Tennessee State Treasurer is a constitutional officer of the state of Tennessee. The incumbent is elected to supervise the state Department of the Treasury for a term of two years by a vote of both houses of the Tennessee General Assembly. The current office holder is David Lillard.
History
Prior to Tennessee statehood, Daniel Smith acted as territorial treasurer from 1792 to 1794. In 1794, a system of district treasurers was established, one for the District of Washington and Hamilton (East Tennessee) and one for the District of Mero, Robertson and Winchester (Middle and West Tennessee). This separation of responsibility was necessitated by the fact that much of the Southwest Territory (future Tennessee) west of North Carolina was still controlled by native American Indian tribes (see map).
In 1827, an East Tennessee District office was established in Knoxville and the Mero District was separated into an office in Nashville and a new West Tennessee District office in Jackson. In 1836, treasurer became a statewide office elected by the legislature and based in Nashville.
District treasurers The following served as district treasurers for the Southwest Territory (1794–1796) and Tennessee (1796–1836).
Washington and Hamilton or Eastern District Landon Carter, 1794–1800 John Maclin, 1800–1803 Thomas McCorry, 1803–1815 Matthew Nelson, 1815–1827 Miller Francis, 1827–1836
Miro or Mero District Howell Tatum, 1794–1796 William Black, 1796–1797 Robert Searcy, 1797–1803 Thomas Crutcher, 1803–1836
Western District James Caruthers, 1827–1836
Statewide treasurers The following have served as Tennessee State Treasurer since 1836.
Miller Francis, 1836–1843 Matthew Nelson, 1843–1845 Robert B. Turner, 1845–1847 Anthony Dibrell, 1847–1855 Granville C. Torbett, 1855–1857 William F. McGregor, 1857–1861 William F. McGregor, 1861–1863 (Confederate) Joel A. Battle, 1863–1865 (Confederate) Robert L. Stanford, 1865–1866 John R. Henry, 1866–1868 William H. Stillwell, 1868–1869 James E. Rust, 1869–1871 William Morrow, 1871–1877 Marshall T. Polk, 1877–1883 Atha Thomas, 1883–1885 James W. Thomas, 1885–1886 Atha Thomas, 1886–1889 Mansfield F. "Manse" House, 1889–1893 Edward B. Craig, 1893–1901 Reau E. Folk, 1901–1911 George Thomas Taylor, 1911–1913 William P. Hickerson, 1913–1915 Porter Dunlap, 1915–1919 Hill McAlister, 1919–1927 John F. Nolan, 1927–1931 Hill McAlister, 1931–1933 James J. Bean, 1933–1937 Grover Keaton, 1937–1939 John W. Harton, 1939–1945 Cecil C. Wallace, 1945–1948 J. (James) Floyd Murrey, 1948–1949 William Norfleet Estes Sr., 1949–1953 James B. Walker Sr., January 1953 James B. Walker Jr., January–July 1953 (Acting) James B. Walker Sr., July 1953 – January 1955 Ramon Davis, 1955–1963 James H. Alexander Sr., January 1963 – June 1964 Nobel Caudill, June–October 1964 (Acting) James H. Alexander Sr., October 1964 – January 1967 Charles E. "Charlie" Worley Jr., 1967–1971 Thomas A. Wiseman Jr., 1971–1974 Harlan Mathews, 1974–1987 Steve Adams, 1987–2003 Dale Sims, 2003–2009 David H. Lillard Jr., 2009–Present
References