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Secretaries of State of Oregon
Under Provisional Government
Name/Party |
Term |
Authority/Remarks |
LeBreton, George W.
|
Feb. 18, 1841-Mar. 4, 1844 |
Elected by meeting of inhabitants of the Willamette Valley to office of clerk of courts and public recorder, thus served as first secretary; reelected 1843; died in office. |
Johnson, Overton
|
Mar. 4, 1844-May 25, 1844 |
Appointed clerk and recorder |
Long, Dr. John E.
|
May 25, 1844-June 21, 1846 |
Elected clerk and recorder by people at first 1844 general election; reelected 1845 general election; reelected 1845 by Legislature; drowned |
Prigg, Frederick
|
June 26, 1846-Sept. 16, 1848 |
Appointed secretary to succeed Long; elected 1846 by Legislature; resigned |
Holderness, Samuel M.
|
Sept. 19, 1848-Mar. 10, 1849 |
Appointed to succeed Prigg; elected 1848 by Legislature |
Under Territorial Government
Magruder, Theophilus
|
Mar. 10, 1849-Apr. 9, 1849 |
Elected by Legislature |
Prichette, Kintzing--D
|
Apr. 9, 1849-Sept. 18, 1850 |
Appointed by President Polk |
Hamilton, Gen. E.D.--W
|
Sept. 18, 1850-May 14, 1853 |
Appointed by President Taylor |
Curry, George L.--D
|
May 14, 1853-Jan. 27, 1855 |
Appointed by President Pierce |
Harding, Benjamin--D |
Jan. 27, 1855-Mar. 3, 1859 |
Appointed by President Pierce |
Under State Government
Heath, Lucien--D
|
Mar. 3, 1859-Sept. 8, 1862 |
Elected 1858 |
May, Samuel E.--R
|
Sept. 8, 1862-Sept. 10, 1870 |
Elected 1862; reelected 1866 |
Chadwick, Stephen F.1--D
|
Sept. 10, 1870-Sept. 2, 1878 |
Elected 1870; reelected 1874 |
Earhart, R.P.--R
|
Sept. 2, 1878-Jan. 10, 1887 |
Elected 1878; reelected 1882 |
McBride, George W.--R
|
Jan. 10, 1887-Jan. 14, 1895 |
Elected 1886; reelected 1890 |
Kincaid, Harrison R.--R
|
Jan. 14, 1895-Jan. 9, 1899 |
Elected 1894 |
Dunbar, Frank I.--R
|
Jan. 9, 1899-Jan. 14, 1907 |
Elected 1898; reelected 1902 |
Benson, Frank W.2--R
|
Jan. 15, 1907-Apr. 14, 1911 |
Elected 1906; reelected 1910; died in office |
Olcott, Ben W.3--R
|
Apr. 17, 1911-May 28, 1920 |
Appointed by Governor West; elected 1912; reelected 1916; resigned |
Kozer, Sam A.--R
|
May 28, 1920-Sept. 24, 1928 |
Appointed by Governor Olcott; elected 1920; reelected 1924; resigned |
Hoss, Hal E.--R
|
Sept. 24, 1928-Feb. 6, 1934 |
Appointed by Governor Patterson; elected 1928; reelected 1932; died in office |
Stadelman, P.J.--R
|
Feb. 9, 1934-Jan. 7, 1935 |
Appointed by Governor Meier |
Snell, Earl--R
|
Jan. 7, 1935-Jan. 4, 1943 |
Elected 1934; reelected 1938 |
Farrell, Robert S. Jr.--R
|
Jan. 4, 1943-Oct. 28, 1947 |
Elected 1942; reelected 1946; died in office |
Newbry, Earl T.--R
|
Nov. 3, 1947-Jan. 7, 1957 |
Appointed by Governor Hall; elected 1948; reelected 1952 |
Hatfield, Mark--R
|
Jan. 7, 1957-Jan. 12, 1959 |
Elected 1956; resigned |
Appling, Howell, Jr.--R
|
Jan. 12, 1959-Jan. 4, 1965 |
Appointed by Governor Hatfield; elected 1960 |
McCall, Tom L.--R
|
Jan. 4, 1965-Jan. 9, 1967 |
Elected 1964; resigned |
Myers, Clay--R
|
Jan. 9, 1967-Jan. 3, 1977 |
Appointed by Governor McCall; elected 1968; reelected 1972 |
Paulus, Norma--R
|
Jan. 3, 1977-Jan. 7, 1985 |
Elected 1976; reelected 1980 |
Roberts, Barbara--D
|
Jan. 7, 1985-Jan. 14, 1991 |
Elected 1984; reelected 1988; resigned |
Keisling, Phil--D
|
Jan. 14, 1991-Nov 8, 1999 |
Appointed by Governor Roberts; elected 1992; reelected 1996; resigned |
Bradbury, Bill--D
|
Nov 8, 1999-Jan.5, 2009 |
Appointed by Governor Kitzhaber; elected 2000; reelected 2004 |
Brown, Kate—D
|
Jan. 5, 2009– |
Elected 2008; reelected 2012 |
1When Stephen Chadwick succeeded L.F.
Grover as governor in 1877, he did not resign as secretary
of state. He signed documents and proclamations twice--as
governor and as secretary of state--until September
1878.
2Frank Benson served as both secretary of state
and governor; see Footnote 2 under Governors.
3When James Withycombe died in office on March 3,
1919, Ben W. Olcott succeeded him as governor. However,
Governor Olcott did not resign or appoint a new secretary of
state until May 28, 1920.