All About Missouri History:: Secretaries of State
Missouri History
Secretaries of State
Photos of Select Secretaries of State
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Sam B. Cook
1901-05
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Charles U. Becker
1921-33
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James C. Kirkpatrick
1964-85
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Click here to view portraits of Missouri's secretaries of state on Flickr.
Historical Listing of Secretaries of State
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Name and (party)
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Term
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County
|
Born
|
Died
|
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1. Joshua Barton (D)
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1820–21
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St. Louis
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7/28/1792
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6/30/1823
|
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2. William Grymes Pettus (D)1
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1821–24
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St. Louis
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12/31/1794
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12/25/1867
|
|
3. Hamilton Rowan Gamble (D)
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1824–26
|
Howard
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11/29/1798
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1/31/1864
|
|
4. Spencer Darwin Pettis (D)
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1826–28
|
St. Louis
|
1802
|
8/27/1831
|
|
5. Priestly Harvey McBride (D)
|
1828–30
|
Boone
|
9/1796
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5/21/1869
|
|
6. John Cummins Edwards (D)
|
1830–35
|
St. Louis
|
6/24/1806
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9/13/1888
|
|
7. Henry Shurlds (D)
|
1835–37
|
Washington
|
11/21/1796
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8/2/1852
|
|
8. John Cummins Edwards (D)
|
1837
|
Cole
|
6/24/1806
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9/13/1888
|
|
9. Peter Garland Glover (D)
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1837–39
|
Callaway
|
1/14/1792
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10/27/1851
|
|
10. James Lawrence Minor (D)
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1839–45
|
Marion
|
6/9/1813
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6/2/1897
|
|
11. Falkland Heard Martin (D)
|
1845–49
|
Jefferson
|
1804
|
11/16/1856
|
|
12. Ephraim Brevard Ewing (D)
|
1849–53
|
Ray
|
5/16/1819
|
6/2/1873
|
|
13. John M. Richardson (D)2
|
1853–57
|
Greene
|
9/8/1820
|
5/1/1899
|
|
14. Benjamin Franklin Massey (D)
|
1857–61
|
Jasper
|
1/23/1811
|
12/18/1879
|
|
15. Mordecai Oliver (Unionist)3
|
1861–65
|
Greene
|
10/22/1819
|
4/25/1898
|
|
16. Francis A. Rodman (R)
|
1865–71
|
Buchanan
|
c1823-1829
|
7/1/1888
|
|
17. Eugene F. Weigel (D)
|
1871–75
|
St. Louis
|
6/15/1845
|
10/23/1896
|
|
18. Michael Knowles McGrath (D)
|
1875–89
|
St. Louis City
|
9/23/1833
|
1/29/1913
|
|
19. Alexander A. Lesueur (D)
|
1889–1901
|
Lafayette
|
11/25/1842
|
1/19/1924
|
|
20. Sam Baker Cook (D)
|
1901–05
|
Audrain
|
1/11/1852
|
2/4/1931
|
|
21. John Ephraim Swanger (R)
|
1905–09
|
Sullivan
|
6/22/1864
|
10/19/1936
|
|
22. Cornelius Roach (D)
|
1909–17
|
Jasper
|
8/9/1863
|
9/3/1934
|
|
23. John Leo Sullivan (D)
|
1917–21
|
Pettis
|
10/14/1877
|
1/11/1936
|
|
24. Charles U. Becker (R)
|
1921–33
|
Polk
|
10/21/1868
|
5/21/1934
|
|
25. Dwight H. Brown (D)
|
1933–44
|
Butler
|
1/12/1887
|
5/8/1944
|
|
26. Gregory C. Stockard (R)4
|
1944–45
|
Cole
|
8/3/1904
|
10/14/1993
|
|
27. Wilson Bell (D)
|
1945–47
|
Washington
|
5/24/1897
|
5/20/1947
|
|
28. Edgar C. Nelson (D)5
|
1947–49
|
Cooper
|
8/17/1883
|
9/9/1970
|
|
29. Walter H. Toberman (D)
|
1949–60
|
St. Louis City
|
4/19/1879
|
2/13/1960
|
|
30. Robert W. Crawford (D)6
|
1960–61
|
Vernon
|
11/11/1926
|
2/20/1991
|
|
31. Warren E. Hearnes (D)
|
1961–65
|
Mississippi
|
7/24/1923
|
8/16/2009
|
|
32. James C. Kirkpatrick (D)
|
1965–85
|
Henry, Barton, Cole
|
6/15/1905
|
12/26/1997
|
|
33. Roy D. Blunt (R)
|
1985–93
|
Greene
|
1/10/1950
|
|
|
34. Judith K. Moriarty (D)
|
1993–94
|
Pettis
|
2/2/1942
|
|
|
35. Richard Hanson (D)7
|
1994
|
Cole
|
2/20/1940
|
|
|
36. Rebecca McDowell Cook (D)8
|
1994-2001
|
Cape Girardeau
|
7/18/1950
|
|
|
37. Matt Blunt (R)
|
2001-05
|
Greene
|
11/20/1970
|
|
|
38. Robin Carnahan (D)
|
2005-13
|
Phelps
|
8/4/1961
|
|
|
39. Jason Kander (D)
|
2013-17
|
Jackson
|
5/4/1981
|
|
|
40. John R. Ashcroft (R)
|
2017-2025
|
Cole
|
7/12/1973
|
|
|
41. Denny Hoskins (R)
|
2025-
|
Johnson
|
10/10/1974
|
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Link takes you to the Secretary's website as is appeared while he was in office, courtesy of the Missouri State Archives and ArchiveIt.
1Pettus was appointed when Barton resigned to become U.S. District Attorney for Missouri in June 1821.
2Richardson was the first secretary of state to be elected to the office. Prior to 1852, secretaries were appointed by the governor.
3Oliver was elected Provisional Secretary of State by the Missouri State Convention on July 31, 1861. The office had been declared vacated after Governor Jackson joined the Confederacy.
4Appointed upon death of Dwight H. Brown.
5Appointed upon death of Wilson Bell.
6Appointed upon death of Walter H. Toberman.
7Appointed Interim Secretary of State upon impeachment of Judith K. Moriarty.
8Appointed after Hanson's interim.