List of first ladies and gentlemen of Michigan explained

Post:First Gentlemen
Body:Michigan
Insignia:Seal of Michigan.svg
Insigniacaption:Seal of the State of Michigan
Insigniasize:150px
Incumbent:Marc P. Mallory
Incumbentsince:January 1, 2019
Residence:Governor's Mansion
Inaugural:Emily V. Mason

The spouse of the governor of Michigan is given an honorary position, styled as First Lady or First Gentleman of the State of Michigan. First spouses typically fill ceremonial roles, by acting as the official hostess/host. In this role, they often entertain dignitaries and prepare meetings, parties, and dinners. While the role is generally held by the spouse of the governor, if the governor is unmarried, like in the case of Frank Murphy, sometimes a relative, such as a sister, assumes the role.

First spouses

Name Took office Left office Governor Ref.
Emily V. Mason[1] 18351838Stevens T. Mason[2]
Julia Phelps Mason18381840
Juliana Trumbull Woodbridge 1840 1841 William Woodbridge
Mary Hudun Gordon 1841 1841 James Wright Gordon
Mary Kidder "Polly" Barry 1842 1846 John S. Barry
Lucretia Williams Lawrence Felch 1846 1847 Alpheus Felch
Elizabeth W. Hubbard Greeley 1847 1847 William L. Greenly
Almira Caldwell Ransom 1848 1850 Epaphroditus Ransom
Mary Kidder "Polly" Barry 1850 1851 John S. Barry
Elizabeth Sarah Sabin McClelland 18521853 Robert McClelland
Anna Marilla Ferrand Stewart Parsons 18531854Andrew Parsons
Mary Warden Bingham 1855 1858 Kinsley S. Bingham
Angeolina H. Wisner 1859 1860 Moses Wisner
Sarah Louisa Horton Ford Blair 1861 1864
Mary Ann Slocum Crapo 1865 1868
Sibyl Lambard Baldwin[3] 1869 1872
Frances Elizabeth Newberry Bagley 1873 1876
Elizabeth Musgrave Croswell[4] 1878 1880
Lucy Amelia Peck Jerome 1881 1882
Harriet Annette Miles Begole 1883 1884
Annette Huldana Squire Henry Alger 1885 1886
Mary Eliza Brown Thompson Luce 1887 1890 Cyrus G. Luce
Elizabeth Galloway Winans 1891 1892
Lucretia W. Rich 1893 1896 John T. Rich
Frances A. Gilbert Pingree 1897 1900
Allaseba Morey Phelps Bliss 1901 1904 Aaron T. Bliss
Martha M. Davis Warner 1905 1910
Lillian Gertrude Jones Osborn 1911 1912 Chase Osborn
Helen G. Ferris 1913 1916
Mary Charlotte Moore Sleeper 1917 1920
Vacant[5] 1921 1926
Helen Adelaide Kelly Green 1927 1930
Clara Hantel Brucker 1931 1932 Wilber M. Brucker
Mary Josephine White Comstock 1933 1934
Queena Maud Warner Fitzgerald 1935 1936
Marguerite Murphy Teahan[6] 1937 1938
Queena Maud Warner Fitzgerald 1939 1939 Frank Fitzgerald
Zora Della Cooley Dickinson[7] 1939 1940
Helen Josephine Jossman Van Wagoner 1941 1942
Anne Veronica O'Brien Kelly 1943 1946 Harry Kelly
Mae Louise Pierson Sigler 1947 1948
Nancy Lace Quirk Williams 1949 1960
Alice Nielsen Swainson 1961 1962
1963 1969
1969 1982
Paula Lynne Parker Blanchard[8] 1983 1987
Janet A. Blanchard[9] 1989 1990
Michelle DeMunbrun Engler 1991 2002 John Engler[10]
Daniel Granholm Mulhern[11] 2003 2010 [12]
Sue Snyder 2011 2018 [13]
Marc P. Mallory 2019 Present [14]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Emily V. Mason was the sister of Governor Mason. She served as official hostess until Governor Mason first married on November 1, 1838.
  2. Book: Weddon, Willah. 1994 . First Ladies of Michigan . English . Lansing, Michigan . 0963837605.
  3. Also spelled Sibyle Lombard Baldwin.
  4. Elizabeth Musgrave and Charles Croswell married after Croswell was elected governor. At the beginning of his term, Croswell was an unmarried widower.
  5. Governor Groesbeck was a bachelor.
  6. Marguerite Murphy Teahan was Governor Murphy's sister. She served as his hostess because Governor Murphy was a bachelor.
  7. Zora C. Dickinson died on August 4, 1940, while her husband was still governor, leaving the position of first lady vacant for the rest of his governorship. She is the only First Lady of Michigan to have died in office.
  8. Paula L. Blanchard and Governor Blanchard divorced in 1987. Governor Blanchard is the only Michigan governor to divorce while in office.
  9. Janet A. Blanchard and Governor Blanchard married on September 2, 1989. Between Governor Blanchard's remarriage, and his divorce with Paula L. Blanchard, the position of first lady was vacant.
  10. Web site: First Lady Michelle Engler Biography . . Michigan's Former Governors . 2017 . April 30, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180201192925/http://www.michigan.gov/formergovernors/0,4584,7-212-31303-2274--,00.html . February 1, 2018.
  11. Daniel G. Mulhern was the first man to take the role of First Spouse of Michigan.
  12. Web site: First Gentleman Daniel G. Mulhern Biography. State of Michigan. April 30, 2021.
  13. Web site: First Lady Sue Snyder. State of Michigan. April 30, 2021.
  14. Web site: Marc Mallory. National Governors Association. April 30, 2021.

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