Public Papers of New York State Governors

When a governor served non-consecutive terms, he is listed twice, according to the dates in office. If the governor's name is a link, it will take you his public papers in the New York State Library's digital collections.

Governor	Years in Office	Notes
Clinton, George	1777 (July)-1795 (April)	Clinton was also the third governor of NY, serving from 1801-04. His public papers are in 10 volumes, encompassing all terms served; eight volumes (all but 4 and 7) are currently available online. Volumes 3 to 6 contain illustrations of prominent figures of the Revolutionary War, including John Jay, the Marquis de Lafayette, Morgan Lewis, Count de Grasse, Anthony Wayne, Robert R. Livingston, John Stark, Major Benjamin Tallmadge, and Benedict Arnold. Volume 8 includes letters from the Governor's office for the years 1782 to 1785, in addition to illustrations of taverns and other establishments in New York. Volumes 9 and 10 include an analytical index to the papers. Volume 10 also provides an account of the exhumation and reinterment of Governor Clinton's remains in 1908. The NYS Library also holds a collection of items with George Clinton's signature and the seal of New York (SC23299).
Jay, John	1795 (April)-1801 (April)	Portrait from George Clinton's papers.
Clinton, George	1801 (April)-1804 (April)	Clinton was also the first governor of NY, serving from 1777-95.
Lewis, Morgan	1804 (April)-1807 (April)
Tompkins, Daniel D.	1807 (April)-1817 (Feb.)	There are three volumes; Volume 2 is currently available online. Volume 2 contains letters relating primarily to the War of 1812. Other subjects addressed are the New York and New Jersey boundary line dispute, and the adjustment of the border line between Canada and New York. Tompkins resigned as Governor in order to serve as Vice President in James Monroe's administration. The NYS Library also holds a small collection of NYS Militia Officer Commissions (1809-1816) signed by Governor Tompkins (X9682). Portrait from the Red Book, (volume 1, virtual part 1).
Tayler, John	1817 (Feb. 24-July 1)	Upon Tompkin's resignation, Lieutenant-Governor Tayler became Governor and served the remainder of the term. The NYS Library has a collection of John Tayler's papers(SC20183).
Clinton, De Witt	1817 (July 1)-1822	DeWitt Clinton also served as the ninth governor of NY. Image from A popular history of the origins of the Regents of the University of the State of New York.
Yates, Joseph C.	1823-1824	Portrait from the Red Book, (volume 1, virtual part 1).
Clinton, De Witt	1825-1828 (Feb. 11)	DeWitt Clinton also served as the seventh governor of NY.
Pitcher, Nathaniel	1828 (Feb. 11-Dec. 31)	When Clinton died while in office, Lieutenant-Governor Pitcher became Governor and served the remainder of the term.
Van Buren, Martin	1829 (Jan. 1-March 12)	Van Buren resigned in order to serve as Secretary of State in Andrew Jackson's administration. Portrait from the Red Book, (volume 1, virtual part 1).
Throop, Enos T.	1829 (March 12)-1832	Lieutenant-Governor Throop became Governor upon Van Buren's resignation and served the remainder of the term; he was subsequently re-elected for a full term. Portrait from the Red Book, (volume 1, virtual part 1).
Marcy, William L.	1833-1838	Portrait from the Red Book, (volume 1, virtual part 1).
Seward, William H.	1839-1842	Portrait from the Red Book, (volume 1, virtual part 1). The NYS Library has a small collection of William Seward's papers (SC21153).
Bouck, William C.	1843-1844	Portrait from the Red Book, (volume 1, virtual part 1).
Wright, Silas	1845-1846	Portrait from Messages from the Governors...(1843-1856)
Young, John	1847-1848	Portrait from the Red Book, (volume 1, virtual part 1).
Fish, Hamilton	1849-1850	Portrait from the Red Book, (volume 1, virtual part 1).
Hunt, Washington	1851-1852	Portrait from the Red Book, (volume 1, virtual part 1).
Seymour, Horatio	1853-1854	Seymour also served as the 24th governor of NY. Portrait from the Red Book, (volume 1, virtual part 1).
Clark, Myron H.	1855-1856	Portrait from the Red Book, (volume 1, virtual part 1). The NYS Library also holds a collection of Myron Holley Clark's Papers.
King, John A.	1857-1858	Portrait from the Red Book, (volume 1, virtual part 1). The NYS Library has a small collection of John Alsop King's papers (21674).
Morgan, Edwin D.	1859-1862	Portrait from the Red Book, (volume 1, virtual part 1). The NYS Library has a collection of Edwin Morgan's papers (SC11818).
Seymour, Horatio	1863-1864	Seymour also served as the 20th governor of NY. Portrait from the Red Book, (volume 1, virtual part 1).
Fenton, Reuben E.	1865-1868	Portrait from the Life Sketches of the State Officers, Senators and Members of the Assembly of the State of New York, in 1868. The NYS Library has a collection of Reuben Eaton Fenton's Papers (SC10722).
Hoffman, John T.	1869-1872	One volume. Before being elected governor, Hoffman was the mayor of New York City.
Dix, John Adams	1873-1874
Tilden, Samuel J.	1875-1876	Portrait from the Red Book, (volume 1, virtual part 1).
Robinson, Lucius	1877-1879	Three volumes. Portrait from the Red Book, (volume 1, virtual part 1).
Cornell, Alonzo B.	1880-1882	Three volumes. Portrait from the Red Book (volume 1, virtual part 1).
Cleveland, Grover	1883-1884	Cleveland served as governor for only one year before resigning upon being elected President of the U.S. in 1884. Two volumes. The NYS Library has a small collection of Grover Cleveland's papers (VC19810).
Hill, David B.	1885-1891	Lieutenant-Governor Hill became Governor upon Cleveland's resignation; he was subsequently re-elected twice. There are seven volumes; volumes 1-3 and 7 are available online. Volume 1 (1885) includes an address on the occasion of the opening of the State Park at Niagara. Portrait from the Red Book, (volume 1, virtual part 1).
