First Lady of Georgia is the title held by the wife of the sitting governor of Georgia. The first lady serves as the official hostess of the Georgia Governor's Mansion.
The current first lady of Georgia is Marty Kemp, the wife of incumbent Governor Brian Kemp, who assumed office in 2019.
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. The role of the first lady is the host of the Georgia 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. For example former first lady Sandra Deal is known for advocating for literacy and education throughout the state, for which the Georgia Association of Broadcasters awarded her their 2016 "Georgian of the Year" award.
List Name Took office Left office Spouse of 1 Mary de Veaux 1775 1777 Archibald Bulloch 2 Ann Bourne 1777 1777 Button Gwinnett 3 Marguerite Dupuis, Annie Unselt, third wife (name unknown) 1777 1778 John A. Treutlen 4 Hannah Bryan 1778 1778 John Houstoun 5 Hannah Wilkinson 1779 1779 John Wereat 6 Dorothy Camber 1779 1780 George Walton 7 unknown 1780 1780 Richard Howley 8 Jane Germany, Elizabeth Darden 1780 1780 Stephen Heard 9 Elizabeth Lewis, Elizabeth Dunham, Elizabeth McLean 1781 1782 Nathan Brownson 10 first wife unknown; remarried Mary Deborah Spencer 1782 1783 John Martin 11 Abigail Burr, Mary Osborne 1783 1784 Lyman Hall 12 Hannah Bryan 1784 1785 John Houstoun 13 Elizabeth Rae 1785 1786 Samuel Elbert 14 Sarah Gibbons 1786 1787 Edward Telfair 15 Anne Paul, Margaret (Cunningham) Reed, Mary Flowers Carpenter 1787 1788George Mathews 16 Sarah Gibbons 1789 1793 Edward Telfair 17 Sarah Howe 1788 1789 George Handley 18 Miss Williams (first name unknown) 1796 1798 Jared Irwin 19 Mary Charlotte Young 1795 1801 James Jackson 20 Ann Lewis 1801 1801 David Emanuel 21 Harriet Fenwick 1801 1802Josiah Tattnall 22 Martha Galphin, Ann Lamar 1802 1806 John Milledge 23 Miss Williams (first name unknown) 1806 1809Jared Irwin 24 Jane Mills 1809 1813 David Brydie Mitchell 25 Ann Adams Smith 1813 1815 Peter Early 26 Jane Mills 1815 1817 David Brydie Mitchell 27 Mary Battle 18171819William Rabun 28 Anna Twinning 18191819Matthew Talbot 29 Nancy Williamson 18191823John Clark 30 Anne St. Clair McCormick, Anne Carter 18231827George M. Troup 31 Clara Meigs 18271829John Forsyth 32 Eliza Frances Grattan 18291831George Rockingham Gilmer 33 Elizabeth Walker, Annis Hopkins 18311835Wilson Lumpkin 34 Charlotte Kirkley, Elizabeth Sarah (Jackson) Hargrove, Sophia E. Kerr 18351837William Schley 35 Eliza Frances Grattan 1829 1831 George Rockingham Gilmer 36 Anne Franklin, Elizabeth (Roane) Ruffin 1839 1843 Charles James McDonald 37 Mary Ann McIntosh 1843 1847George W. Crawford 38 Margaret Jane Campbell, Mary Winston-Jones 1847 1851George W. Towns 39 Mary Ann Lamar 1851 1853 Howell Cobb 40 Ann Polk Walker 1853 1857 Herschel Vespasian Johnson 41 Elizabeth Grisham 1857 1865Joseph Emerson Brown 42 Ann Harris 1865 1865James Johnson 43 Sarah Jones, Emily Barnes 1865 1868 Charles Jones Jenkins 44 Helen Lydia Moore 1868 1868 Thomas Howard Ruger 45 Marie Salisbury 1868 1871 Rufus Brown Bullock 46 Sarah H. Semmes 1871 1872Benjamin F. Conley 47 Hester A. Brown, Sarah Marshall Welborn 1872 1877James Milton Smith 48 Dorothy Tarver, Sarah Tarver 1877 1882 Alfred Holt Colquitt 49 never married 1882 1883 Alexander Hamilton Stephens 50 Fannie Loyall, Susie T. Harris 1883 1883 James Boynton 51 Hester C. Felker 1883 1886 Henry Dickerson McDaniel 52 Fannie R. Haralson 1886 1890 John Brown Gordon 53 Martha Moss Neel 1890 1894 William J. Northen 54 Susan Cobb Milton 1894 1898William Yates Atkinson 55 Eugenia T. Williams 1898 1902 Allen D. Candler 56 Jessie Lee Spivey 1902 1907Joseph M. Terrell 57 Marion "Birdie" Cobb 1907 1909Hoke Smith 58 Cora A. McCord 1909 1911 Joseph Mackey Brown 59 Marion "Birdie" Cobb 1911 1911 Hoke Smith 60 Sarah Frances Grant Jackson 1911 1912 John Marshall Slaton 61 Cora A. McCord 1912 1913 Joseph Mackey Brown 62 Sarah Frances Grant Jackson 19131915 John Marshall Slaton 63 Sarah Gibbons 1915 1917 Nathaniel Edwin Harris 64 Mary Adair Wilkinson 1917 1921 Hugh Dorsey 65 Sarah Gibbons 1921 1923 Thomas W. Hardwick 66 Rosa Carter Matthewson 1923 1927 Clifford Walker 67 Emma Wiley Griffin 1927 1931 Lamartine Griffin Hardman 68 never married 1931 1933 Richard Russell, Jr. 69 Mattie (Thurmond) Peterson 1933 1937 Eugene Talmadge 70 Lucille Lashley 1937 1941 Eurith D. Rivers 71 Mattie (Thurmond) Peterson 1941 1943 Eugene Talmadge 72 Mildred Slemons 1943 1947 Ellis Arnall 73 Betty Shingler 1947 1947 Herman Eugene Talmadge 74 Ann Newton 1947 1948 Melvin E. Thompson 75 Betty Shingler 1948 1955 Herman Eugene Talmadge 76 Mary Elizabeth Smith, Laura Jane Gibson 1955 1959 Samuel Marvin Griffin 77 Sybil Elizabeth Russell 1959 1963 Ernest Vandiver 78 Betty Bird Foy 1963 1967 Carl Sanders 79 Virginia Cox 1967 1971 Lester Maddox 80 Rosalynn Smith 1971 1975 Jimmy Carter 81 Mary Elizabeth Talbot 1975 1983 George Busbee 82 Elizabeth Carlock 1983 1991 Joe Frank Harris 83 Shirley Carver 1991 1999 Zell Miller 84 Marie Dobbs 1999 2003 Roy E. Barnes 85 Mary Ruff 2003 2011 Sonny Perdue 86 Sandra Deal 2011 2019 Nathan Deal 87 Marty Kemp 2019 present Brian Kemp
References
External links
Office of First Lady Marty Kemp Past Governors Bios from the National Governors Association