United States Governor Directory

J. Joseph Garrahy

J. Joseph Garrahy served as Governor of Rhode Island.

  • Democratic
  • Rhode Island
  • Former
Portrait of J. Joseph GarrahyRhode Island
Role Governor

Current assignment referenced in the congressional directory.

State Rhode Island

Representing constituents across the Rhode Island delegation.

Service period 1977-1985

Years of public service formally recorded.

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Biography

Born in Providence, Rhode Island, J. JOSEPH GARRAHY attended the University of Buffalo and the University of Rhode Island. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He was a Rhode Island state Senator from 1963 to 1969, and in 1967 and 1968 served as Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate as well as Democratic State Chairman. He was elected Lieutenant Governor in 1968 and reelected in 1970, 1972, and 1974. While governor, Garrahy chaired the England Regional Commission and the Coalition of Northeastern Governors. After leaving office, he became an independent business consultant. He was a director of both the Southeastern New England Shipbuilding Corporation (SENESCO) and the Providence and Worcester Railroad Company. And he served on the Rhode Island Cancer Council and the Rhode Island Bays, Rivers, and Watersheds Coordination Team at the University of Rhode Island.

More Governors from Rhode Island