Other High Offices Held
Eighteen of Alabama's governors have served higher federal or confederate offices. All but three were elected to the U.S. Congress, although one of those represented only Georgia. The remaining three served in the confederate government, two as members of the Provisional Confederate Congress, and one was the Confederate States Attorney General. One governor served as Minister to Russia. Two governors (marked with *) resigned to take seats in the Senate, and two (marked with ) resigned their positions to take office as governor.
Additionally, two governors were elected to the U.S. Senate shortly after the American Civil War, but were did not take office: Lewis E. Parsons was refused his seat because Alabama had not yet been reconstructed, and John A. Winston would not take the oath of allegiance.
All representatives and senators listed represented Alabama except where noted.
| Governor | Gubernatorial term | Other offices held | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bibb, William WyattWilliam Wyatt Bibb | 1817–1820 | Representative and Senator from Georgia | |
| Pickens, IsraelIsrael Pickens | 1821–1825 | Representative from North Carolina, Senator | |
| Murphy, JohnJohn Murphy | 1825–1829 | Representative | |
| Moore, GabrielGabriel Moore | 1829–1831 | Representative, Senator* | |
| Gayle, JohnJohn Gayle | 1831–1835 | Representative | |
| Clay, Clement ComerClement Comer Clay | 1835–1837 | Representative, Senator* | |
| Bagby, Arthur P.Arthur P. Bagby | 1837–1841 | Senator, Minister to Russia | |
| Fitzpatrick, BenjaminBenjamin Fitzpatrick | 1841–1845 | Senator (including as President pro tempore) | |
| Martin, Joshua L.Joshua L. Martin | 1845–1847 | Representative | |
| Chapman, ReubenReuben Chapman | 1847–1849 | Representative | |
| Winston, John A.John A. Winston | 1853–1857 | Elected to the Senate but was refused his seat | |
| Shorter, John GillJohn Gill Shorter | 1861–1863 | Provisional Confederate Deputy | |
| Watts, Thomas H.Thomas H. Watts | 1863–1865 | Confederate States Attorney General | |
| Parsons, Lewis E.Lewis E. Parsons | 1865 | Elected to the Senate but was refused his seat | |
| Lewis, David P.David P. Lewis | 1872–1874 | Provisional Confederate Deputy | |
| Houston, George S.George S. Houston | 1874–1878 | Representative, Senator | |
| Johnston, Joseph F.Joseph F. Johnston | 1896–1900 | Senator | |
| Samford, William J.William J. Samford | 1900–1901 | Representative | |
| Comer, B. B.B. B. Comer | 1907–1911 | Senator | |
| Riley, BobBob Riley | 2003–2011 | Representative |
Read more about this topic: List Of Governors Of Alabama
Famous quotes containing the words high, offices and/or held:
“The secret of genius is to suffer no fiction to exist for us; to realize all that we know; in the high refinement of modern life, in arts, in sciences, in books, in men, to exact good faith, reality, and a purpose; and first, last, midst, and without end, to honor every truth by use.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“I made him a low curtsy and thanked him for the honor he intended me, but told him I had no kind of ambition to be his upper servant.... I then asked him how many offices he had allotted for me to perform for those great advantages he had offered me, of suffering me to humor him in all his whims and to receive meat, drink, and lodging at his hands; but hoped he would allow me some small wages, that I might now and then recreate myself with my fellow servants.”
—Sarah Fielding (1710–1768)
“What I would like to write is a book about nothing, a book without exterior attachments, which would be held together by the inner force of its style, as the earth without support is held in the air—a book that would have almost no subject or at least in which the subject would be almost invisible.”
—Gustave Flaubert (1821–1880)