Utah Governors - presented by Utah Genealogy Trails

Biographies of Utah Territorial and State Governors

Brigham Young	1801-1877 Term in Office: 1850-1858 Named governor in 1850 by Millard Fillmore, he was reappointed in 1854 by Franklin Pierce when Lt. Col. Edward J. Steptoe refused the post. Young as territorial executive was concerned with organizing the territorial government, selecting the location of the capital and building a territorial statehouse, codification of laws, organizing and establishing a territorial library, normalizing relations with the Indians and between the federal government and the Mormons, and developing home manufacturing and agriculture. Acting on rumors that the Mormons were rebelling against federal authority, James Buchanan replaced Young as governor in 1857.
Alfred Cumming	1802-1873 Term in Office: 1858-1861 Democrat Born in Sand Hills, Georgia, in 1802, Cumming served in federal, military, and civic posts, including mayor of Augusta, Georgia, before his appointment as governor in July 1857 by James Buchanan. Accompanied by his wife, Elizabeth W. Randall, he was escorted to Utah by a large force under Col. Albert Sidney Johnston. En route, in January 1858, he was reappointed to a full term as governor. On orders of Brigham Young, Salt Lake City was almost abandoned when he arrived. Cumming was determined to avoid violence, and the socalled Utah War was quickly settled. Cumming's concerns as governor included the unusual powers of the local probate courts; Indians; construction of roads and bridges; the sale of public lands; mail service; lawlessness, including cattle rustling and murder; and poor penal conditions. He left Utah in May 1861, knowing that Republican Abraham Lincoln would not reappoint him. He died in Augusta, Georgia, in 1873.
John W. Dawson	1820-1877 Term in Office: 1861-1862 Democrat/Republican Born in 1820, a native of Cambridge, Indiana, Dawson married Amanda Thornton and was a lawyer, farmer, and newspaper editor before entering politics as a KnowNothing. He later was a Democrat, and finally a Republican. Abraham Lincoln named him governor in 1861. Antagonistic toward the Mormons and despised by them, Dawson left for the East after less than a month in Utah, and was attacked and beaten as he traveled through Parley's Canyon. Three men allegedly involved in the assault were later killed by law officers. Dawson died in 1877 in Indiana.
Stephen Selwyn Harding	1808-1891 Term in Office: 1862-1863 Liberal A native of Ontario County, New York, and an ardent abolitionist, Harding married Avoline Sprout and practiced law in Indiana before Abraham Lincoln named him governor of Utah Territory in 1862. Conciliatory toward the Mormons at first, he soon became critical of church leaders and the practice of polygamy. The Mormons successfully petitioned for his removal. He served as chief justice of Colorado Territory until forced out of office for alleged incompetence and immorality. He died in 1891 in Indiana.
James Duane Doty	1799-1865 Term in Office: 1863-1865 Democrat Born in Salem, New York, in 1799, Doty married Sarah Collins and served in several government posts in Michigan before moving to Wisconsin, where he was a delegate to Congress, territorial governor (1841-44), and state legislator. Originally a Democrat, he became a Free Soiler and then a Republican. Abraham Lincoln named him superintendent of Indian affairs for Utah in 1861 and then to the vacated position of governor in 1863. Under his skillful management federal relations with the Mormons improved. He emphasized the importance of schools and Indian treaties, and suggested using the Colorado River to transport Utah products to markets in California. Reappointed by Lincoln, he died in office in 1865 and was buried in the Fort Douglas cemetery.
Charles Durkee	1805-1870 Term in Office: 1865-1869 Liberal/Republican A native of Royalton, Vermont, born in 1805, Durkee became a business, civic, and political leader in Wisconsin, serving as territorial legislator, congressman, and U.S. senator (1855-61), affiliated at various times with the Liberty, Free Soil, and Republican parties. Appointed governor in 1865, Durkee pursued an energetic course oriented toward territorial development and harmony with the Mormons, although he was critical of the lack of public schools. He returned to Wisconsin in late 1869 and died in 1870 in Omaha.
John Wilson Shaffer	1827-1870 Term in Office: 1870-1870 He was born in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1827, but little else is known of his early life. Brevetted brigadier general in the Union Army, he was active in Republican politics in Illinois before Ulysses S. Grant named him governor of Utah in 1870. He was determined to carry out Grant's policy of crushing "rebellion" in the territory, a stance that brought him into conflict with other officials. Among other things, Shaffer attempted to neutralize the Nauvoo Legion by proscribing military drills and gatherings. He died suddenly in Salt Lake City the year of his arrival. Following Masonic rites, his body was sent to Illinois for burial.
