Southern Governors' Association (U.S.)

The Southern Governors' Association, formerly the Southeastern Governors' Conference, is a regional association of state governors that was founded in 1934 to represent the common interests of chief executives of the southern states and to provide a vehicle for promoting those interests. Over the years, governors have been involved in the major challenges to the region, from diversification of the South's heavily agricultural economy and expansion of opportunities for higher education in the 1940s to nuclear energy in the 1950s, economic development in the 1970s, infant mortality in the 1980s, and striking a better state/federal balance in the 1990s. Along the way, the governors created several other regional organizations, such as the Southern Regional Education Board, the Southern States Energy Board, the Southern Growth Policies Board, and the Southern Regional Project on Infant Mortality.

The Southern Governors' Association, formerly the Southeastern Governors' Conference, is a regional governors' association that was founded in 1934 to represent the common interests of chief executives of the southern states and to provide a vehicle for promoting them. The number of member governors has grown from five in 1934 to 18 in 1969. In 1945, there were ten members: the governors of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The last members to join were Missouri in 1961, Puerto Rico in 1968, and the Virgin Islands in 1969.

The Southern Governors' Association supports the work of southern governors by providing a bipartisan, regional forum to help shape and implement national policy and solve regional problems. Through the SGA, governors exchange ideas, explore common issues, address pressing problems, coordinate regional collaborative initiatives, and promote regional accomplishments. Over the years, the governors have been involved in the major challenges to the region, from diversification of the South's heavily agricultural economy and expansion of opportunities for higher education in the 1940s to nuclear energy in the 1950s, economic development in the 1970s, infant mortality in the 1980s, and striking a better state/federal balance in the 1990s. Along the way, the governors created several other regional organizations such as the Southern Regional Education Board, the Southern States Energy Board, the Southern Growth Policies Board, and the Southern Regional Project on Infant Mortality.

In the early 1980s, the Southern Governors' Association moved its office from Atlanta, Ga., to Washington, D.C., taking advantage of the Association's location in the nation's capitol to work on a full array of public policy issues affecting the region.

Historical note based on the History of the Southern Governors' Association.