Jewish World Records emblemJewish World Records
Back to all records
JWR VerifiedJWR-2026-000174

First Jewish Governor of a U.S. State

Record holder

Moses AlexanderPerson

Record value

4 January 1915

Country represented: United StatesAchievement location: Boise, Idaho, United StatesAchievement date: 4 January 1915Current record

Challenge this record

Verified by Jewish World RecordsHow we verify records

Portrait of Idaho Governor Moses Alexander.

Moses Alexander, Governor of Idaho, circa 1910–1915.Bain News Service / Library of CongressWikimedia CommonsPublic domain

Official record definition

The earliest person who was publicly practicing/identifying as Jewish at the time of service to assume the governorship of a U.S. state.

Measurement methodology

State-governor chronology combined with Idaho and Jewish historical sources distinguishing an actively/practicing Jewish governor from ancestry-only predecessors.

Record story

Moses Alexander became the "First Jewish Governor of a U.S. State" on 4 January 1915 when he took office as the 11th governor of Idaho. The German-born American businessman and public official served his term from the state capital, Boise, from 1915 to 1919. An official chronology from the Office of the Governor of Idaho confirms his gubernatorial service began on this date.

This achievement is based on the record's definition of the earliest person who was publicly practicing and identifying as Jewish at the time of service. Idaho's official historical timeline describes Alexander's 1914 election as the first election of a Jewish governor in the United States. Jewish historical sources, including the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, further document his active Jewish identity during his tenure, distinguishing this record from any predecessors who may have had Jewish ancestry but were not practicing or identifying as Jewish.

Media

How JWR verified this record

Verification date
26 September 2026
Verification standard
JWR Verification Standard 1.0

Achievement evidence

The Idaho governor's official chronology confirms Alexander's gubernatorial service began 4 January 1915.

Superiority evidence

Idaho's official historical timeline describes Alexander's 1914 election as the first Jewish governor election in the United States; contemporary and later Jewish sources document his active Jewish identity, closing the practicing-Jewish definition.

Jewish Eligibility — Verified by JWR

Jewish eligibility verification

Evidence establishing that the holder qualifies as Jewish for JWR purposes.

  • Jewish Immigrant Who Became Governor of American State Dies at 78 — Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Achievement / record verification

Evidence establishing that the holder achieved the result and holds the record as defined.

  • Past Governors (1890 through present) — Office of the Governor of Idaho
  • Moses Alexander archival portrait — Library of Congress / Wikimedia Commons

Superiority / counter-candidate verification

Evidence comparing the result with other candidates relevant to the record claim.

  • Idaho History Timeline — State of Idaho / Idaho historical timeline

Jewish eligibility, achievement and superiority evidence retain their separate classifications and are never merged. Context and provenance are not presented as proof of the achievement. Restricted evidence and internal research notes are never published. Learn more about the seven-stage process on the verification page.

Sources & Verification

  • Past Governors (1890 through present)

    Official recordOffice of the Governor of Idaho

    What this proves: Confirms Moses Alexander served as Governor of Idaho from 4 January 1915 to 6 January 1919.

  • Idaho History Timeline

    Official recordState of Idaho / Idaho historical timeline

    What this proves: States that in 1914 Moses Alexander was elected the first Jewish governor in the United States.

  • Jewish Immigrant Who Became Governor of American State Dies at 78

    Independent publicationJewish Telegraphic Agency

    What this proves: Documents Alexander's Jewish identity and describes him as the first Jewish immigrant elected governor of a U.S. state.

  • Moses Alexander archival portrait

    Reference databaseLibrary of Congress / Wikimedia Commons

    What this proves: Provides the Bain Collection portrait with public-domain/no-known-restrictions provenance.

History

  1. Verified

    Verified according to JWR Verification Standard 1.0.

  2. Publishedv1

    Published to the official JWR registry.

Related records

Portrait of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis.
JWR Verified
Community & SocietyFirst

First Jewish Justice of the United States Supreme Court

Record holder

Louis D. Brandeis

Record value

June 5, 1916

Louis D. Brandeis took the judicial oath on 5 June 1916 and became the first Jewish Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. The appointment, made in Washington, D.C., followed a lengthy confirmation process. This achievement marks the earliest instance of a person recognized as Jewish serving on the highest court in the United States. His service as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court continued from his appointment in 1916 until 1939.

Country represented
United States
Achievement location
Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C., United States
Achievement date
5 June 1916
View full record
Portrait of U.S. Cabinet member Oscar S. Straus.
JWR Verified
Community & SocietyFirst

First Jewish Member of the United States Cabinet

Record holder

Oscar S. Straus

Record value

17 December 1906

On 17 December 1906, Oscar S. Straus entered office as United States Secretary of Commerce and Labor in President Theodore Roosevelt’s Cabinet. The Library of Congress identifies the appointment as the first time a Jew held a Cabinet position in the United States, while official Commerce records place his service from 17 December 1906 through 5 March 1909. The record is defined by the date Straus actually began Cabinet service, not by the earlier announcement of his nomination. His appointment joined a career in law, diplomacy, public administration and international arbitration. It also marked a visible national milestone for Jewish participation in the highest level of the federal executive branch. JWR found no earlier Jewish head of a Cabinet-rank executive department. Archival footage of Straus is retained only as holder context because no direct moving image of the 1906 appointment or oath was located.

Country represented
United States
Achievement location
Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C., United States
Achievement date
17 December 1906
View full record
Portrait of U.S. Senator David Levy Yulee.
JWR Verified
Community & SocietyFirst

First Jewish Senator in the United States Senate

Record holder

David Levy Yulee

Record value

1 July 1845

David Levy Yulee achieved the record for "First Jewish Senator in the United States Senate" on "1 July 1845" in Washington, D.C., when his first term of service began. This achievement is based on official United States Senate records, which not only place Yulee's oath and credentials presentation in the 1845 session but also explicitly identify him as the first Jewish senator. The measurement method for the record combines the official Senate chronology with the Senate's own historical identification of Yulee as the first person of Jewish background to serve in the chamber.

Country represented
United States
Achievement location
Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C., United States
Achievement date
1 July 1845
View full record