Military service, if any shown, is the highest rank obtained
( Words in "Bright Blue" on this website are links )

( January 15,1901 - January 17, 1905 )

Kent County - Republican - Age 51 - Merchant - Quaker
Interesting Facts:


" John Hunn "
( Official State Portrait )

His parents were very active in the "Delaware Underground Railroad", his father was arrested and fined for his activities which left them penniless
1st Governor to have a Lieutenant Governor based on changes to the State Constitution in 1897
He was the first Governor of Delaware to be eligible to serve for two terms.
40th Governor to be elected to office
Years of Elected Service to Delaware: " 4 "

Date & Place of Birth:
     June 29, 1849 - Near Odessa, Delaware
Parents:
     John & Mary Jenkins (Swallow) Hunn
Married:
     Sarah Cowgill Emerson - in 1874 - ( 1850-1912 )
     Children:
          Alice - ( 1881-1969 ) - married Thomas Ross Brown
Facts about his life:

Moved with his family from Middletown, DE to Magnolia, DE
Moved with his family to Port Royal, South Carolina
Moved to Wyoming, Delaware in 1876
Merchandized fruit, lumber, and lime in Wyoming, DE
Elected as Delaware's 53rd Governor in 1900 by defeating Peter J. Ford and served from January 15,1901 to January 17, 1905
"Philip L. Cannon", son of "Gov. William Cannon" was elected as Delaware's 1st Lt. Governor

Returned to private business in Wyoming, Delaware after deciding not to run for office again.
Also served: No other Political Office.
Military Service: None

Date & Place of Death:
     September 1, 1926 - Camden, Delaware - Age 77
Place of burial:
     Quaker Meeting Yard, Camden, Delaware
Home(s):
     3 South Main Street, Camden, Delaware (currently a Private Residence)
Election Results (winner marked in bold)

Year Office Name Type
Election Party Votes % Opponent Party Votes %

1900 Governor John
Hunn Statewide Rebuplican 22,421 53% Peter J.
Ford Democrat 18,808 45%

"Click Here" for Governor Hunn's "Find A Grave" record


"Gov. Hunn's Stone"
( 2003 - Photo by Russ Pickett )

( January 17, 1905 - January 19, 1909 )

New Castle County - Republican - Age 63 - Miller - Quaker
Interesting Facts:


" Preston Lea "
( Official State Portrait )

41st Governor to be elected to office
Years of Elected Service to Delaware: " 4 "

Date & Place of Birth:
     November 12, 1841 - Wilmington, Delaware
Parents:
     William & Jane Scott (Lovett) Lea
Married (1st):
     Adelaide Moore - on Oct. 28, 1870 - ( 1846-1888 )
     Children:
          Claudia Wright - ( 1872-1955 )
          Alice Moore - ( 1876-1967 )
          Ethel Mildred - ( 1882-?? )
Married (2nd):
     Eliza Naudain Corbit - on Apr. 29, 1897 - ( 1861-1945 )
     Children:
          Louise Corbit - ( 1898-1989 )
Facts about his life:

Also served: No other political office
Elected as Delaware's 54th Governor by defeating Joseph Chandler & Caleb S. Pennewill and served from January 17, 1905 to January 19, 1909
"Isaac Thomas Parker" was elected as Delaware's 2nd Lt. Governor

Military Service: None

Date & Place of Death:
     December 4, 1916 - New Castle, Delaware - Age 75
Place of burial:
     Wilmington & Brandywine Cemetery, Wilmington, Delaware
Home(s):
     909 Delaware Avenue, New Castle, Delaware (Not Standing)
Election Results (winner marked in bold)

Year Office Name Type
Election Party Votes % Opponent Party Votes %

1904 Governor Preston
Lea Statewide Rebuplican 22,532 46% Caleb S.
Pennewill Democrat 19,780 41%

"Click Here" for more about Governor Lea and his family
"Click Here" for Governor Lea's "Find A Grave" record


" Grave of Governor Preston Lea "

( January 19, 1909 - January 21, 1913 )

Sussex County - Republican - Age 41 - Farmer - Methodist
Interesting Facts:


" Simeon Selby Pennewill "
( Official State Portrait )

3rd Governor to be elected as a Bachelor
42nd Governor to be elected to office
Years of Elected Service to Delaware: " 13 "

Date & Place of Birth:
     July 23, 1867 - Near Greenwood, Delaware
Parents:
     Simeon & Ann (Curry) Pennewill
Married (1st):
     Lydia Wright Elder - After holding Governor's office
     Children:
          None
Married (2nd):
     Elizabeth Halsey - After holding Governor's office
     Children:
          None
Facts about his life:

Attended Wilmington Conference Academy (Wesley College) in Dover, Delaware
Elected to the Delaware State Senate and served from 1898 to 1906
Elected as Delaware's 55th Governor by defeating Rowland G. Paynter who was the Great-Grandson of "Governor Samuel Paynter" by 2,200 votes and served from January 19, 1909 to January 21, 1913
"John M. Mendinhall" was elected as Delaware's 3rd Lt. Governor

Military Service: None

Date & Place of Death:
     September 10, 1935 - Dover, Delaware - Age 68
Place of burial:
     Bridgeville Methodist Cemetery, Bridgeville, Delaware
Home(s):
     228 North State Street, Dover, Delaware (currently a private residence)
"Click Here" for Governor Pennewill's "Find A Grave" record.


