A Waterloo Native Lasted Only 16 Days as Iowa Governor Most Iowans and many Americans are aware Terry Branstad is the longest serving governor in not just Iowa history, but U.S. history. He served as our governor for 8,169 days. But what about the flipside? Well, here's a fun Iowa history nugget for you: A Waterloo native named Robert David Fulton was Iowa's shortest serving governor, holding the position for only 16 days. Or, 8,153 fewer days than Gov. Branstad did. But Robert D. Fulton was not given the boot. He committed no crime. He didn't die in office. Oh, and he didn't resign after he found out the governors salary. Nothing like that. Here's his story.