Vernon H. Vaughan	1838-1878 Term in Office: 1870-1871 Born in Alabama, in 1838, Vaughan was territorial secretary when Governor Shaffer died. Ulysses S. Grant named him to fill the vacancy. The only event of consequence during his administration was the Wooden Gun Rebellion--an illegal (according to Shaffer's proclamation) drill in November 1870 by members of the Nauvoo Legion. Undoubtedly a lark, the incident nevertheless resulted in the arrest and trial of those involved, but all were released. Vaughan was not reappointed. He died in 1878 in Sacramento.
George Lemuel Woods	1832-1890 Term in Office: 1871-1875 Republican Born in Boone County, Missouri, in 1832, Woods moved with his family to Oregon where he attended school. He prospected for gold and practiced law before entering politics. A founder of the Republican party in Oregon, he was named to the Idaho Territory Supreme Court in 1865 and ran successfully for governor of Oregon in 1866. When Woods failed to win renomination, Ulysses S. Grant named him governor of Utah in 1871. Woods saw the Nauvoo Legion as a threat to federal authority, and he also criticized the unusually broad jurisdiction of locally controlled probate courts. He urged the establishment of free public schools, comprehensive mining legislation, the abolition of polygamy, further railroad development, and federal funds to improve irrigation. He was not reappointed, however, and returned to practicing law. He died in Portland, Oregon, in 1890.
Samuel Beach Axtell	1819-1891 Term in Office: 1875-1875 Democrat Born near Columbus, Ohio, in 1819, Axtell attended Oberlin and Western Reserve Colleges, married Adaline S. Williams, practiced law in Michigan and California, and served in Congress (1867-71) as both a Democrat and a Republican. Ulysses S. Grant named him governor of Utah Territory in 1875. More moderate than his immediate predecessors, he was harshly criticized by the growing anti-Mormon element in Utah. After only a few months in Utah, he was sent by Grant to New Mexico Territory as governor and was later chief justice there. He died in 1891 in Morristown, New Jersey.
George W. Emery	1830-1909 Term in Office: 1875-1880 Born in 1830 in Penobscot, Maine, Emery graduated from Dartmouth, studied law in Albany, New York, and was a federal tax collector in the South before Ulysses S. Grant named him governor of Utah Territory in 1875. Despite the bitter Mormon-Gentile feud of the late nineteenth century, Emery accomplished election reforms and expanded government services for a fast-growing population. When President Grant visited Utah in October 1875 he was amazed at his friendly reception and reportedly told Emery he had been deceived about the Mormons. In February 1880, after Emery's term had ended, the legislature named a new county in central Utah after him. He died in 1909 in Marshfield, Massachusetts.
Eli Houston Murray	1843-1896 Term in Office: 1880-1886 A native of Cloverport, Kentucky, born in 1843, Murray attained the rank of brigadier general during the Civil War and also completed a law degree at the University of Louisville. He married Evelyn Neal and was a U.S. marshal and newspaper editor before Rutherford B. Hayes named him governor in 1880. Murray certified the election of Allen G. Campbell (who never served) as delegate to Congress, although George Q. Cannon, an LDS Church leader and a polygamist, received more than ten times as many votes. Murray's attacks on the Mormons influenced national policy. Following the Cannon incident, twenty-three bills dealing with polygamy were introduced in Congress. Chester A. Arthur reappointed Murray, but Grover Cleveland dismissed him in 1886. Murray worked as a journalist in San Diego before returning to Kentucky. He died in Bowling Green in 1896. The city of Murray in Salt Lake County is named for him.
Caleb Walton West	1844-1909 Terms in Office: 1886-1888 and 1893-1896 Born in Cynthiana, Kentucky, in 1844, West attended Millersburg Academy and served in the Confederate Army, incarcerated most of the time as a prisoner of war. He married Nancy Frazer. A lawyer and a municipal judge, he was selected by Grover Cleveland to replace Eli Murray in 1886. A moderate Democrat—the first Democratic governor since Alfred Cumming—he visited imprisoned polygamists, but his offer of conditional amnesty was refused. He encouraged the organization of groups such as the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce that would serve broad community interests and include all elements of society. His first term ended with the election of Benjamin Harrison in 1888, but he returned as governor in 1893 following the re-election of Cleveland. By then the Woodruff Manifesto of 1890 had ended church-sanctioned polygamy, and national political parties had replaced the old Peoples (Mormon) party and Liberal (non-Mormon) party. In January 1896 the governorship passed from West to Heber M. Wells, the first state governor. West was a special agent for the U.S. Treasury on the West Coast until 1901. He died in 1909.
