List of secretaries of state of Texas explained

The following is a list of secretaries of state of Texas for both the Republic of Texas and the State of Texas.[1]

Secretaries of state of the Republic of Texas (1836–1846)

NameTermAppointed by
Samuel Price CarsonMarch 18, 1836 – April 29, 1836David G. Burnet
James CollinsworthApril 29, 1836 – May 23, 1836
William Houston JackMay 23, 1836 – October 22, 1836
Stephen F. AustinOctober 22, 1836 – December 27, 1836Sam Houston
James Pinckney Henderson1837
Robert Anderson Irion1837–1838
T. H. Bowman1838
Barnard E. Bee Sr.December 16, 1838 – February 6, 1839Mirabeau B. Lamar
James WebbFebruary 6, 1839 – May 31, 1839
David G. Burnet (acting)May 31, 1839 – July 23, 1839
Nathaniel Amory (acting)July 23, 1839 – August 5, 1839
David G. Burnet (acting)August 5, 1839 – January 31, 1840
Abner Smith LipscombJanuary 31, 1840 – January 22, 1841
Joseph Waples (acting)January 23, 1841 – February 8, 1841
James S. Mayfield (acting)February 8, 1841 – April 30, 1841
Joseph WaplesApril 30, 1841 – May 25, 1841
Samuel A. Roberts (acting)May 25, 1841 – December 13, 1841
Anson JonesDecember 13, 1841 – December 10, 1844Sam Houston
Ebenezer AllenDecember 10, 1844 – February 5, 1845Anson Jones
Ashbel SmithFebruary 5, 1845 – March 31, 1845
Ebenezer AllenMarch 31, 1845 – February 19, 1846

Secretaries of state of the State of Texas (1846–present)

