Steven Johnson is the 42nd State Treasurer of Kansas.
The first State Treasurer, William Tholen, never served in the position.
After being elected at the state's constitutional convention in 1859, Tholen
entered the army. Upon Kansas becoming a state in 1861, Tholen did not
return to assume the position.
The most popular first name for State Treasurers is William. Four Williams
have served as the state's chief financial officer: Tholen, Spriggs,
Hamilton and Biddle. The name Walter comes in at a close second. Three
Walters have served in the post: Payne, Wilson, and Peery.
Only one treasurer, Walter Wilson, died in office.
In 1974, Kansas voters changed the Treasurer's classification from a
constitutional position to a statutorial one. The Commissioner of Insurance also is a statutorial
position.
First elected in 1974, Joan Finney served for sixteen years, making her the
longest-serving Treasurer. In 1991, Finney left the Treasurer's office to
serve as the first woman Governor of Kansas.
In 1974, voters approved a referendum to eliminate several elective
positions and expand all the terms of statewide offices from two to four
years, beginning in 1978.
