Southern Governors' Association

The Southern Governors' Association (SGA) was a United States association of governors founded in 1934. It was the oldest and historically the largest of the regional governors associations. Since its first meeting 90 years ago to discuss the repeal of discriminatory rates for transporting goods by rail, the SGA had represented the common interests of Southern chief executives and provided a vehicle for promoting them. SGA was a nonpartisan enterprise where shareholders could exchange views and access data, information and expertise on issues of general importance in order to augment the deliberations of public, private and non-profit decision-makers in the American South. SGA operated as an instrumentality of the states.

The last SGA Chairman was Jay Nixon of Missouri. After nearly 82 years, the Southern Governors' Association was officially dissolved on June 30, 2016 by the majority of its members-in-good standing.

Past Chairs

• *2011-12 Luis G. Fortuño Puerto Rico R
• *2010-11 Bev Perdue North Carolina D
• *2009-10 Bob Riley Alabama R
• *2008-09 Timothy M. Kaine Virginia D
• *2007-08 Joe Manchin III West Virginia D
• *2006-07 Haley Barbour Mississippi R
• *2005-06 Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Louisiana D
• *2004-05 Sonny Perdue Georgia R
• *2003-04 Mark R. Warner Virginia D
• *2002-03 Bob Wise West Virginia D
• *2001-02 M. J. "Mike" Foster, Jr. Louisiana R
• *2000-01 Paul E. Patton Kentucky D
• 1999-2000 Mike Huckabee Arkansas R
• 1998-99 Don Sundquist Tennessee R
• 1997-98 Pedro Rosselló Puerto Rico NPP
• 1996-97 George Allen Virginia R
• 1995-96 Mel Carnahan Missouri D
• 1994-95 Kirk Fordice Mississippi R
• 1993-94 Zell B. Miller Georgia D
• 1992-93 L. Douglas Wilder Virginia D
• 1991-92 Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. South Carolina R
• 1990-91 Wallace G. Wilkinson Kentucky D
• 1989-90 Ray Mabus Mississippi D
• 1988-89 Michael Castle Delaware R
• 1987-88 Joe Frank Harris Georgia D
• 1986-87 Martha Layne Collins Kentucky D
• 1985-86 James G. Martin North Carolina R
• 1984-85 Robert Graham Florida D
• 1983-84 Charles S. Robb Virginia D
• 1982-83 William P. Clements Texas R
• 1981-82 Richard W. Riley South Carolina D
• 1980-81 Carlos Romero-Barcelo Puerto Rico NPP
• 1979-80 John N. Dalton Virginia R
• 1978-79 Edwin W. Edwards Louisiana D
• 1977-78 James B. Edwards South Carolina R
• 1976-77 Dolph Briscoe Texas D
• 1975-76 Mills E. Godwin Virginia R
• 1974-75 Reubin O'D. Askew Florida D
• 1973-74 Melvin H. Evans U.S. Virgin Islands R
• 1972-73 George C. Wallace Alabama D
• 1971-72 Luis A Ferré Puerto Rico NPP
• 1970-71 John Bell Williams Mississippi D
• 1969-70 Winthrop Rockefeller Arkansas R
• 1968-69 Robert E. McNair South Carolina D
• 1967-68 Dan Moore North Carolina D
• 1966-67 Edward T. Breathitt Kentucky D
• 1965-66 J. Millard Tawes Maryland D
• 1964-65 John B. Connally Texas D
• 1963-64 Cecil Farris Bryant Florida D
• 1962-63 Orval Faubus Arkansas D
• 1961-62 Buford Ellington Tennessee D
• 1960-61 Price Daniel Texas D
• 1959-60 James Lindsay Almond Virginia D
• 1958-59 James P. Coleman Mississippi D
• 1957-58 Leroy Collins Florida D
• 1956-57 Luther H. Hodges North Carolina D
• 1955-56 Frank Clement Tennessee R
• 1954-55 L. W. Wetherby Kentucky D
• 1953-54 Johnston Murray Oklahoma D
• 1952-53 Herman Talmadge Georgia D
• 1951-52 Allan Shivers Texas D
• 1950-51 Fielding Wright Mississippi D
• 1949-50 J. Strom Thurmond South Carolina D
• 1948-49 William Munford Tuck Virginia D
• 1947-48 William Preston Lane Maryland D
• 1946-47 R. Gregg Cherry North Carolina D
• 1945-46 Robert S. Kerr Oklahoma D
• 1944-45
• 1943-44 William Prentice Cooper Tennessee D
• 1942-43
• 1941-42
• 1940-42 Frank M. Dixon Alabama D
• 1939-40 E.D. Rivers Georgia D
• 1938-39
• 1937-38
• 1936-37
• 1935-36
• 1934-35