Office History - Florida Department of State

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en" class="no-js"> <head> <title>Office History - Florida Department of State </title> <meta charset="UTF-8" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" /> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge" /> <meta name="google-translate-customization" content="b13e11864ff26f97-9ce91fe801721469-g2e5db22dd13dac5a-11"/> <meta name="google-site-verification" content="LeO7xapTmIz1cyCSxvIDFQx54khwE6tr0r86UBBEqR4" />  <link href="/css/fontello.min.css" rel="stylesheet" />  <link href='https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Open+Sans:400,600,700|Oxygen:400,700' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'>   <link href="/css/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet" media="all"> <link href="/css/font-awesome.min.css" rel="stylesheet" media="all">  <link href="/css/style.min.css" rel="stylesheet">  <link href="/css/content-styles.css" rel="stylesheet">  <link href="/css/dos.min.css?v=2.0" rel="stylesheet">   <script src="/Scripts/jquery-2.2.4.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="/js/lib/modernizr/modernizr.min.js"></script>  <script src="/scripts/bootstrap.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>     <link href="/css/columns.css" rel="stylesheet"> </head> <body>  <nav class="navbar navbar-inverse" id="dosbanner" role="navigation"> <div class="container">  <div class="navbar-header"> <button type="button" class="navbar-toggle" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#dosMenu"> <span class="sr-only">Toggle navigation</span> <span class="icon-menu"></span> </button> <a class="navbar-brand display-print" href="/"><img src="/images/dos.logo.black-bg.png" class="img-responsive" alt="Florida Department of State" id="dosLogo"></a> </div>  <div class="collapse navbar-collapse hidden-print" id="dosMenu"> <ul class="nav navbar-nav navbar-right"> <li><a href="/sunbiz/" title="Division of Corporations website">Corporations</a></li> <li><a href="/cultural/" title="Division of Arts and Culture website">Arts & Culture</a></li> <li><a href="/elections/" title="Division of Elections website">Elections</a></li> <li><a href="/historical/" title="Division of Historical Resources website">Historical Resources</a></li> <li><a href="/library-archives/" title="Division of Library and Information Services website">Library and Information Services</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> <div id="header"> <div class="container"> <div id="banner" class="search-banner banner-dos"> <div class="row"> <div class="brand"> <p class="logo"> <a href="/"> <img src="/images/seal.png" alt="Division of Department of State"/> </a> </p> </div> <div class="call-to-action"> <p class="mission lead">The Florida Department of State manages our state's elections, corporations, historical and cultural resources and our libraries.</p> <form class="search hidden-print" action="/search/" method="get"> <div class="input-group"> <input type="text" title="Search" class="form-control" placeholder="How can we serve you?" name="q"> <span class="input-group-btn"><input type="submit" value="Search" class="btn"></span> </div> </form> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="navigation"> <div class="container"> <nav class="megamenu hidden-print navbar" role="navigation"> <ul class="nav-menu collapse navbar-collapse" id="main-menu"> <li class="menu-item current"> <a href="/about-the-department/">About the Department</a> <div class="sub-nav " > <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-12 nav-primary"> <ul class="sub-nav-group" id=""> <li class=" "> <a href="/about-the-department/about-the-secretary/">About the Secretary</a> </li> <li class=" current"> <a href="/about-the-department/office-history/">Office History</a> </li> <li class=" "> <a href="/about-the-department/our-mission/">Our Mission</a> </li> <li class=" "> <a href="/about-the-department/flag-and-seal-protocol/">Flag and Seal Protocol</a> </li> <li class=" "> <a href="/about-the-department/annual-regulatory-plans/">Annual Regulatory Plans</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="menu-item "> <a href="/offices/">Offices</a> <div class="sub-nav " > <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-12 nav-primary"> <ul class="sub-nav-group" id=""> <li class=" "> <a href="/offices/administrative-code-and-register/">Administrative Code and Register</a> </li> <li class=" "> <a href="/offices/communications/">Communications</a> </li> <li class=" "> <a href="/offices/administrative-services/">Division of Administrative Services</a> <ul class="level-3" id=""> <li class=" "> <a href="/offices/administrative-services/meetings-events-and-notices/">Meetings, Events and Notices</a> </li> <li class=" "> <a href="/offices/administrative-services/january-8-2024-notice-of-meetingworkshop-hearing/">January 8, 2024 - 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The predecessor of the modern-day office was established in 1821 when Florida became a United States territory. Territorial secretaries were appointed by the President and confirmed by Congress. Florida鈥檚 seven territorial secretaries effectively served as a lieutenant governor assuming the administrative duties of government when the Territorial Governor was absent. Florida鈥檚 first territorial secretary, George Walton, acted in this capacity until William P. Duval, the first civilian governor of the Territory of Florida, assumed office.