"Gov. Pennewill's Home"
( 2003 - Photo by Russ Pickett )

( January 21, 1913 - January 16, 1917 )

New Castle County - Republican - Age 55 - Lawyer, Banker - Episcopalian
Interesting Facts:


" Charles Robert Miller "
( Official State Portrait )

1st Governor to have a Lt. Governor of a different party
43rd Governor to be elected to office
Father of "Congressman Thomas W. Miller"
Years of Elected Service to Delaware: " 6 "

Date & Place of Birth:
     September 30, 1857 - West Chester, Pa.
Parents:
     Robert & Margaretta (Black) Miller
Married:
     Abigail Morgan Woodruff
     Children:
          Thomas Woodnut - later became a "U.S. Congressman"
          Clement
          Mrs. DeForest Willard - first name unknown
Facts about his life:

Elected to the Delaware State Senate and served from 1910 to 1912
Elected as Delaware's 56th Governor by defeating Thomas M. Monaghan and served from January 21, 1913 to January 16, 1917
"Colen Ferguson" was elected as Delaware's 4th Lt. Governor

Military Service: None

Date & Place of Death:
     September 18, 1927 - Berlin, New Jersey (While visiting a friend) - Age 69
Place of burial:
     Wilmington & Brandywine Cemetery, Wilmington, Delaware
Home(s):
     #1 Red Oak Road, Wilmington, Delaware
"Click Here" for Governor Miller's "Find A Grave" record.

( January 16, 1917 - January 18, 1921 )
United States Senator from Delaware
( March 4, 1929 - January 3, 1941 )

Sussex County - Republican - Age 45 - Farmer - Methodist
Interesting Facts:


" John Gillis Townsend, Jr. "
( Official State Portrait )

His wife Jennie was killed in an automobile accident during his first year in office as Governor
44th Governor to be elected to office
2nd Governor to have a Lt. Governor of a different party
2nd Longest surviving Governor, Age 92
Years of Elected Service to Delaware: " 19 "

Date & Place of Birth:
     May 31, 1871, Bishopville, Maryland
Parents:
     John Gillis, Sr. & Mariedith Dukes Townsend
Married:
     Jennie Collins - ( 1872 - 1917 )
     Children:
          John G., III - ( ??-1966 )
          Jennie Thelma - ( 1907-1907 )
          Paul - ( ??-1940 )
          Julian - ( ??-1968 )
          Preston Coleman
          Edith - ( ??-1980 ) - married a Tubbs
          Lyla - ( ??-1983 ) - married a Savoy
Facts about his life:

Attended the rural schools
Moved to Selbyville, Delaware, in 1895 and engaged in banking
Served in the Delaware State House of Representatives 1901-1903
Elected as the 57th Governor of Delaware by defeating future U.S. Senator "James H. Hughes" and served from January 16, 1917 to January 18, 1921
"Lewis T. Eliason" was elected as Delaware's 5th Lt. Governor

Elected as a Republican to the United States Senate in 1928; reelected in 1934 and served from March 4, 1929 to January 3, 1941; unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1940 being defeated by "James M. Tunnell"
Member of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial Commission 1939-1940
Trustee of several colleges and universities
Resumed banking, agricultural pursuits, and the raising and processing of poultry and vegetables
Military Service: None

Date & Place of Death:
     April 10, 1964 - Philiadelphia, Pa. - Age 92
Place of burial:
     Red Men's Cemetery, Selbyville, Delaware
Home(s):
     Located on the corner of S. Main and McCabe Streets.
     Currently the Selbyville Public Library.
     Donated by the family.
     Selbyville, Delaware.
"Click Here" for Governor Townsend's "Find A Grave" record.