Arthur Lloyd Thomas	1851-1924 Term in Offfice: 1889-1893 Born in 1851 in Chicago, Thomas grew up in Pittsburgh and married Helena Reinberg. He filled staff positions in the U.S. House of Representatives before serving as territorial secretary under governors Emery, Murray, and West. A member of the Utah Commission, he was named governor in 1889 by Benjamin Harrison. Regarding the Mormons, Thomas seemed ambivalent, favoring first the harsh measures in the Cullom Bill and, later, amnesty for convicted polygamists. Improved education for children and the development of irrigation to open more land for settlement were two of his major concerns. An unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for the first state governor in 1895, Thomas remained in Utah as postmaster of Salt Lake City from 1898 to 1914, and was also involved in land development, mining, and publishing. He died in Salt Lake City in 1924.
Heber Manning Wells	1859-1938 Term in Office: 1896-1905 Republican When Utah achieved statehood in 1896, 36-year-old Wells, a Salt Lake City native, became Utah's first governor and the youngest to date. A former tax collector, city recorder, and secretary of the 1895 Utah Constitutional Convention, he was later involved in banking. Wells set up the machinery of state government for a smooth transition from territorial to state status and backed bills that affected education, agriculture, and the arts.
John Christopher Cutler	1846-1928 Term in Office: 1905-1909 Republican Born in Sheffield, England, Cutler immigrated to Utah with his family in 1864. A successful businessman and president of the family dry goods firm, he was also a director of several banks, insurance companies, and other businesses as well. As governor, Cutler founded a state juvenile court system, ordered compilation and codification of state laws, and provided for registration of births and deaths by the state.
William Spry	1864-1929 Term in Office: 1909-1917 Republican A native of Windsor, Berkshire, England, Spry came to Utah in 1875. After serving as a tax collector, Grantsville councilman, and a state legislator, Spry was appointed U.S. marshal for Utah in 1906. As governor, he is remembered for convincing the legislature to appropriate money for the State Capitol and for refusing to intervene in the execution of radical labor leader Joe Hill. Spry was the first Utahn to serve as chair of the National Governors Association.
Simon Bamberger	1846-1926 Term in Office: 1917-1921 Democrat Bamberger, born in Eberstadt, Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, has the distinction of being Utah's first Democratic governor, first non-Mormon governor, and the oldest, assuming the office at age 71. He was also the second Jew elected governor of any state in the U.S. He earned a fortune in silver mining and railroading. A strong supporter of Prohibition, he promoted progressive reforms, including establishment of a Public Utilities Commission, Department of Health, and a nonpartisan judiciary.
Charles Rendell Mabey	1877-1959 Term in Office: 1921-1925 Republican Born in Bountiful, Utah, Mabey studied at the University of Utah and served in the Spanish American War and World War I. He was a banker and educator before serving as a state legislator and mayor of Bountiful. As Utah's fifth governor, Mabey was a strong supporter of education. New schools were built and standards for teacher certification improved under his direction. He also aggressively promoted new highway construction and the reorganization of state government.
George Henry Dern	1872-1936 Term in Office: 1925-1933 Democrat A native of Scribner, Dodge County, Nebraska, Dern captained the U. of Nebraska football team during his college years. An important figure in Utah's mining industry, he served in the State Senate before his election as governor. A strong progressive, Dern revised Utah's tax laws to favor middle and lower income groups and advocated unemployment insurance. Later, as FDR's Secretary of War, Dern was influential in the creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Henry Hooper Blood	1872-1942 Term in Office: 1933-1941 Democrat Born in Kaysville, Blood had served on the Public Utilities Commission and as chairman of the State Road Commission before as his election as governor. He supported FDR's depression-era programs and was able to obtain CCC and WPA projects for Utah. Dams and range improvements were high priorities during his administration. A 2 percent sales tax was adopted at his urging as a welfare measure. Blood was the first governor to occupy the Governor's Mansion, donated by the Kearns family to the state in 1937.