</p> <p>When Florida was admitted as a state in 1845, James T. Archer, an attorney from Tallahassee, became the first Secretary of State. The main responsibilities of the office included maintaining the state鈥檚 public records and acting as custodian of the state seal, which was impressed on documents to certify them as official.</p> <p>Florida鈥檚 Reconstruction period was a time of marked change in the South. Originally a minister and educator from Philadelphia, Jonathan Clark Gibbs became Florida鈥檚 first black Secretary of State when he was appointed by Governor Harrison Reed. Gibbs was Secretary for four years, and later served as the state鈥檚 Superintendent of Public Instruction.</p> <p>As Florida's population grew in the 20th century so did the duties of the Secretary of State. In 1969, the Office of the Secretary of State was merged with several state agencies to form the Florida Department of State. In 1974, Governor Rubin Askew appointed Dorothy W. Glisson as the first female Secretary of State. With her appointment, Glisson also became the first woman to hold a post on the Florida Cabinet.</p> <p>At the dawn of the new millennium, more changes were made to the office. 聽In 2003, the Secretary of State was no longer an elected official; secretaries since that time have been appointed by the Governor. Most recently, the Secretary also assumed the duties of Florida鈥檚 Protocol Officer promoting Florida as the center of American creativity to foreign officials. Additionally, in 2021 and 2022 respectively, the Secretary gained oversight of the Office of International Affairs and the Office of Election Crimes and Security.</p> <p>For more than 200 years, the Office of Secretary of State has performed an important role in Florida鈥檚 governmental affairs. Today, the Secretary serves as the State Protocol Officer, Florida鈥檚 Chief Election Officer, Chief Arts and Culture Officer, and is the agency head of the Florida Department of State overseeing six divisions: Arts and Culture, Administrative Services, Corporations, Elections, Historical Resources, and Library and Information Services. While the duties of the office have broadened over the years, the Secretary鈥檚 primary responsibility continues to be to serve the people of Florida.</p> <h2>List of Secretaries</h2> <ol> <li>James T. Archer, 1845-48</li> <li>Augustus E. Maxwell, 1848-49</li> <li>Charles W. Downing, Jr., 1849-53</li> <li>Fred L. Villepigue, 1853-63</li> <li>Benjermin F. Allen, 1863-68</li> <li>George J. Alden 1868</li> <li>Johnathan C. Gibbs, 1868-73</li> <li>Samuel B. Mclin, 1873-77</li> <li>William D. Bloxham, 1877-80</li> <li>Fredrick W.A. Rankin, Jr., 1880-81</li> <li>John Lovic Crawford, 1881-1902</li> <li>Henry Clay Crawford, 1902-29</li> <li>William Monroe Igou, 1929-30</li> <li>Robert Andrew Gray, 1930-61</li> <li>Thomas "Tom" Adams, Jr., 1961-71</li> <li>Richard B. Stone, 1971-74</li> <li>Dorothy W. Glisson, 1974-75</li> <li>Bruce A. Smathers, 1975-78</li> <li>Jesse J. McCrary, Jr., 1978-79</li> <li>George Firestone, 1979-87</li> <li>James C. "Jim" Smith, 1987-95</li> <li>Sandra B. Mortham, 1995-99</li> <li>Katherine H. Harris, 1999-2002</li> <li>James C. "Jim" Smith, 2002-03</li> <li>Kenneth W. Detzner, 2003</li> <li>Glenda E. Hood, 2003-05</li> <li>David E. Mann, 2005</li> <li>Sue M. Cobb, 2005-07</li> <li>Kurt S. Browning, 2007-10</li> <li>Dawn K. Roberts, Interim, 2010-11</li> <li>Jennifer Kennedy, Acting, 2011</li> <li>Kurt S. Browning, 2011-2012</li> <li>Ken Detzner, 2012-2019</li> <li>Michael Ertel, 2019</li> <li>Jennifer Kennedy, Interim, 2019</li> <li>Laurel M. Lee, 2019-2022</li> <li><span>Cord Byrd, 2022-</span></li> </ol> <h2>Secretaries of Distinction</h2> <table border="0" class="table"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img src="/media/8052/sos-archer.gif" alt="Secretary of State Archer" width="100" height="123" /></td> <td>James T. Archer, a distinguished lawyer, served as Florida's first Secretary of State (1845-48).</td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="/media/8053/sos-gibbs.gif" alt="Secretary of State Gibbs" width="100" height="126" /></td> <td>Johnathan C. Gibbs, who was appointed during reconstruction, was Florida's first Black Secretary of State (1868-73).