ImageNameTermAppointed by
Charles MarinerFebruary 20, 1846 – May 4, 1846James Pinckney Henderson
David G. BurnetMay 4, 1846 – January 1, 1848
Washington D. MillerJanuary 1, 1848 – January 2, 1850George Tyler Wood
James WebbJanuary 2, 1850 – November 14, 1851Peter Hansborough Bell
Thomas H. DuvalNovember 14, 1851 – December 22, 1853
Edward ClarkDecember 22, 1853 – December 21, 1857Elisha M. Pease
Thomas Scott AndersonDecember 22, 1857 – December 27, 1859Hardin Richard Runnels
Eber Worthington CaveDecember 27, 1859 – March 16, 1861Sam Houston
Bird HollandMarch 16, 1861 – November 7, 1861Edward Clark
Charles S. WestNovember 7, 1861 – September, 1862Francis Lubbock
Robert J. TownesSeptember, 1862 – May 2, 1865Pendleton Murrah
Charles R. PryorMay 2, 1865 – August 9, 1865
James H. BellAugust 9, 1865 – August, 1866James W. Throckmorton
John A. GreenAugust, 1866 – August 8, 1867
D. W. C. PhillipsAugust 8, 1867 – January 1, 1870Pendleton Murrah
James Pearson NewcombJanuary 1, 1870 – January 17, 1874Edmund J. Davis
George W. ClarkJanuary 17, 1874 – January 27, 1874Richard Coke
Alfred Wesley DeBerryJanuary 27, 1874 – December 7, 1876
A. J. SearcyDecember 7, 1876 – January 23, 1879Richard B. Hubbard
John D. TempletonJanuary 23, 1879 – January 22, 1881Oran Milo Roberts
Thorton Hardie BowmanJanuary 22, 1881 – January 18, 1883
Joseph Wilson BainesJanuary 18, 1883 – January 21, 1887John Ireland
John Marks MooreJanuary 21, 1887 – January 22, 1891Sul Ross
George W. SmithJanuary 22, 1891 – January 17, 1895Jim Hogg
Allison MayfieldJanuary 18, 1895 – January 5, 1897Charles Allen Culberson
J. W. MaddenJanuary 5, 1897 – January 18, 1899
D. H. HardyJanuary 19, 1899 – January 19, 1901Joseph D. Sayers
John G. TodJanuary 19, 1901 – January 20, 1903
J. R. CurlJanuary 20, 1903 – April, 1905S. W. T. Lanham
O. K. ShannonApril, 1905 – January 19, 1907
L. Travis DashiellJanuary 19, 1907 – February, 1908Thomas Mitchell Campbell
William Richardson DavieFebruary, 1908 – January 19, 1909
W. B. TownsendJanuary 19, 1909 – January 19, 1911
C. C. McDonaldJanuary 19, 1911 – December, 1912Oscar Branch Colquitt
John Tibaut BowmanDecember, 1912 – January, 1913
John L. WorthamJanuary, 1913 – June, 1913
Ferdinand C. WeinertJune, 1913 – November, 1914
D. A. GreggNovember, 1914 – January, 1915
John G. McKayJanuary, 1915 – December, 1916James E. Ferguson
C. J. BartlettDecember, 1916 – November, 1917William P. Hobby
George F. HowardNovember, 1917 – November, 1920
Charles D. MimsNovember, 1920 – January 19, 1921
S. L. StaplesJanuary 19, 1921 – August, 1924Pat Morris Neff
J. D. StricklandSeptember, 1924 – January 1, 1925
Henry HutchingsJanuary 1, 1925 – January 20, 1925
Emma Grigsby MehargJanuary 20, 1925 – January 17, 1927Miriam A. Ferguson
Jane Y. McCallumJanuary 17, 1927 – January 17, 1933Dan Moody
W. W. HeathJanuary 17, 1933 – January 15, 1935Miriam A. Ferguson
Gerald MannJanuary 15, 1935 – August 31, 1935James V. Allred
R. B. StanfordAugust 31, 1935 – August, 1936
Boles P. MatochaAugust, 1936 – January 17, 1937
Edward A. ClarkJanuary 17, 1937 – January 17, 1939
Tom BeauchampJanuary 17, 1939 – October, 1939W. Lee O'Daniel
M. O. FlowersOctober, 1939 – January, 1941
William J. LawsonJanuary, 1941 – January, 1943Coke R. Stevenson
Sidney LathamJanuary, 1943 – February, 1945
Claude M. IsbellFebruary, 1945 – January 21, 1947
Paul H. BrownJanuary 21, 1947 – January 19, 1949Beauford H. Jester
Ben RamseyJanuary 19, 1949 – February 9, 1950
John Ben ShepperdFebruary 9, 1950 – April 30, 1952Allan Shivers
Andrew Jackson RossApril 30, 1952 – January 9, 1953
Howard A. CarneyJanuary 9, 1953 – May 1, 1954
C. E. FulghamMay 1, 1954 – January 21, 1955
Al MuldrowJanuary 21, 1955 – November 1, 1955
Thomas Morrow ReavleyNovember 1, 1955 – January 16, 1957
Zollie SteakleyJanuary 16, 1957 – January 2, 1962Price Daniel
P. Frank LakeJanuary 2, 1962 – January 15, 1963
Crawford MartinJanuary 15, 1963 – March 12, 1966John Connally
John HillMarch 12, 1966 – January 22, 1968
Roy R. Barrera Sr.March 7, 1968 – January 23, 1969
Martin Dies Jr.January 23, 1969 – September 1, 1971Preston Smith
Bob BullockSeptember 1, 1971 – January 2, 1973
V. Larry Teaver Jr.January 2–19, 1973
Mark WhiteJanuary 19, 1973 – October 27, 1977Dolph Briscoe
Steven C. OaksOctober 27, 1977 – January 16, 1979
George Strake Jr.January 16, 1979 – October 6, 1981Bill Clements
David DeanOctober 22, 1981 – January 18, 1983
John FainterJanuary 18, 1983 – July 31, 1984Mark White
Myra McDanielSeptember 6, 1984 – January 26, 1987
Jack RainsJanuary 26, 1987 – June 15, 1989Bill Clements
George BayoudJune 15, 1989 – January 15, 1991
John H. Hannah Jr.April 15, 1991 – March, 1994Ann Richards
Ron KirkApril 4, 1994 – January 17, 1995
Tony GarzaJanuary 17, 1995 – December 31, 1997George W. Bush
Alberto GonzalesJanuary 1, 1998 – January 3, 1999
Elton BomerJanuary 11, 1999 – December 31, 2000
Henry CuellarJanuary 2, 2001 – October 5, 2001Rick Perry
Geoff Connor
October 5, 2001 – January 7, 2002
Gwyn SheaJanuary 7, 2002 – August 4, 2003
September 26, 2003 – December, 2004
Roger WilliamsJanuary, 2005 – July 1, 2007
July 1, 2007 – July 6, 2008
July 23, 2008 – November 23, 2012
November 27, 2012 – 2013
January 7, 2014 – January 20, 2015
January 21, 2015 – January 6, 2017Greg Abbott
January 6, 2017 – December 15, 2018
David WhitleyDecember 17, 2018 – May 27, 2019
Ruth R. HughsAugust 19, 2019 – May 31, 2021
John B. ScottOctober 21, 2021 – December 31, 2022[2]
Jane NelsonJanuary 5, 2023 – Present[3]

Notes and References

  1. https://www.sos.state.tx.us/about/history.shtml History of the Office
  2. Web site: December 5, 2022 . Secretary John B. Scott's Resignation Letter . January 15, 2023 . www.sos.state.tx.us.
  3. Web site: January 5, 2022 . Appointment of Secretary Nelson by Governor Abbott . January 15, 2023 . www.sos.state.tx.us.