Capital: Baton Rouge

State Nickname: Pelican State

State Bird: E. Brown Pelican

State Flower: Magnolia

Admitted to the Union: April 30, 1812

July 30, 1812 to December 16, 1816:

William C. C. Claiborne

December 16, 1816 to December 17, 1820:

Jacques Phillipe Villere

December 18, 1820 to November 15, 1824:

Thomas B. Robertson

November 15, 1824 to December 13, 1824:

Henry S. Thibodeaux

December 13, 1824 To December 15, 1828:

Henry S. Johnson

December 15, 1828 to October 6, 1829:

Pierre Derbigny

October 6, 1829 to January 14, 1830:

Armand Beauvais

January 14, 1830 to January 31, 1831:

Jacques Dupre

January 31, 1831 to February 4, 1835:

Andre B. Roman

February 4, 1835 to February 4, 1839:

Edward E. White

February 4, 1839 to January 30, 1843:

Andre B. Roman

January 30, 1843 to February 11, 1846:

Alexander Moulton

February 12, 1846 to January 27, 1850:

Isaac Johnson

January 28, 1850 to January 15, 1853:

Joseph M. Walker

January 18, 1853 to January 21, 1856:

Paul O. Hebert

January 22, 1856 to January 22, 1860:

Robert C. Wickliffe

January 23, 1860 to January 25, 1864:

Thomas O. Moore

July 2, 1862 to March 4, 1864:

George F. Shepley*

* Military governor within Union lines

Janury 24, 1864 to June 2, 1865:

Henry W. Allen*

* Last elected Confederate governor

March 4, 1864 to March 4, 1865:

Michael Hahn

March 4, 1865 to June 3, 1867:

James M. Wells

June 3, 1867 to January 8, 1868:

Benjamin F. Flanders

January 8, 1868 to June 27, 1868:

Joshua Baker

June 27, 1868 to December 9, 1872:

Henry C. Warmouth

December 9, 1872 to January 13, 1873:

Pinckney B. S. Pinchback

January 13, 1873 to January 5, 1877:

William P. Kellogg*

* The 1872 gubernatorial election was highly contested. Each side (Republican and Democrat) organized its own boards to canvas the vote. One showed Kellogg the winner. The other showed McEnery as winner. Each was inaugurated by their own party as governor. President Grant finally stepped in and declared Kellogg the legitimate governor on May 22, 1873.

January 8, 1877 to January 13, 1880:

Francis T. Nichols

January 14, 1880 to October 16, 1881:

Louis A. Wiltz

October 16, 1881 to May 20, 1888:

Samuel D. McEnery

May 21, 1888 to May 10, 1892:

Fancis T. Nicholls

May 10, 1892 to May 8, 1900:

Murphy J. Foster

May 8, 1900 to May 10, 1904:

William W. Heard

May 10, 1904 to May 12, 1908:

Newton C. Blanchard

May 12, 1908 to May 14, 1912:

Jared Y. Sanders

May 14, 1912 to May 9, 1916:

Luther E. Hall:

May 9, 1916 to May 11, 1920:

Ruffin G. Pleasant

May 11, 1920 to May 13, 1924:

John M. Parker

May 13, 1924 to October 11, 1926:

Henry L. Fuqua

October 11, 1926 to May 21, 1928:

Oramel H. Simpson

May 21, 1928 to January 25, 1932:

Huey P. Long, Jr.

January 25, 1932 to May 10, 1932:

Alvin O. King

May 10, 1932 to January 28, 1936:

Oscar K. Allen

January 28, 1936 to May 12, 1936:

James A. Noe

May 12, 1936 to June 26, 1939:

Richard W. Leche

June 26, 1939 to May 14, 1940:

Earl K. Long

May 14, 1940 to May 9, 1944:

Sam H. Jones

May 9, 1944 to May 11, 1948:

James H. Davis

May 11, 1948 to May 13, 1952:

Earl K. Long

May 13, 1952 to May 8, 1956:

Robert F. Kennon

May 8, 1956 to May 10, 1960:

Earl K. Long

May 10, 1960 to May 12, 1964:

James H. Davis

May 12, 1964 to May 9, 1972:

John J. McKiethen

May 9, 1972 to March 10, 1980:

Edwin W. Edwards

March 10, 1980 to March 12, 1984:

David C. Treen

March 12, 1984 to March 14, 1988:

Edwin C. Edwards

March 14, 1988 to January 8, 1992:

Charles Roemer*

* In the 1987 election he ran on the Democratic Party ticket. In 1991 he switched parties and became a Republican

January 8, 1992 to January 8, 1996:

Edwin W. Edwards

January 8, 1992 to 1996:

Mike Foster

1996 to 2004

Mike Foster, Jr.

2004 --

Kathleen Blanco

Words and Music by Jimmy Davis and Charles Mitchell

1820: 153,407

1830: 215,529

1840: 352,411

1850: 517,762

1860: 708,002

1870: 726,915

1880: 939,946

1890: 1,118,587

1900: 1,381,625

1910: 1,656,388

1920: 1,798,509

1930: 2,101,593

1940: 2,363,880

1950: 2,683,516

1960: 3,237,022

1970: 3,644,637

1980: 4,205,900

1990: 4,219,973

2000: 4,468,958