A Guide to Florida Governors and the Florida Cabinet

Secretary of State

Member of Cabinet: 1845 – 2003

The Secretary of State was created in the 1838 Constitution (effective in 1845) to maintain the State's public records.  From 1845 to 1868, the officer was elected by the Legislature; afterwards, it became a popularly elected office. In 2003, the secretary became a gubernatorial appointed office. In 1969, the Secretary of State became the head of the Department of State.  The Secretary of State keeps records of all official acts of the Legislature and the Executive Department.  The Secretary and the Department administer elections, public records, the Great Seal, and the Administrative Code; issue charters to corporations; and manage the state's library services, archives, cultural affairs, museum, and historic resources.  The Secretary is also the Chief Cultural Officer and the Chief Protocol Officer of the State.


James Tillinghast Archer (July 23, 1845 - April 11, 1848)

[1819-1859]

Florida Photographic Collection:
Collections at the State Archives of Florida:
Other Repositories:

Augustus Emmett Maxwell (April 11, 1848 - July 23, 1849)

[1820-1903]

Florida Photographic Collection:
Collections at the State Archives of Florida:
Related Links:

Charles W. Downing (July 23, 1849 - July 1, 1853)

[1825-1862]

Florida Photographic Collection:
Collections at the State Archives of Florida:

Fred L. Villepigue (July 1, 1853 - January 13, 1863)

Collections at the State Archives of Florida:

Benjamin Allen (February 25, 1863 - August 7, 1868)

Collections at the State Archives of Florida:

George Alden (August 7, 1868 - November 6, 1868)

Collections at the State Archives of Florida:

Jonathan C. Gibbs (November 6, 1868 - January 17, 1873)

[1827-1874]

Florida Photographic Collection:
Collections at the State Archives of Florida:

Samuel B. McLin (January 17, 1873 - January 3, 1877)

[1833-1879]

Collections at the State Archives of Florida:

William D. Bloxham (January 3, 1877 - October 1, 1880)

[1835-1911]

Florida Photographic Collection:
Collections at the State Archives of Florida:

F. W. Rankin (October 1, 1880 - January 21, 1881)

[1835-1894]

Collections at the State Archives of Florida:

John L. Crawford (January 21, 1881 - January 28, 1902)

[1816-1902]

Florida Photographic Collection:
Collections at the State Archives of Florida:
Other repositories:

H. Clay Crawford (January 28, 1902 - September 23, 1929)

[1856-1929]

Florida Photographic Collection:
Collections at the State Archives of Florida:
Other repositories:

William Monroe Igou (September 23, 1929 - April 12, 1930)

[1871-1933]

Florida Photographic Collection:
Collections at the State Archives of Florida:
  • No papers
Other repositories:

Robert A. Gray (April 12, 1930 - January 3, 1961)

[1882-1975]

Florida Photographic Collection:
Collections at the State Archives of Florida:
Other repositories:
Published materials:
  • Gray, R.A. Civil Government of Florida Philadelphia: John C. Winston, 1921
  • ________ The Government of Florida Philadelphia: John C. Winston, 1942

Tom Adams (January 3, 1961 - January 5, 1971)

[1917-2006]

Florida Photographic Collection:
Collections at the State Archives of Florida:
Other repositories:

Richard Stone (January 5, 1971 - July 8, 1974)

[1928- ]

Florida Photographic Collection:
Collections at the State Archives of Florida:
Other repositories:
Related Links:
  • Richard Stone, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

Dorothy Glisson (July 8, 1974 - January 7, 1975)

[1913-2001]

Florida Photographic Collection:
Collections at the State Archives of Florida:

Bruce Smathers (January 7, 1975 - July 19, 1978)

[1943- ]

Florida Photographic Collection:
Collections at the State Archives of Florida:

Jesse McCrary (July 19, 1978 - January 2, 1979)

[1938- ]

Florida Photographic Collection:
Collections at the State Archives of Florida:

George Firestone (January 2, 1979 - August 5, 1987)

[1931- ]

Florida Photographic Collection:
Collections at the State Archives of Florida:
Other repositories:

Jim Smith (August 5, 1987 - January 3, 1995) and (August 5, 2002 - January 7, 2003)

[1940- ]

Florida Photographic Collection:
Collections at the State Archives of Florida:

As Secretary of State

As Attorney General

Sandra Mortham (January 3, 1995 - January 5, 1999)

[1951- ]

Florida Photographic Collection:
Collections at the State Archives of Florida:
Other repositories:

Katherine Harris (January 5, 1999 - August 5, 2002)

[1957- ]

Florida Photographic Collection:
Collections at the State Archives of Florida:
Published materials:
  • DaHaven-Smith, Lance. The Battle For Florida: An Annotated Compendium of Materials from the 2000 Presidential Election. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2005.
  • ”Katherine Harris” in Women in Congress, 1917-2006. Prepared under the direction of the Committee on House Administration by the Office of History & Preservation, U. S. House of Representatives. Washington: Government Printing Office, 2006.
  • Harris, Katherine. Center of the Storm: Practicing Principled Leadership in Times of Crisis. Nashville, Tenn.: WND Books, 2002.
  • Rakove, Jack. Unfinished Election of 2000. Basic Books, 2002.
  • Toobin, Jeffrey. Too Close to Call: The 36-Day Battle to Decide the 2000 Election. New York: Random House, 2002.
Related Links:

Kenneth W. "Ken" Detzner (interim secretary January 7, 2003 - February, 2003) and (February 17, 2012 - present)

[1952- ]

Collections at the State Archives of Florida:

Glenda Hood (February, 2003 - 2005)

[1950- ]

Florida Photographic Collection:
Collections at the State Archives of Florida:

David E. "Dave" Mann (interim secretary)(2005)

Florida Photographic Collection:
Collections at the State Archives of Florida:

Sue M. Cobb (2005-2007)

[1937- ]

Florida Photographic Collection:
Collections at the State Archives of Florida:
Published materials:
  • Cobb, Sue M. The Edge of Everest: A Woman Challenges The Mountain. Stackpole Books, 1989.

Kurt S. Browning (2007 - 2010) and (2011- )

Florida Photographic Collection:
Related Links:

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