List of governors of the Panama Canal Zone

This article lists the governors of the Panama Canal Zone between 1904 and 1979, while it was under U.S. control.

Governor of the Panama Canal Zone
Longest serving Robert John Fleming 1 February 1962–31 January 1967
Panama Canal Zone
Seat	Balboa
Appointer	The U.S. President
Constituting instrument	Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty
Formation	14 May 1904; 121 years ago (1904-05-14)
First holder	George Whitefield Davis
Final holder	Harold Parfitt
Abolished	30 September 1979; 45 years ago (1979-09-30)

Military governors (1904–1914)

Image	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Notes	Reference
	George Whitefield Davis (1839–1918)	14 May 1904	24 May 1905
	Charles Edward Magoon (1861–1920)	25 May 1905	12 October 1906
	Richard Reid Rogers (1867–1949)	19 November 1906	31 March 1907	General Counsel of the Isthmian Canal Commission
	Joseph Clay Stiles Blackburn (1838–1918)	1 April 1907	4 December 1909
	Maurice Thatcher (1870–1973)	13 May 1910	8 August 1913
	Richard Lee Metcalfe (1861–1954)	9 August 1913	31 March 1914

Military and civil governors (1914–1924)

Image	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Notes	Reference
	George Washington Goethals (1858–1928)	1 April 1914	10 January 1917	First U.S. civil governor appointed by President Woodrow Wilson	[1]
	Chester Harding (1866–1936)	11 January 1917	27 March 1921		[1]
	Jay Johnson Morrow (1870–1937)	28 March 1921	15 October 1924		[1]

Civil governors (1924–1979)

Image	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Notes	Reference
	Meriwether Lewis Walker (1869–1947)	16 October 1924	15 October 1928		[1]
	Harry Burgess (1872–1933)	16 October 1928	20 October 1932		[1]
	Julian Larcombe Schley (1880–1965)	21 October 1932	26 August 1936		[1]
	Clarence S. Ridley (1883–1969)	27 August 1936	10 July 1940		[1]
	Glen Edgar Edgerton (1887–1976)	11 July 1940	15 May 1944		[1]
	Joseph Cowles Mehaffey (1889–1963)	16 May 1944	19 May 1948		[1]
	Francis K. Newcomer (1889–1967)	20 May 1948	26 May 1952		[1]
	John States Seybold (1897–1982)	27 May 1952	27 May 1956		[1]
	William Everett Potter (1905–1988)	28 May 1956	30 June 1960		[1]
	William Arnold Carter (1907–1996)	1 July 1960	31 January 1962		[1]
	Robert John Fleming (1907–1984)	1 February 1962	31 January 1967		[1]
	Walter Philip Leber (1918–2009)	21 February 1967	2 March 1971		[1]
	David Stuart Parker (1919–1990)	3 March 1971	25 March 1975		[1]
	Harold Parfitt (1921–2006)	26 March 1975	30 September 1979		[1]

See also

• History of the Panama Canal