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First Lady of West Virginia

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Wives of governors of the U.S. state of West Virginia
First Lady of West Virginia
Seal of the State of West Virginia
Incumbent
Cathy Justice
since January 16, 2017
ResidenceGovernor's Mansion
Inaugural holderLaurane Tanner Boreman
Formation1864; 160 years ago (1864)
WebsiteOfficial website

The spouse of the Governor of West Virginia is given an honorary position, styled as First Lady or First Gentleman of the State of West Virginia. To date there have been no female governors of the State of West Virginia, and all first spouses have been first ladies.

The current first lady of West Virginia is Cathy Justice, the wife of incumbent Governor Jim Justice who assumed office in 2017.

Role

The position of the first lady is not an elected one, carries no official duties, and receives no salary. However, the first lady holds a highly visible position in state government. Since 1893, the role of the first lady includes serving the host of the West Virginia Governor's Mansion. She organizes and attends official ceremonies and functions of state either along with, or in place of, the governor. It is common for the governor's spouse to select specific, non-political, causes to promote.

List

Picture Name Took office Left office Spouse Notes
1 Laurane Tanner Bullock Boreman 1864 1869 Arthur I. Boreman
2 Mary Ireland Farnsworth 1869 1869 Daniel D. T. Farnsworth Served only five days in office as First Lady
3 Sarah Clotworthy Stevenson 1869 1871 William E. Stevenson
4 Jane Baird Jacob 1871 1877 John J. Jacob
5 Lucy Fry Mathews 1877 1881 Henry M. Mathews
6 Maria Willard Jackson 1881 1885 Jacob B. Jackson
7 Henrietta Cotton Wilson 1885 1890 Emanuel Willis Wilson
8 Carrie Watson Fleming 1890 1893 Aretas B. Fleming
9 Belle Goshorn MacCorkle 1893 1897 William A. MacCorkle
10 Myra Horner Camden Atkinson 1897 1901 George W. Atkinson
11 Agnes Ward White 1901 1905 Albert B. White
12 Maude Brown Dawson 1905 1909 William M. O. Dawson First governor's wife who was born in West Virginia after statehood
13 Mary Miller Glasscock 1909 1913 William E. Glasscock
14 Carrie Bronson Hatfield 1913 1917 Henry D. Hatfield
15 Edna Brady Cornwell 1917 1921 John J. Cornwell
16 Alma Bennett Morgan 1921 1925 Ephraim F. Morgan While in office, actively campaigned for women's suffrage in the United States
17 Roxie Gore 1925 1928 Howard Mason Gore Died during her husband's term in office
18 Bertie Ison Martin Conley 1929 1933 William G. Conley
19 Edna Hall Scott Kump 1933 1937 Herman G. Kump
20 Isabel Wood Holt 1937 1941 Homer A. Holt
21 Alberta Ramage Neely 1941 1945 Matthew M. Neely
22 Nancy Massie Meadows 1945 1949 Clarence W. Meadows
23 Lee Hawse Patteson 1949 1953 Okey Patteson Obtained a pilot's license while serving as First Lady
24 Valerie Allen Marland 1953 1957 William C. Marland
25 Hovah Hall Underwood 1957 1961 Cecil H. Underwood 25th and 33rd First Lady of West Virginia during husband's non-consecutive terms
26 Opal Wilcox Barron 1961 1965 William Wallace Barron
27 Mary Alice Tieche Smith 1965 1969 Hulett C. Smith
28 Shelley Riley Moore 1969 1977 Arch A. Moore Jr. 28th and 30th First Lady of West Virginia during husband's non-consecutive terms. Mother of U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito
29 Sharon Percy Rockefeller 1977 1985 Jay Rockefeller Later served as chief executive officer of WETA-TV in Washington, D.C., chairwoman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and chairperson of the National Gallery of Art
30 Shelley Riley Moore 1985 1989 Arch A. Moore Jr.
31 Dee Caperton Kessel 1989 1989 Gaston Caperton Divorced husband while in office. Also served as member of the West Virginia House of Delegates and ran for West Virginia State Treasurer in 1990
32 Rachael Worby 1990 1997 Married Governor Capterton while in office. Conductor who currently serves as the Artistic Director, Conductor and Founder of MUSE/IQUE
33 Hovah Hall Underwood 1997 2001 Cecil H. Underwood
34 Sandra Casber Wise Bob Wise
35 Gayle Conelly Manchin 2005 2010 Joe Manchin Served as President of the West Virginia Board of Education, West Virginia Secretary of Education and the Arts, and Federal Co-Chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission
36 Joanne Tomblin 2011 2017 Earl Ray Tomblin
37 Cathy Justice 2017 serving Jim Justice

See also

References

  1. "West Virginia's First Ladies," West Virginia Division of Culture and History, June 2007.
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