</td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="/media/8054/sos-bloxham.gif" alt="Sos -bloxham" width="100" height="124" /></td> <td>William D. Bloxham was Florida's first native born Secretary of State (1877-80). He later served two terms as governor of Florida. (1881-85, 1897-1901).</td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="/media/8055/sos-gray.gif" alt="Sos -gray" width="100" height="127" /></td> <td>Robert Andrew Gray had the distinction of being Florida's longest-serving Secretary of State. (1930-61).</td> </tr> <tr> <td><img style="width: 100px; height: 124px;" src="/media/29603/glisson.png" alt="Some description" rel="100,124" /></td> <td>Dorothy Glisson, appointed Secretary of State by Governor Askew in 1974, became the first woman to hold that position in Florida history, and the first woman to serve on the Florida Cabinet. Before her appointment, she served for two decades as the Director of the state elections office.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> <div class="sidebar col-md-4"> <div id="page-navigation"> <h2><a href="/about-the-department/">About the Department </a></h2> <ul> <li> <a href="/about-the-department/about-the-secretary/">About the Secretary</a> </li> <li class="selected current"> <a href="/about-the-department/office-history/">Office History</a> </li> <li> <a href="/about-the-department/our-mission/">Our Mission</a> </li> <li> <a href="/about-the-department/flag-and-seal-protocol/">Flag and Seal Protocol</a> </li> <li> <a href="/about-the-department/annual-regulatory-plans/">Annual Regulatory Plans</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="footer"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-8"> <p class="logo state-seal"><img src="/images/seal.png" alt="Florida State Seal"></p> <p class="officials"> Ron DeSantis, Governor<br> Cord Byrd, Secretary of State </p> <ul class="list-inline utility-links" style="clear:left;"> <li><a href="/privacy-policy/">Privacy Policy</a></li> <li><a href="/accessibility/">Accessibility</a></li> <li><a href="/site-map/">Site Map</a></li> </ul> <p class="lead questions">Questions or comments? <a href="/contact-us/">Contact Us </a> <br /> <a href="http://dos.myflorida.com/offices/general-counsel/public-records-requests/">Submit a public records request.</a> </p> <p class="disclaimer">Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.</p> <p class="copyright"><small><a href="/copyright/">Copyright</a> © 2024 State of Florida, Florida Department of State.</small></p> </div> <div class="contact-block col-md-4"> <ul class="utility-links list-inline" style="clear:left;"> </ul> <p class="department"> Florida Department of State<br> Phone: 850.245.6500<br /> </p> <p class="address"> R.A. Gray Building<br /> 500 South Bronough Street<br /> Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0250<br /> </p> </div> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-9"> </div> </div> </div> </div>    >  <script src="/js/helpers.min.js"></script> <script src="/js/navigation.min.js"></script>  <script src="/js/lib/jquery.cycle2/jquery.cycle2.all.min.js"></script>  <script src="/scripts/js/dos.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> function googleTranslateElementInit() { new google.translate.TranslateElement({ pageLanguage: 'en', includedLanguages: 'es,en', layout: google.translate.TranslateElement.InlineLayout.HORIZONTAL, multilanguagePage: true, gaTrack: true, gaId: 'UA-3263504-19' }, 'google_translate_element'); } </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//translate.google.com/translate_a/element.js?cb=googleTranslateElementInit"></script>  <script> (function (i, s, o, g, r, a, m) { i['GoogleAnalyticsObject'] = r; i[r] = i[r] || function () { (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments) }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date(); a = s.createElement(o), m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0]; a.async = 1; a.src = g; m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m) })(window, document, 'script', '//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js', 'ga'); ga('create', 'UA-3263504-19', 'myflorida.com'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script>  <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-VWEXM6JRRE"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag() { dataLayer.push(arguments); } gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-VWEXM6JRRE'); </script> <script>window.twttr = (function (d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], t = window.twttr || {}; if (d.getElementById(id)) return t; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); t._e = []; t.ready = function (f) { t._e.push(f); }; return t; }(document, "script", "twitter-wjs"));</script> </body> </html>

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Office History - Florida Department of State