All Poets Laureate
For generations, Delaware Poet Laureates have inspired readers, celebrated language, and enriched the cultural life of our state. View the full list below and explore the history of this longstanding program.
| Poets Laureate | Appointed by Governor | Term of Service |
|---|---|---|
| Rep. Nnamdi Chukwuocha & Albert Mills, Wilmington | Jack A. Markell | 2015 – Present |
| Dr. JoAnn Balingit, Newark | Ruth Ann Minner | 2001 – 2007 |
| Dr. Fleda Brown, Newark | Ruth Ann Minner | 2001 – 2007 |
| Jean Lanyon, Wilmington | Pierre S. duPont IV | 1979 – 1981* |
| David Hudson, Wilmington | Sherman W. Tribbitt | 1975 – 1979 |
| Dr. Harry O. Eisenberg, New Castle | Russell W. Peterson | 1971 – 1975 |
| Antonia Bissell Laird, Wilmington | Charles L. Terry, Jr. | 1969 – 1970 |
| Joyce M. Carlson, Wilmington | Charles L. Terry, Jr. | 1967 – 1968 |
| Dr. Percival Rudolph Roberts, III, Newark | Charles L. Terry, Jr. | 1965 – 1966 |
| Mother M. Aloysius Peach, O.S.U., Wilmington | Elbert N. Carvel | 1963 – 1965 |
| Marguerite Eleanor Weaver, Wilmington | Elbert N. Carvel | 1962 – 1963 |
| Alison Kimball Bradford, Wilmington | David P. Buckson | 1961 – 1962 |
| David Hudson, Wilmington | Caleb Boggs | 1956 – 1960 |
| Katherine King Johnson, Dover | Caleb Boggs | 1955 – 1956 |
| Frances Shannon Flowers McNeal, Newark | Caleb Boggs | 1954 – 1955 |
| Jeannette Slocomb Edwards, Wilmington | Elbert N. Carvel | 1950 – 1954 |
| Edna Deemer Leach, Wilmington | Walter W. Bacon | 1947 – 1949 |
*There were no Poets Laureate appointed from 1981 – 2001.