First Ladies of Pennsylvania
The first lady of Pennsylvania is the title attributed to the wife of the governor of Pennsylvania. The honorary position is styled as First Lady or First Gentleman of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. To date there have been no female governors of Pennsylvania, and all first spouses have been first ladies.
From 1777 until late 1790, Pennsylvania was governed by a "Supreme Executive Council" whose head had the title of President. These presidents' wives are included here as well.
List of first ladies of Pennsylvania
Name | Took Office | Left Office | Governor of Pennsylvania |
Sarah Morris | 1788 | 1799 | Thomas Mifflin |
Sarah Armitage | 1799 | 1808 | Thomas McKean |
Catherine Antes | 1808 | 1810 | Simon Snyder |
none | 1810 | 1814 | Simon Snyder |
Mary Slough Scott | 1814 | 1817 | Simon Snyder |
Nancy Irwin | 1817 | 1820 | William Findlay |
Elizabeth Whitman | 1820 | 1823 | Joseph Hiester |
Susan Kimmell | 1823 | 1829 | John Andrew Schulze |
Mary Erb | 1829 | 1833 | George Wolf |
none | 1833 | 1835 | George Wolf |
Susan Alter | 1835 | 1839 | Joseph Ritner |
Josephine McDermott | 1839 | 1845 | David R. Porter |
Jane Findlay | 1845 | 1848 | Francis R. Shunk |
none | 1848 | 1848 | none |
Mary Montieth | 1848 | 1852 | William F. Johnston |
Maria Jane Reed | 1852 | 1855 | William Bigler |
Sarah Ann Hepburn | 1855 | 1858 | James Pollock |
Mary W. Vanderbilt | 1858 | 1861 | William F. Packer |
Catherine Irvine Wilson | 1861 | 1867 | Andrew Gregg Curtin |
Mary Church Henderson | 1867 | 1873 | John W. Geary |
Sallie Douglas Sebring | 1873 | 1879 | John F. Hartranft |
Mary Elizabeth Loveland | 1879 | 1883 | Henry M. Hoyt |
unknown | 1883 | 1887 | Robert E. Pattison |
Mary Allison McAllister | 1887 | 1891 | James A. Beaver |
unknown | 1891 | 1895 | Robert E. Pattison |
Jane Armstrong Rankin | 1895 | 1899 | Daniel H. Hastings |
Elizabeth B. White | 1899 | 1903 | William A. Stone |
Virginia Earle Broomall | 1903 | 1907 | Samuel W. Pennypacker |
unknown | 1907 | 1911 | Edwin Sydney Stuart |
Harriet Day | 1911 | 1915 | John K. Tener |
none | 1915 | 1916 | Martin Grove Brumbaugh |
Flora Belle Parks | 1916 | 1919 | Martin Grove Brumbaugh |
Emeline Roach | 1919 | 1923 | William Cameron Sproul |
Cornelia Elizabeth Bryce | 1923 | 1927 | Gifford Pinchot |
none | 1927 | 1931 | John Stuchell Fisher |
Cornelia Elizabeth Bryce | 1931 | 1935 | Gifford Pinchot |
Huberta F. Potter | 1935 | 1939 | George Howard Earle III |
Grace Hainey Morris | 1939 | 1939 | Arthur James |
Dorothy James | 1939 | 1941 | Arthur James |
Emily Radcliffe Case | 1941 | 1943 | Arthur James |
Mary Charity Scott | 1943 | 1947 | Edward Martin |
Sarah Andrews Baker | 1947 | 1947 | John C. Bell Jr. |
Jean Kerr Taylor | 1947 | 1951 | James H. Duff |
Helene Pennebecker Morgan | 1951 | 1955 | John S. Fine |
Mary Jane Strickler | 1955 | 1959 | George M. Leader |
Alyce Golden Lawrence | 1959 | 1963 | David L. Lawrence |
Mary Lowe Chamberlin | 1963 | 1967 | William Scranton |
Jane Harris Davies | 1967 | 1971 | Raymond P. Shafer |
Muriel Matzkin Shapp | 1971 | 1979 | Milton Shapp |
Ginny Judson Thornburgh | 1979 | 1987 | Dick Thornburgh |
Ellen Harding Casey | 1987 | 1995 | Robert P. Casey |
Michele Ridge | 1995 | 2001 | Tom Ridge |
Katherine Schweiker | 2001 | 2003 | Mark S. Schweiker |
Marjorie "Midge" Rendell | 2003 | 2011 | Ed Rendell |
Susan Corbett | 2011 | 2015 | Tom Corbett |
Frances Wolf | 2015 | serving | Tom Wolf |