Secretary of State

Secretary of the Territory

The duties of the Secretary of the Territory, as prescribed by the Organic Act, were to record and preserve all the laws and proceedings of the Legislative Assemblies and all acts and proceedings of the Governor in his executive department; in case of death, removal, resignation or other necessary absence of the Governor from the Territory, the Secretary was empowered and authorized to be Acting Governor. ^[1]

An Act of the 1882 Legislative Assembly declared the Secretary of the Territory to be Superintendent of Weights and Measures. This act was repealed in 1884.^[2] The Secretary received $1,800 annually. There were, however various changes to his salary during this period, 1869 - 1890. He received no other compensation that that allowed by the laws of the United States.^[3]

Name (Party)	Date of Appointment	Oath of Office	Term Expired	Birth	Death	Notes
Edward M. Lee (R)	April 7, 1869	April 14, 1869	May 25, 1870	Aug. 23, 1837	Jan. 1, 1913
Herman Glafcke (R)	March 2, 1870	May 25, 1870	May 1, 1873	June 20, 1840	March 25, 1912
Jason B. Brown (D)	March 26, 1873	May 1, 1873	March 17, 1875	Feb. 26, 1839	March 10, 1898
George W. French (R)	Feb. 24, 1875	March 17, 1875	Feb. 25, 1879	Aug. 11, 1823	Aft. 1879
A. Worth Spates (R)	Jan. 7, 1879	Feb. 25, 1879	April 1, 1880	Feb. 14, 1847	Aug. 1907
Elliott S.N. Morgan (R)	March 15, 1880	April 1, 1880	April 8, 1884	Jan. 1832	April 20, 1894
Elliott S.N. Morgan (R)	March 31, 1884	April 8, 1884	April 25, 1887	Jan. 1832	April 20, 1894	nly Acting Governor during the territorial period. He served as Acting Governor from January 13, 1885 to February 28, 1885 (45 days) and again from December 20, 1886 to January 24, 1887 (35 days)
Samuel D. Shannon (D)	April 9, 1887	April 25, 1887	Jan. 31, 1888	May 3, 1833	September 13, 1896
Samuel D. Shannon (D)	Jan. 24, 1888	Jan. 31, 1888	July 1, 1889	May 3, 1833	September 13, 1896
John W. Meldrum (R)	May 20, 1889	July 1, 1889	Jan. 20, 1890	Sept. 17, 1843	Feb. 27, 1936
John W. Meldrum (R)	Jan. 9, 1890	Jan. 20, 1890	Nov. 8, 1890	Sept. 17, 1843	Feb. 27, 1936

Secretaries of State

The Secretary of State serves as defacto lieutenant governor, acting governor, securities administrator, state elections officer, and convenes the state House of Representatives, certifies corporations; registers securities, broker dealers, and trademarks; accepts filings under the Uniform Commercial Code; maintains a registry of rules and regulations of state agencies; issues notary commissions and collection agency licenses, and publishes Election Laws. The Secretary of State also maintains the state registry of rules of state agencies, publishes the Wyoming Official Directory and is custodian of the Great Seal. The Secretary of State serves as member of the Governor's cabinet and the boards and commissions which include the state's top five elected officials.

History of the Secretary of State's Office

Name (Party)	Hometown	Service	Birth	Death	Notes
Amos W. Barber (R)	Cheyenne	1890-1895	April 26, 1861	May 19,1915
C. W. Burdick (R)	Saratoga	1895-1899	Aug. 15, 1860	Jan. 8, 1927
Fenimore Chatterton (R)	Saratoga	1899-1907	July 21, 1860	May 9, 1958
William R. Schnitger (R)	Cheyenne	1907-1911	Oct. 31, 1852	Sept. 23, 1929
Frank Houx (D)	Cody	1911-1919	Dec. 12, 1860	April 3, 1941
W. E. Chaplin (R)	Laramie	1919-1923	Feb. 25, 1860	Jan. 9, 1948
Frank Lucas (R)	Buffalo	1923-1927	Aug. 4, 1876	Nov. 26, 1948
Alonzo M. Clark (R)	Gillette	1927-1935	Aug. 13, 1868	Oct. 12, 1952
Lester C. Hunt (D)	Lander	1935-1943	July 8, 1892	June 19, 1954
Mart T. Christensen (R)	Baggs	1943-1944	July 27, 1889	Oct. 12, 1944
William “Scotty” Jack (D)	Casper	1944-1947	March 5, 1892	April 14, 1970
Arthur G. Crane (R)	Cheyenne	1947-1951	Sept. 1, 1877	Aug. 11, 1955
C. J. “Doc” Rogers (R)	Cheyenne	1951-1955	Dec. 20, 1897	May 18, 1962
Everett T. Copenhaver (R)	Douglas	1955-1959	April 22, 1898	April 3, 1986
Jack R. Gage (D)	Sheridan	1959-1963	Jan. 15, 1899	March 14, 1970
Thyra Thomson (R)	Cheyenne	1963-1987	July 30, 1916	June 11, 2013	Elected to six consecutive terms, set a record for years of service, not only as Secretary of State, but for all five of the statewide offices
Kathy Karpan (D)	Cheyenne	1987-1995	Sept. 1, 1942
Diana J. Ohman (R)	Cheyenne	1995-1999	Oct. 3, 1950
Joe Meyer (R)	Casper	1999-2007	April 22, 1944	October 6, 2012
Max Maxfield (R)	Casper	2007-2015	Feb. 17, 1945
Ed Murray (R)	Cheyenne	2015-2018			Resigned from office February 9, 2018.
Edward Buchanan (R)	Torrington	2018-present			Appointed to fill the remaining term of Murray.