( January 18, 1921 - January 20, 1925 )

Kent County - Republican - Age 47 - Businessman - Episcopalian
Interesting Facts:


" William duHamel Denney "
( Official State Portrait )

45th Governor to be elected to office
Years of Elected Service to Delaware: " 8 "

Date & Place of Birth:
     March 31, 1873, Near Dover, Delaware
Parents:
     William & Anna (DuHamel) Denney
Married:
     Alice Godwin - ( ??-1980 )
     Children:
          Alice - Married Stephen Strait of Canadaigua, NY
          Anne - Married Henry F. Goodnow of Chestnut Hill, Pa.
Facts about his life:

Elected to the Delaware State House in 1904 and served until 1907 - (Speaker of the House some years)
Personal Secretary to Delaware U.S. Senator "Harry A. Richardson" from 1907 to 1913
Elected as Delaware 58th Governor by defeating Andrew J. Lynch and served from January 18, 1921 to January 20, 1925
"J. Danford Bush" was elected as Delaware's 6th Lt. Governor

Served as Delaware's "Secretary of State"
Served as Delaware's "Motor Vehicle Commissioner"
Military Service: Lieutenant, World War I

Date & Place of Death:
     November 21, 1953 - Elsmere, Delaware (VA Hospital) - Age 80
Place of burial:
     Christ Church, Dover, Delaware
Home(s):
     201 Williams Street, Dover, Delaware (currently a private residence)
"Click Here" for Governor Denney's "Find A Grave" record


"Gov. Denney's Home"
( 2003 - Photo by Russ Pickett )


"Gov. Denney's Stone"
( 2003 - Photo by Russ Pickett )

( January 20, 1925 - January 15, 1929 )

New Castle County - Republican - Age 55 - Banker - Presbyterian
Interesting Facts:


" Robert Pyle Robinson "
( Official State Portrait )

Appointed the first women as Secretary of State in the Nation, Fannie Harrington
46th Governor to be elected to office
Years of Elected Service to Delaware: " 4 "

Date & Place of Birth:
     March 28, 1869 - Wilmington, Delaware
Parents:
     Robert L. & Frances (Delaplaine) Robinson
Married:
     Margaret Fouraker - in 1905
     Children:
          Mary Frances Robinson - (died an infant)
          Robert Pyle Robinson, Jr.
          Frances Robinson Parsons
Facts about his life:

Personal Secretary to Delaware U.S. Congressman "Lewis H. Ball" from 1902 to 1903
Unsuccessful in his bid to be Delaware's "Insurance Commissioner" in 1914, losing by 98 votes
Elected as Delaware's 59th Governor by defeating Joseph Bancroft and served from January 20, 1925 to January 15, 1929
"James H. Anderson" was elected as Delaware's 7th Lt. Governor

Military Service: None

Date & Place of Death:
     March 4, 1939 - Wilmington, Delaware - Age 69
Place of burial:
     Wilmington & Brandywine Cemetery, Wilmington, Delaware
Home(s):
     "Robinhurst", Wilmington, Delaware (No longer standing, current site of Alden Park)
"Click Here" for Governor Robertson's "Find A Grave" record.

( January 15, 1929 - January 19, 1937 - 2 terms )
United States Senator from Delaware
( January 3, 1943 - January 3, 1949 )

New Castle County - Republican - Age 38 - Engineer - Episcopalian
Interesting Facts:


" C. Douglass Buck, Sr. "

1st Governor to be re-elected under the new State Constitution
47th & 48th Governor to be elected to office
Great-grandnephew of "U.S. Senator John M. Clayton"
Years of Elected Service to Delaware: " 14 "

Date & Place of Birth:
     March 21, 1890 - "Buena Vista" near New Castle, Delaware
Parents:
     Frances N. & Margaret Douglass Buck
Married:
     Alice du Pont Wilson - ( Dec. 15, 1891 - Dec. 29, 1967 ) - "Online Memorial"
     Daughter of U.S. Senator "T. Coleman du Pont"
     She was previously married to a Wilson and had a son - name unknown
     Children with C. Douglass Buck, Sr.:
          Clayton Douglass Buck, Jr. - ( 1923-1986) - "Online Memorial"
          Dorcas Van Dyke Buck - married a Farquhar - ( 1925-1978 ) - "Online Memorial"
Facts about his life:

Graduated from Friends School, Wilmington, Delaware, and for two years attended the University of Pennsylvania Engineering School at Philadelphia
Engaged in road building and engineering work in Delaware
Served as a Private during World War I
Chief Engineer of the Delaware State Highway Department 1922-1929
Elected as Delaware's 60th Governor by defeating Charles M. Wharton and served from January 15, 1929 to January 16, 1933 - (1st Term)
"James H. Hazel" was elected as Delaware's 8th Lt. Governor

Elected as Delaware's 61st Governor by defeating Landreth L. Layton and served from January 16, 1933 to January 19, 1937 - (2nd Term)
"Roy F. Corley" was elected as Delaware's 9th Lt. Governor

Engaged in the banking business
Member of the Republican National Committee 1930-1937
Elected as a Republican to the United States Senate in 1942 and served from January 3, 1943 to January 3, 1949; unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1948 being defeated by "Joseph Allen Frear".
Resumed the banking business
Tax Commissioner of Delaware 1953-1957

