patrick Graham (1752-1754) were called "President of the Colony of Georgia." During the Royal period, there were three governors: John Reynolds (1754-1757), Henry Ellis (1757-1760), and James Wright (1760-1776). Finally, Archibald Bulloch (1776-1777) and Button Gwinnett (1777) were named "President of the Council of Safety". [Source: Georgia Official and Statistical Register. Atlanta, GA: Department of Archives and History.] NOTES: According to the Masonic Messenger, the Official Publication of the Grand Lodge of Georgia, F. & A. M., August 2000, a Masonic publication, a Judge William Stephens became the first Grand Master of the newly organized Grand Lodge of Georgia. Could this be the same William Stephens who became Georgia's first President? Most probably. Also noted is that is says that Marquis De Lafayette was a Mason. http://www.cviog.uga.edu/Projects/gainfo/gagovs.htm Georgia Governors Names and Years in Office Note: Unless other indicated, Georgia chief executives have carried the title of "governor." Trustee Period James Edward Oglethorpe, Resident Trustee - 1733-1743 (footnote 1) William Stephens, President - 1743-1751 Henry Parker, President - 1751-1752 Patrick Graham, President - 1752-1754 Royal Period John Reynolds, Royal Governor - 1754-1757 Henry Ellis, Royal Governor - 1757-1760 James Wright, Royal Governor - 1760-1776 (footnote 2) Provisional Period William Ewen, President of Council of Safety - 1775 George Walton, President of Council of Safety - 1776 William Ewen, President of Council of Safety - 1776 Statehood Archibald Bulloch, President of Council of Safety - 1776-1777 Button Gwinnett, President of Council of Safety - 1777 John Adam Treutlen - 1777-1778 John Houstoun - 1778-1779 William Glascock, President of Executive Council - 1779 Seth John Cuthbert, President of Supreme Executive Council - 1779 John Wereat, President of Supreme Executive Council - 1779-1780 (footnote 2) George Walton, elected by irregular assembly - 1779-1780 (footnote 3) Richard Howley - 1780 (footnote 4) George Wells - 1780 (footnote 4) Humphrey Wells - 1780 (footnote 4) Stephen Heard, President of Executive Council - 1780 (footnote 5) Myrick Davies, President of Executive Council - 1780-1781 (footnote 6) The 1781 Yorktown Campaign, in Virginia, was the final major military episode of the American Revolution. Cornwallis surrendered his nearly 8,000-man force to the 17,000-man Franco-American army on Oct. 19. http://www.dell.homestead.com/revwar/files/YORK.HTM Nathan Brownson - 1781-1782 (footnote 6) John Martin - 1782-1783 Lyman Hall - 1783-1784 John Houstoun - 1784-1785 Samuel Elbert - 1785-1786 Edward Telfair - 1786-1787 George Mathews - 1787-1788 George Handley - 1788-1789 George Walton - 1789-1790 Edward Telfair -!790-1793 George Mathews - 1793-1796 Jared Irwin - 1796-1798 James Jackson - 1798-1801 David Emanuel, President of Senate - 1801* Josiah Tattnall, Jr. - 1801-1802 John Milledge - 1802-1806 Jared Irwin, President of the Senate - 1806-1809* David B. Mitchell - 1809-1813 Peter Early - 1813-1815 David B. Mitchell - 1815-1817 William Rabun, President of the Senate - 1817-1819* Mathew Talbot, President of Senate - 1819* John Clark - 1819-1823 George M. Troup - 1823-1827 John Forsyth - 1827-1829 George R. Gilmer - 1829-1831 Wilson Lumpkin - 1831-1835 William Schley - 1835-1837 George R. Gilmer - 1837-1839 Charles J. McDonald - 1839-1843 George W. Crawford - 1843-1847 George W.B. Towns - 1847-1851 Howell Cobb - 1851-1853 Herscel V. Johnson - 1853-1857 Joseph E. Brown - 1857-1865 James Johnson, Provisional Governor - 1865 (footnote 7) Charles J. Jenkins - 1865-1868 (footnote 8) Thomas H. Ruger, Provisional Governor - 1868 (footnote 9) Rufus B. Bullock, Provisional Governor - 1868 Rufus B. Bullock - 1868-1871 (footnote 10) Benjamin Conley, President of Senate - 1871-1872 (footnote 10) James M. Smith - 1872-1877 Alfred H. Colquitt - 1877-1882 Alexander H. Stephens - 1882-1883 James S. Boynton, President of Senate - 1883 Henry D. McDaniel - 1883-1886 John B. Gordon - 1886-1890 William J. Northen - 1890-1894 William Y. Atkinson - 1894-1898 Allen D. Candler - 1898-1902 Joseph M. Terrell - 1902-1907 Hoke Smith - 1907-1909 Joseph M. Brown - 1909-1911 Hoke Smith - 1911 (footnote 11) John M. Slaton, President of Senate - 1911-1912 Joseph M. Brown - 1912-1913 John M. Slaton - 1913-1915 Nathaniel E. Harris - 1915-1917 Hugh M. Dorsey - 1917-1921 Thomas W. Hardwick - 1921-1923 Clifford M. Walker - 1923-1927 Lamartine G. Hardman - 1927-1931 Richard B. Russell, Jr. - 1931-1933 Eugene Talmadge - 1933-1937 Eurith D. Rivers - 1937-1941 Eugene Talmadge - 1941-1943 Ellis G. Arnall - 1943-1947 Herman E. Talmadge - 1947 (footnote 12) Melvin E. Thompson - 1947-1948 (footnote 12) Herman E. Talmadge - 1948-1955 S. Marvin Griffin - 1955-1959 S. Ernest Vandiver, Jr. - 1959-1963 Carl E. Sanders - 1963-1967 Lester G. Maddox - 1967-1971 James E. Carter - 1971-1975 George Busbee - 1975-1983 Joe Frank Harris - 1983-1991 Zell Miller - 1991- * As president of the Senate, became acting governor upon a vacancy in that office. Footnotes 1. The charter of the Georgia prohibited trustees from holding any formal office in the colony. Though he held no civilian title, James Oglethorpe represented the trustees during his stay in Georgia and served as de facto chief executive. 2. When the revolutionaries took control in 1776, Wright fled from Georgia. he returned in 1779 and continued as royal governor of the British-held part of Georgia until 1782. 3. The patriots were divided into two factions. One elected Wereat and the other elected Walton. They came together on January 4, 1780, and elected Richard Howley. 4. Howley was elected both governor and representative to the Continental Congress. He chose to go to Congress in February. 5. The office of governor was briefly held by George Wells, President of the Executive Council, who was killed in a duel with James Jackson. For two days, he was replaced by Humphrey Wells before Stephen Heard took office. 6. When Stephen Heard moved to North Carolina, he was briefly replaced by Myrick Davies, who was killed. Nathan Brownson was then chosen by the General Assembly. 7. President Andrew Johnson appointed Johnson. 8. When Jenkins refused to pay for the 1867 constitutional convention, he was removed from office by General Meade, the U.S. general in charge of Georgia. 9. General meade named Ruger to replaced Jenkins as governor. 10. Rather than face impeachment, Bullock resigned. Conley held office until a special election was held. 11. When Smith resigned to serve in the U.S. Senate, Slaton served out his term. 12. Eugene Talmadge won the election but died on December 21, 1946, before taking office. The legislature elected his son, Herman Talmadge, to serve the remainder of the term. Talmadge served from January to March 1947, when the Georgia Supreme Court ruled his election unconstitutional. Lieutentant Governor Melvin Thompson then served as acting governor until a special election could be held. That election, held in September 1948, was won by Herman Talmadge, who took office in November 1948 to serve the two remaining years of his father's term. Source: Updated list from The Georgia Studies Book, copyright 1991 by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, The University of Georgia. Georgia Governor's Term of Office As Provided for Georgia Constitutions (1777-present) http://www.cviog.uga.edu/Projects/gainfo/govterm.htm