Herbert Brown Maw	1893-1990 Term in Office: 1941-1949 Democrat An Ogden native, Maw served as an army chaplain during World War I before beginning a successful career as a university professor and attorney. Maw served 10 years in the Utah Senate and was its president during 1934-38. He fulfilled his campaign promise to reorganize state government to improve efficiency and economy. He also retired the state's debt and helped to secure important military and defense facilities for the state during World War.
Joseph Bracken Lee	1899-1996 Term in Office: 1949-1957 Republican Born in Price, Lee was involved in the real estate and the insurance business and served as mayor of Price during 1936-47. As governor, Lee gained national attention almost immediately because of his battle against the federal income tax and his ideas on economy in state government. Under his direction, Utah maintained its debt-free status while increasing appropriations for state building and highway construction that had been deferred during the depression and World War II. He later served as mayor of Salt Lake City during 1959-71.
George Dewey Clyde	1898-1972 Term in Office: 1957-1965 Republican Born near Springville, Clyde became a recognized expert in water conservation and development. He taught engineering at Utah State University, worked for the U.S. Soil Conservation Service, and directed the Utah Water and Power Board before his election as governor. Clyde replaced commission-type departmental administrations with professional directors and increased state funding for schools, highway construction, and state buildings. He also initiated the state library and the state park system.
Calvin Lewellyn Rampton	1913- Term in Office: 1965-1977 Democrat A Bountiful native, Rampton was awarded the Bronze Star and other commendations while serving in Europe during World War II. He later served as Davis County attorney and assistant attorney general. Utah's first three-term governor, he created the Industrial Promotion Council and the Utah Travel Council to capitalize on the state's business and tourist potential and to create jobs. He supported important civil rights legislation, increased spending for education and numerous state building projects. He retired to a private law practice.
Scott Milne Matheson	1929-1990 Term in Office: 1977-1985 Democrat Born in Chicago, Illinois, where his father was attending school. Matheson began his law practice in Cedar City before serving as deputy Salt Lake County attorney and later as an attorney for the Union Pacific Railroad. As governor, Matheson zealously defended Utah's rights against encroachment by federal agencies. Inflation, drought (and later flooding) proved fiscally challenging, and he cut state budgets and payrolls. Yet, he did secure increased funding for education, health, and highways. He returned to private law practice and became national chair of the Democratic Policy Commission.
Norman Howard Bangerter	1933- Term in Office: 1985-1993 Republican Bangerter, born in rural Salt Lake County, grew up in Granger (now West Valley City). He served in the U. S. Army in Korea, 1953-54. A successful real estate developer and businessman, he was elected to the Utah House of Representatives in 1974, eventually serving as Speaker of the House. As governor he launched an aggressive campaign to rebuild the state's economy and to reduce the size and cost of state government. His three E's - education, economic development, and efficiency in government - won national recognition for the state as a good place to live and do business. Later, the environment and court, prison, and building needs dominated his agenda. He returned to private business, and to an important LDS Church assignment.
Michael Okerlund Leavitt	1951- Term in Office: 1993-2003 Republican Born in Cedar City, Leavitt graduated from Southern Utah University, where he met Jacalyn Smith of Newton, who became his wife. They have five children and have resided in Salt Lake City since the late 1970s. Before entering politics Leavitt worked for The Leavitt Groups, a regional insurance firm, founded by his father, and served on the boards of directors of several large companies. Leavitt is Utah's second third term governor (Rampton was the first). Since his election as governor, he has led the state in an era of unprecedented economic prosperity. He has shown leadership on critical issues, including preserving Utah's quality of life during a time of rapid growth, as well as creating better schools, fighting crime, redefining the relationship between states and federal governments, and taking advantage of the tools of advanced technology. The Governor's Growth Summit created statewide involvement in improving transportation, preserving open space, and developing and conserving water. The state is now undertaking an unprecedented 10-year, $3.6 billion, statewide road building initiative. The governor's education initiatives include Centennial Schools, which return power to parents and teachers at local schools; special assistance to disadvantaged children; and class size reduction. Federal-state relations have been brought to the top of the national agenda under his leadership. A national Federalism Summit addressed options for restoring a balance of power so that states and the federal government can operate more effectively. In technology, his Smart States initiative aims to develop public-private partnerships to deliver state services electronically. He has helped to attract and nurture high tech companies and encourage private commerce. Leavitt has held regional and national leadership roles and currently sits on the executive committee of the National Governors Association and Republican Governors Association. He has received numerous awards, including the American Medical Association's Nation Davis Award, which recognized him as the public official of the year for his efforts to improve health care in Utah. The state has received national and international recognition during his term, including Salt Lake City being named as the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics and as the best state to locate a business, best managed state, and most livable state. Leavitt resigned during his third term to head the Environmental Protection Agency.