Flower, Roswell P.	1892-1894	Three volumes. Volume 1 (1892) includes correspondence regarding the purchase of property on Fire Island for quarantining passengers aboard cholera-infected vessels. Volume 2 (1893) includes an annual message that describes the railroad switchmen strike that occurred in Buffalo the year before. Other topics include the passage of the Factory Act, which imposed stricter regulations on factory conditions, and remarks given at the World's Fair in Chicago.
Morton, Levi P.	1895-1896	There are two volumes; volume 2 (1896) is available online. Volume 2 (1896) includes an annual message that addressed the successful implementation of the Compulsory Education Law, which went into effect in 1895, and the Raines Bill, a law designed to tax and regulate alcohol.
Black, Frank S.	1897-1898	Two volumes in one digital file. Volume 1 (1897) includes Governor Black's veto of the Dudley Inheritance Tax Bill. Volume 2 (1898) contains a message regarding the need to meet the expense of providing troops for the Spanish-American War.
Roosevelt, Theodore	1899-1900	Two volumes. Public papers include messages to the legislature, proclamations, addresses, vetoes, pardons and commutations, and miscellaneous items. Volume 1 (1899) contains public addresses, including Roosevelt's "Strenuous Life" speech. Volume 2 (1900) includes an annual message in which Roosevelt argues in favor of additional anti-trust legislation, noting that current legislation has been ineffective. The NYS Library also has the Lyall D. Squair Theodore Roosevelt Collection (SC22110) and Teddy Roosevelt Postcard Collection (PRI5399). Image from Messages from the Governors...(1899-1906)
Odell, Benjamin B.	1901-1904	Four volumes
Frank W. Higgins	1905-1906	Two volumes.
Hughes, Charles E.	1907-1910 (Oct. 6)	Hughes resigned to become an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme court. Four volumes.
White, Horace	1910 (Oct. 6-Dec. 31)	Lieutenant-Governor White became Governor upon Hughes' resignation and served the remainder of the term.
Dix, John Alden	1911-1912	Served non-consecutive terms. Two volumes (in three digital parts).
Sulzer, William	1913 (Jan. 1-Oct. 17)	Sulzer was impeached by the Assembly on October 13, 1913, found guilty by the Court for Trial of Impeachments, and removed from office. One volume. Includes proclamations; messages to the Legislature; veto messages and memoranda; memoranda on legislative bills approved; emergency messages; appointments; designations; special terms of court, removal proceedings and investigations; and pardons, commutations, reprieves and requisitions. The NYS Library has a collection of scrapbooks about William Sulzer (SC14320). Portrait from the NYS Library's online exhibit about Sulzer's impeachment.
Glynn, Martin H.	1913 (Oct. 17)-1914	Lieutenant-Governor Glynn became Governor when Sulzer was removed from office. One volume. The NYS Library has a collection of Martin Henry Glynn's papers (SC21255).
Whitman, Charles S.	1915-1918	There are four volumes; volume 1 is available online.
Smith, Alfred E.	1919-1920	Smith was also New York's 48th governor (1923-28).
Miller, Nathan L.	1921-1922	two volumes; Volume 2 (1922) is currently online.
Smith, Alfred E.	1923-1928	Smith was also New York's 45th governor (1919-20). There are six volumes for this period; volumes 1-2 and 4-6 are available online.
Roosevelt, Franklin D.	1929-1932	Four volumes; volumes 3 and 4 currently online. The NYS Library has a small collection of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's papers (VC21154).
Lehman, Herbert H.	1933 - Dec. 3, 1942	Lehman resigned shortly before the end of his term in order to take the position of Director of Foreign Relief and Rehabilitation Operations. Ten volumes (13 digital files).
Poletti, Charles	1942 (Dec. 3-31)	Lieutenant-Governor Poletti became Governor upon Lehman's resignation and served the remainder of the term.
Dewey, Thomas E.	1943-1954	Twelve volumes.
Harriman, W. Averell	1955-1958	Four volumes.
Rockefeller, Nelson A.	1959-1973	Rockefeller resigned in order to serve as Chair of the National Commission on Critical Choices for America and of the National Commission on Water Quality. Fifteen volumes.
Wilson, Malcolm	1973-1974	Lieutenant-Governor Wilson became governor upon Rockefeller's resignation and served the remainder of the term. One volume.
Carey, Hugh L.	1975-1982	Public papers are comprised of documents from the Governor's Press Office and materials from the files of the Executive Chamber, such as memoranda on legislative bills approved and vetoed, messages to the legislature, executive orders, addresses, appointments, pardons and commutations, and miscellaneous items. There are eight volumes.
Cuomo, Mario M.	1983-1994	Public papers are comprised of documents released by the Governor's Press Office and supplemental material from the Executive Chamber files, such as messages to the legislature, memoranda on legislative bills approved and vetoed, executive orders, appointments, pardons and commutations, and miscellaneous items. There are nine volumes of Papers.
Pataki, George E.	1995-2006	Not published.
Spitzer, Eliot	2007-2008 (March 17)	Not published.
Paterson, David A.	2008 (March 17)-2010	Lieutenant Governor Paterson became governor in March 2008, upon Governor Spitzer's resignation, and served the rest of the term. Not published.
Cuomo, Andrew	2011- August 23, 2021	Not published.
Hochul, Kathy	August 24, 2021 -	Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul became governor in August 2021 upon Governor Andrew Cuomo's resignation. She is New York States's first female governor.

Images of governors are from their papers, unless otherwise noted.