Date & Place of Death:
     January 27, 1965 - "Buena Vista" near New Castle, Delaware - Age 74
Place of burial:
     Immanuel Church, New Castle, Delaware
Home(s):
     "Buena Vista" near New Castle, Delaware (Currently a State Conference Center)
"Click Here" for a Biography of C. Douglass Buck, Jr.
"Click Here" for Governor Buck's "Find A Grave" record


"Gov. Buck's Grave Site"
( 2002 )


"Gov. Buck's Home"
( Buena Vista )

( January 19, 1937 - January 21, 1941 )

New Castle County - Democrat - Age 69 - Leather Executive - Methodist
Interesting Facts:


" Richard Cann McMullen "
( Official State Portrait )

49th Governor to be elected to office
Years of Elected Service to Delaware: " 4 "

Date & Place of Birth:
     January 2, 1868, Porters, Near Glasgow, Delaware
Parents:
     James & Sarah (Boulden) McMullen
Married:
     Florence Hutchinson - in 1895 - ( ??-1966 )
     Children:
          Laura B. - ( 1897-?? ) - Married a Whitfield
          Richard H. - ( 1900-1973 ) - Married Ruth V. ??
          Florence - ( 1908-2003 ) - "Online Memorial"
             Married Irvin "Ace" Taylor, resided in Odessa, De.
Facts about his life:

Also served: Wilmington City Council
Elected as the 62nd Governor of Delaware by defeating Isaac Dolphus Short & Harry L. Cannon and served from January 19, 1937 to January 21, 1941
"Edward M. Cooch" was elected as Delaware's 10th Lt. Governor

He was again nominated as the Democratic Party candidate for Governor in 1940, but suffered a heart attack a month before the election and withdrew from the campaign.
Military Service: None

Date & Place of Death:
     February 18, 1944 - Wilmington, Delaware - Age 76
Place of burial:
     Riverview Cemetery, Wilmington, Delaware
Home(s):
     1007 North Rodney Street, Wilmington, Delaware
"Click Here" for Governor McMullen's "Find A Grave" record.

( January 21, 1941 - January 18, 1949 - 2 Terms )

New Castle County - Republican - Age 61 - Accountant - Presbyterian
Interesting Facts:


" Walter Wolfkiel Bacon "
( Official State Portrait )

50th and 51st Governor to be elected to office
3rd Governor to have a Lt. Governor of a different Party
4th Governor to have a Lt. Governor of a different Party
Years of Elected Service to Delaware: " 8 "

Date & Place of Birth:
     January 20, 1880 - New Castle, Delaware
Parents:
     John G. & Margaret (Foster) Bacon
Married:
     Mabel H. McDaniel - on November 28, 1906 - ( ??-1962 ) - "View Her Online Memorial"
     Children:
          None
Facts about his life:

He began selling newspapers at age 8
Bacon was an accountant with U.S. Steel in Chester, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia and then with the Repauno Corporation. Upon Repauno's acquisition by the DuPont Company, he moved to the General Motors Division in Michigan, where he was Treasurer with the Buick Motor Company from 1918 until 1930.
Elected as Mayor of Wilmington, Delaware and served from 1935 to 1940 (3 terms)
Elected as the 63rd Governor of Delaware by defeating Josiah Marvel, Jr. and served from January 21, 1941 to January 19, 1945 - ( 1st Term )
"Isaac J. MacCollum" was elected as Delaware's 11th Lt. Governor

Elected as the 64th Governor of Delaware by defeating "Isaac J. MacCollum", his Lt. Governor, and served from January 19, 1945 to January 18, 1949 - ( 2nd Term )
"Elbert N. Carvel", future 65th Governor of Delaware, was elected as Delaware's 12th Lt. Governor

Military Service: None
Bacon has been described "as a simple man with simple tastes. He didn't drink, liked baseball, saw every Shirley Temple movie that came to town, pinched pennies, and perhaps was the right man for the right time when he was governor."

Date & Place of Death:
     March 18, 1962 - Wilmington, Delaware - Age 82
Place of burial:
     Old Drawyers Church, Odessa, Delaware
Home(s):
     Mayfair Apartments, North Harrison Street, Wilmington, Delaware
Election Results (winner marked in bold)

Year Office Name Type
Election Party Votes % Opponent Party Votes %

1940 Governor Walter W.
Bacon Statewide Rebuplican 70,629 52% Josiah
Marvel, Jr. Democrat 61,237 45%

1944 Governor Walter W.
Bacon Statewide Rebuplican 63,829 51% Isaac J.
MacCollum Democrat 62,156 49%

"Click Here" for Governor Bacon's "Find A Grave" record


"Gov. Bacon's Grave Site"
( 2003 - Photo by Russ Pickett )



Email any questions to: Russ Pickett
Last update: September 12, 2009