Olene S. Walker	1930- Term in Office: 2003-2004 Republican Olene S. Walker was sworn in as Utah's 15th and first woman governor on November 5, 2003. While serving as Utah's first woman lieutenant governor, Walker spearheaded many important initiatives including education programs, budget security measures, healthcare reform and workforce development. She led the Healthcare Reform Task Force that resulted in establishing the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), ensuring affordable healthcare for Utah's children. Walker also served as Chair of the Workforce Task Force, resulting in the development of the Department of Workforce Services. Governor Walker was a leader in the Utah House of Representatives where she served as majority whip. She has chaired the National Conference of Lieutenant Governors and is a past president of the National Association of Secretaries of State. She was the first lieutenant governor ever to serve as the president of that organization. With a strong academic background, Governor Walker continues to lead Utah toward improvements in literacy and education. She has pledged to keep education as the highest funding priority and to provide a nurturing environment for Utah's students. She has formed a cooperative agreement between the state of Utah and education officials of Mexico to track students' progress as they migrate to schools within the state. Walker continues to promote literacy for people of all ages. Walker has made affordable housing a priority across the state. Utah's housing fund bears her name, the Olene Walker Housing Trust Fund. Out of concern for the homeless, Walker bolstered volunteer efforts at Salt Lake City homeless shelters during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Walker was born in Ogden, Utah. She received her Bachelor's, Master's and Doctorate degrees from Brigham Young University, Stanford University and the University of Utah, respectively. She is married to Myron Walker and is the mother of seven children and 25 grandchildren.
Jon Huntsman, Jr.	1960- Term in Office: 2005-2009 Republican Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. is a lifelong Utahn. He has helped manage his family’s company, served as president of the Huntsman Cancer Institute, and served on the boards of other large companies. He has also worked in government, as a White House staff assistant, deputy assistant Secretary of Commerce, U.S. ambassador to Singapore, and U.S. trade ambassador. He has worked politically for the Republican Party and served on the boards of many community organizations. Governor Huntsman’s campaign focused heavily on economic development for Utah. He is also interested in making the government more efficient. He has said, “We want to assemble the most effective and efficient Government, driven by the best team possible, recognizing that the citizens are our customers." Governor Huntsman is married to Mary Kaye Cooper, and they have six children.
Gary R. Herbert	1947- Term in Office: 2009 to Present Republican Gary Richard Herbert is Utah's 17th Governor. Prior to becoming governor, he served as Lieutenant Governor under Governor Jon M. Huntsman Jr. for nearly five years, before taking the Oath of Office on Aug. 11, 2009. Governor Herbert was born in American Fork, Utah, and raised in Orem, Utah. After graduating from Orem High School, Mr. Herbert served a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Eastern Atlantic States Mission. While attending BYU, the Governor met and married Jeanette Snelson, from Springville, Utah. Shortly after their marriage, the Governor joined the Utah National Guard and served for six years as a staff sergeant working with target acquisition, artillery and ground survey. After his military service, the Governor began a career in the real estate industry, founding Herbert & Associates Realtors, an Orem-based brokerage firm. He and Jeanette also began a child care service, The Kids Connection, which they operated for 23 years. In 1990, the Governor was appointed to the Utah County Commission. Soon thereafter, he was later elected to the body, which he served for 14 years. During his time as county commissioner, he served as presidents of the Utah Association of Counties and the Utah Association of Realtors, and as a board member of the Provo Orem Chamber of Commerce and Utah Water Conservancy District. The Governor currently sits on the National Governors Association Health and Human Services standing committee, the Healthcare Reform Task Force, and the newly created Homeland Security Special Committee. In his inaugural address, Governor Herbert outlined his three main priorities of economic development, public and higher education, and energy development. Governor and Mrs. Herbert have six children and 10 grandchildren.

Source: Utah.gov
Submitted and transcribed by Sandra Davis

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