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The Controller’s Office started out small. In 1849, the California Constitution was amended to include the State Controller as the fiscal officer for the state, directly accountable to the people of California. The SCO evolved and expanded as California grew. In the 1800s the Controller and two assistants maintained California’s accounting records. They audited and paid all claims against the state. All warrants were hand-drawn and personally signed by the Controller.
Former CA State Controllers
- John Stroud Houston (1849-1852)
- Winslow S. Pierce (1852-1854)
- Samuel Bell (1854-1856)
- George W. Whitman (1856-1857)
- Edward F. Burton (1857)
- George W. Whitman (1857-1858)
- Aaron R. Melony (1858-1860)
- Samuel H. Brooks (1860-1861)
- James S. Gillan (1861-1862)
- Gilbert R. Warren (1862-1863)
- George R. Oulton (1863-1867)
- Robert Watt (1867-1871)
- James J. Green (1871-1875)
- James W. Mandeville (1875-1876)
- William B. C. Brown (1876-1877)
- Daniel M. Kenfield (1877-1883)
- John P. Dunn (1883-1891)
- Edward Power Colgan (1891-1906)
- B. Nye (1906-1913)
- John S. Chambers (1913-1921)
- Ray L. Riley (1921-1937)
- Harry B. Riley (1937-1946)
- Thomas Kuchel (1946-1953)
- Robert C. Kirkwood (1953-1959)
- Alan Cranston (1959-1967)
- Houston I. Flournoy (1967-1975)
- Kenneth Cory (1975-1987)
- Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis, Jr. (1987-1995)
- Kathleen Connell (1995-2003)
- Steve Westly (2003-2007)
- John Chiang (2007-Present)




