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."West Virginia's First Ladies," West Virginia Division of Culture and History, June 2007.
The current first lady of West Virginia is Denise Morrisey, the wife of incumbent Governor Patrick Morrisey.
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 +PictureNameTook officeLeft officeSpouseNotes1Laurane Tanner Bullock Boreman18641869Arthur I. Boreman2Mary Ireland Farnsworth18691869Daniel D. T. FarnsworthServed only five days in office as First Lady3Sarah Clotworthy Stevenson18691871William E. Stevenson4Jane Baird Jacob18711877John J. Jacob5Lucy Fry Mathews18771881Henry M. Mathews6Maria Willard Jackson18811885Jacob B. Jackson7Henrietta Cotton Wilson18851890Emanuel Willis Wilson8Carrie Watson Fleming18901893Aretas B. Fleming9Belle Goshorn MacCorkle18931897William A. MacCorkle10Myra Horner Camden Atkinson18971901George W. Atkinson11Agnes Ward White19011905Albert B. White12Maude Brown Dawson19051909William M. O. DawsonFirst governor's wife who was born in West Virginia after statehood13Mary Miller Glasscock19091913William E. Glasscock14Carrie Bronson Hatfield19131917Henry D. Hatfield15Edna Brady Cornwell19171921John J. Cornwell16Alma Bennett Morgan19211925Ephraim F. MorganWhile in office, actively campaigned for women's suffrage in the United States17Roxie C. Bailey Gore19251928Howard Mason GoreDied in 1907, years before husband's term in office18Bertie Ison Martin Conley19291933William G. Conley19Edna Hall Scott Kump19331937Herman G. Kump20Isabel Wood Holt19371941Homer A. Holt21Alberta Ramage Neely19411945Matthew M. Neely22Nancy Massie Meadows19451949Clarence W. Meadows23Lee Hawse Patteson19491953Okey PattesonObtained a pilot's license while serving as First Lady24Valerie Allen Marland19531957William C. Marland25Hovah Hall Underwood19571961Cecil H. Underwood25th and 33rd First Lady of West Virginia during husband's non-consecutive terms26Opal Wilcox Barron19611965William Wallace Barron27Mary Alice Tieche Smith19651969Hulett C. Smith28Shelley Riley Moore19691977Arch A. Moore Jr.28th and 30th First Lady of West Virginia during husband's non-consecutive terms. Mother of U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito29Sharon Percy Rockefeller19771985Jay RockefellerLater was chief executive officer of WETA-TV in Washington, D.C., chairwoman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and chairperson of the National Gallery of Art30Shelley Riley Moore19851989Arch A. Moore Jr.31Dee Caperton Kessel19891989Gaston CapertonDivorced husband while in office. Also was a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates and ran for West Virginia State Treasurer in 199032Rachael Worby19901997Married Governor Capterton while in office. Conductor who currently serves as the Artistic Director, Conductor and Founder of MUSE/IQUE33Hovah Hall Underwood19972001Cecil H. Underwood34Sandra Casber WiseBob Wise35Gayle Conelly Manchin20052010Joe ManchinWas President of the West Virginia Board of Education, West Virginia Secretary of Education and the Arts, and Federal Co-Chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission36Joanne Tomblin20112017Earl Ray Tomblin37Cathy Justice20172025Jim Justice38Denise Morrisey2025IncumbentPatrick Morrisey
See also
List of governors of West Virginia
References