This article lists the colonial governors of Cameroon. It encompasses the period when the country was under colonial rule of the German Empire (as Kamerun), military occupation of the territory by the Allies of World War I (during the Kamerun campaign of the African theatre), as well as the period when it was a Class B League of Nations mandate and a United Nation trust territory, under the administration of France (as French Cameroon) and the United Kingdom (as British Cameroons) respectively.
List
(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)
German Kamerun
TenurePortrait Incumbent Notes14 July 1884 to 19 July 1884 Gustav Nachtigal, KommissarCommissioner19 July 1884 to 1 April 1885 Maximilian Buchner, acting Kommissaracting Commissioner1 April 1885 to 4 July 1885Eduard von Knorr, acting Kommissaracting Commissioner4 July 1885 to 14 February 1891Julius von Soden, Governor13 May 1887 to 4 October 1887Jesko von Puttkamer, acting GovernorActing for Soden, 1st time4 October 1887 to 17 January 1888Eugen von Zimmerer, acting GovernorActing for Soden, 1st time26 December 1889 to 17 April 1890Acting for Soden, 2nd time17 April 1890 to 3 August 1890 Markus Graf von Pfeil, acting GovernorActing for Soden3 August 1890 to 14 August 1890 Kurz, acting GovernorActing for Soden14 August 1890 to 2 December 1890Jesko von Puttkamer, acting GovernorActing for Soden, 2nd time2 December 1890 to 15 April 1891, acting GovernorActing for Soden to 14 February 1891, 1st time15 April 1891 to 13 August 1895Eugen von Zimmerer, Governor7 August 1891 to 5 January 1892Bruno von Schuckmann, acting GovernorActing for Zimmerer27 June 1893 to 24 February 1894, acting GovernorActing for Zimmerer, 2nd time31 December 1894 to 27 March 1895Jesko von Puttkamer, acting GovernorActing for Zimmerer, 3rd time27 March 1895 to 4 May 1895 von Lucke, acting GovernorActing for Zimmerer13 August 1895 to 9 May 1907Jesko von Puttkamer, Governor27 October 1895 to 10 September 1897Theodor Seitz, acting GovernorActing for Puttkamer, 1st time12 January 1898 to 13 October 1898Acting for Puttkamer, 2nd time17 January 1900 to 31 July 1900, acting GovernorActing for Puttkamer1 August 1900 to 6 September 1900 Emil Diehl, acting GovernorActing for Puttkamer6 September 1900 to 15 November 1900 , acting GovernorActing for Puttkamer3 February 1902 to 3 October 1902 , acting GovernorActing for Puttkamer9 May 1904 to 8 November 1904 Karl Ebermaier, acting GovernorActing for Puttkamer9 November 1904 to 31 January 1905, acting GovernorActing for Puttkamer, 1st timeJanuary 1906 to November 1906 Franz Ludwig Wilhelm Müller, acting GovernorActing for PuttkamerNovember 1906 to 9 May 1907, acting GovernorActing for Puttkamer, 2nd time9 May 1907 to 27 August 1910Theodor Seitz, Governor10 February 1909 to October 1909 , acting GovernorActing for Seitz, 1st time28 August 1910 to 29 January 1912, GovernorAugust 1910 to September 1910 Theodor Steinhausen, acting GovernorActing for GleimSeptember 1910 to 25 October 1910 , acting GovernorActing for Gleim, 2nd timeOctober 1911 to 29 January 1912Acting for Gleim, 3rd time29 January 1912 to 4 March 1916Karl Ebermaier, Governor9 October 1913 to 1914 August Full, acting GovernorActing for Ebermaier(26 September 1914)Occupation by Great Britain and France begins4 March 1916Germany surrenders territory to occupying powers
Allied occupation of German Kamerun
TenurePortrait Incumbent Notes26 August 1914 to 7 April 1916Joseph Gaudérique Aymerich, Military CommanderMilitary Commander of French Cameroon7 April 1916 to 8 October 1916Joseph Gaudérique Aymerich, AdministratorAdministrator of French Cameroon8 October 1916 to 6 March 1919 Lucien Louis Fourneau, AdministratorAdministrator of French Cameroon6 March 1919 to 28 June 1919Jules Carde, CommissionerCommissioner of French Cameroon28 June 1919Formal division into French and British Cameroons
French Cameroon
TenurePortrait Incumbent NotesFrench-occupied territory7 April 1916 to 8 October 1916Joseph Gaudérique Aymerich, Administrator8 October 1916 to 6 March 1919 Lucien Louis Fourneau, Administrator6 March 1919 to 20 July 1922Jules Carde, CommissionerActing to 7 December 1919French Cameroons (League of Nations mandate)20 July 1922 to March 1923Jules Carde, CommissionerSeptember 1920 to June 1921 Paul Auguste François Bonnecarrère, acting CommissionerActing for CardeMarch 1923 to 29 April 1923 Albéric Auguste Fournier, acting Commissioner29 April 1923 to 31 August 1932 Théodore Paul Marchand, Commissioner1st time27 December 1924 to 11 May 1925 Ernest Augustin Bleu, acting CommissionerActing for Marchand, 1st time2 March 1926 to 31 October 1926Acting for Marchand, 2nd time26 April 1929 to 26 October 1929Acting for Marchand, 3rd time19 June 1931 to 6 February 1932Acting for Marchand, 4th time31 August 1932 to 7 July 1934 Paul Auguste François Bonnecarrère, CommissionerActing to 22 September 19327 July 1934 to 1936 Jules Vincent Repiquet, Commissioner1936 to January 1937 Gaston Camille Guibet, acting CommissionerJanuary 1937 to 16 November 1938 Pierre François Boisson, Commissioner7 October 1937 to 9 March 1938 Pierre Émile Aubert, acting CommissionerActing for Boisson16 November 1938 to 27 August 1940 Richard Edmond Maurice Édouard Brunot, Commissioner27 August 1940 to 20 November 1940Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque, Governor20 November 1940 to 20 July 1943 Pierre Charles Albert Cournarie, Governor20 July 1943 to 15 November 1944 Hubert Eugène Paul Carras, Governor15 November 1944 to 16 January 1946 Henri Pierre Nicolas, Governor16 January 1946 to 16 March 1946 Adrien Émile Amédée Léger, acting Governor16 March 1946 to 13 December 1946 Robert Delavignette, High CommissionerFrench Cameroons (United Nations trust territory)13 December 1946 to 25 March 1947 Robert Delavignette, High Commissioner25 March 1947 to April 1947 Robert Casimir, acting High Commissioner1st timeApril 1947 to 7 July 1949 René Hoffherr, High Commissioner7 July 1949 to 10 January 1950 Robert Casimir, acting High Commissioner2nd time10 January 1950 to 2 December 1954 Jean Louis Marie André Soucadoux, High Commissioner2 December 1954 to 17 April 1956 Roland Joanes Louis Pré, High Commissioner17 April 1956 to 29 January 1958Pierre Messmer, High Commissioner29 January 1958 to 19 February 1958 Jean Paul Ramadier, High Commissioner19 February 1958 to 1 January 1960 Xavier Antoine Torre, High Commissioner1 January 1960Independence as Republic of Cameroon
British Cameroons
TenurePortrait Incumbent NotesBritish-occupied territory1916 Kenneth V. Elphinstone, Resident1916 to 1917 E. C. Duff, Resident1917 to 1919 P. V. Young, Resident1919 W. G. Ambrose, Resident1919 John C. Maxwell, Resident1919 to 20 July 1920Sir John H. Davidson, ResidentBritish Cameroons (League of Nations mandate)20 July 1920 to 1921?Sir John H. Davidson, Resident1921 to 1925 Fitz Herbert Ruxton, Senior Resident1925 William Edgar Hunt, acting District Officer1925 to 1928 Edward John Arnett, Senior Resident1st time1928 to 1929 H. J. Aveling, acting Resident1929 to 1932 Edward John Arnett, Resident2nd time1932 to 1933 Frederick Bernard Carr, District Officer1933 George Hugo Findlay, Senior Resident1933 to 1935 John Wynne Corrie Rutherfoord, Resident1935 to 1938 O. W. Firth, Senior Resident1938 to 1939 Ludlow Sealy-King, acting Resident1st time1939 to 1942 Arthur Evelyn Francis Murray, Senior Resident1942 to 1943 Ludlow Sealy-King, Resident2nd time1943 to 194? James Macrae Simpson, Resident194? to 25 February 1945 Percy Graham Harris, Resident20 March 1945 to 10 October 1945 Alfred Leeming, Senior District Officer1945 Reuben John Hook, acting Resident1945 to 1946 Frank B. Bridges, Resident14 February 1946 to 13 December 1946 Neil Mackenzie, Senior District OfficerBritish Cameroons (United Nations trust territory)13 December 1946 to 4 August 1949 Neil Mackenzie, Senior District Officer25 August 1949 to 31 December 1949 Doyle Arthur Fitzroy Shute, Senior Resident1949 to 1 October 1954 Edward John Gibbons, Special Resident1 October 1954Autonomous territory within Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria1 October 1954 to 1956 Edward John Gibbons, Commissioner1956 to 1 October 1961John Osbaldiston Field, Commissioner1 June 1961Northern British Cameroons incorporated into Federation of Nigeria1 October 1961Southern British Cameroons incorporated into Republic of Cameroon
For continuation after independence, see: List of presidents of Cameroon
See also President of Cameroon List of presidents of Cameroon Prime Minister of Cameroon List of prime ministers of Cameroon List of heads of government of French Cameroon List of heads of government of British Cameroons History of Cameroon Politics of Cameroon
External links World Statesmen – Cameroon