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History of the Committee on
Education and the Workforce and the Members Who Have Served As Chairman
The current Committee on Education and the Workforce was established on
January 7, 1997. The Committee's basic jurisdiction is over education and
labor matters generally. While Congress has been concerned over education
and labor issues since its beginning, attempts to create a Committee with
jurisdiction over education and labor failed in early Congresses due to
Representatives' concern over the constitutional grounds for such a
federal role and the belief that education was more properly the
responsibility of the States.
The first Committee of jurisdiction, the Committee on Education and
Labor was established on March 21, 1867 in the aftermath of the Civil War
and the growth of American industry. On December 19, 1883, the Committee
on Education and Labor was divided into two standing committees: Committee
on Education and Committee on Labor. On January 2, 1947, the Legislative
Reorganization Act again combined the Committees, renamed the Committee on
Education and Labor. On January 4, 1995, the Committee was renamed the
Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities. On January 7, 1997,
the Committee was renamed the Committee on Education and the Workforce.
The Committee is composed of 49 Members of the House of
Representatives, 27 Members are from the Republican party and 22 Members
are from the Democrat party. The Members are chosen to serve on the
Committee by their respective party caucus.
Committee
Membership
| Congress |
Year |
Republicans |
Democrats |
Total
Membership
|
|
109th
|
2005-06
|
26
|
21
|
47
|
|
108th
|
2003-04
|
27
|
22
|
49
|
|
107th
|
2001-02
|
27
|
22
|
49
|
|
106th
|
1999-00
|
27
|
22
|
49
|
|
105th
|
1997-98
|
25
|
20
|
45
|
|
104th
|
1995-96
|
24
|
19
|
43
|
|
103rd
|
1993-94
|
15
|
28
|
43
|
|
102nd
|
1991-92
|
15
|
25
|
40
|
|
101st
|
1989-90
|
13
|
23
|
36
|
|
100th
|
1987-88
|
13
|
21
|
34
|
|
99th
|
1985-86
|
14
|
20
|
34
|
| 98th |
1983-84
|
13
|
25
|
38
|
|
97th
|
1981-82
|
14
|
21
|
35
|
|
96th
|
1979-80
|
13
|
24
|
37
|
|
95th
|
1977-78
|
12
|
25
|
37
|
[Source: Committee Calendars]
Below is a list of the past Chairmen, the Committee, and their years of
service as Chairman.
The Chairmen and Ranking Minority Members of House
Committees on Education, on Labor, on Education and Labor, on Economic and
Educational Opportunities and on Education and the Workforce
The Committee on Education and Labor was
created on March 21, 1867.
Committee on Education and Labor
(1867-1883)
| CHAIRMAN |
RANKING MINORITY
MEMBER |
PARTY |
CONGRESS |
YEARS |
| John Baker (IL) |
|
Union Republican |
40th |
1867-1869 |
| Samuel M. Arnell (TN) |
|
Republican Independent |
41st |
1869-1871 |
| Legand W. Perce (MS) |
|
Republican |
42nd |
1871-1873 |
| James Monroe (OH) |
|
Republican |
43rd |
1873-1875 |
| Gilbert C. Walker (VA) |
|
Conservative |
44th |
1875-1877 |
| John Goode, Jr. (VA) |
|
Democrat |
45th-46th |
1877-1881 |
| J.T. Updegraff (OH) |
|
Republican |
47th |
1881-1882 |
| John C. Sherwin (IL) |
|
Republican |
47th |
1882-1883 |
The separate committees on Education and
Labor were established in December 1883.
Committee on Education (1883-1947)
| CHAIRMAN |
RANKING MINORITY
MEMBER |
PARTY |
CONGRESS |
YEARS |
| D. Wyatt Alken (SC) |
|
Democrat |
48th-49th |
1883-1887 |
| Allen D. Candler (GA) |
|
Democrat |
50th |
1887-1889 |
| James O'Donnell (MI) |
|
Republican |
51st |
1889-1891 |
| Walter I. Hayes (IA) |
|
Democrat |
52nd |
1891-1892 |
| David B. Brunner (PA) |
|
Democrat |
52nd |
1892 |
| Benjamin A. Ealoc (TN) |
|
Democrat |
52nd-53rd |
1892-1895 |
| Galusha A. Grow (PA) |
|
Republican |
54th-57th |
1897-1903 |
|
David A. De Armond (MO) |
Democrat |
56th-57th |
1899-1903 |
| George N. Southwick (NY) |
|
Republican |
58th-60th |
1903-1909 |
|
Willard D. Vandiver (MO) |
Democrat |
58th |
1903-1905 |
|
Edwin Y. Webb (NC) |
Democrat |
59th |
1905-1907 |
| James F. Burke (PA) |
|
Republican |
61st |
1909-1911 |
|
Asbury F. Lever (SC) |
Democrat |
60th-61st |
1907-1911 |
| Asbury F. Lever (SC) |
|
Democrat |
62nd |
1911-1913 |
|
James F. Burke (PA) |
Republican |
62nd-63rd |
1911-1915 |
| Dudley M. Hughes (GA) |
|
Democrat |
63rd-64th |
1913-1917 |
|
Caleb Powers (KY) |
Republican |
64th-65th |
1915-1919 |
| William J. Sears (FL) |
|
Democrat |
65th |
1917-1919 |
| Simeon D. Fees (OH) |
|
Republican |
66th-67th |
1919-1923 |
|
William J. Sears (FL) |
Democrat |
66th |
1919-1921 |
|
William B. Bankhead (AL) |
Democrat |
67th |
1921-1923 |
| Frederick W. Dallinger (MA) |
|
Republican |
68th |
1923-1925 |
|
Bill Green Lowrey (MS) |
Democrat |
68th-70th |
1923-1929 |
| Daniel A. Reed (NY) |
|
Republican |
69th-71st |
1925-1931 |
|
Loring M. Black Jr. (NY) |
Democrat |
71st |
1929-1931 |
| John J. Douglas (MA) |
|
Democrat |
72nd-73rd |
1931-1935 |
|
Daniel A. Reed (NY) |
Republican |
72nd |
1931-1933 |
|
James L. Whitley (NY) |
Republican |
73rd |
1933-1935 |
| Vincent L. Palmisano (MD) |
|
Democrat |
74th-75th |
1935-1937 |
|
Albert E. Carter (CA) |
Republican |
74th |
1935-1937 |
| William H. Larrabee (IN) |
|
Democrat |
75th-77th |
1937-1943 |
|
George A. Dondero (MI) |
Republican |
75th-79th |
1937-1947 |
| Graham A. Barden (NC) |
|
Democrat |
78th-79th |
1943-1947 |
Committee on Labor (1883-1947)
| CHAIRMAN |
RANKING MINORITY
MEMBER |
PARTY |
CONGRESS |
YEARS |
| James H. Hopkins (PA) |
|
Democrat |
48th |
1883-1885 |
| John J. O'Neill (MO) |
|
Democrat |
49th-50th |
1885-1889 |
| William H. Wade (MO) |
|
Republican |
51st |
1889-1891 |
| John C. Tarsney (MO) |
|
Democrat |
52nd |
1891-1893 |
| Lawrence M. McGann (IL) |
|
Democrat |
53rd |
1893-1895 |
| Thomas W. Phillips (PA) |
|
Republican |
54th |
1895-1897 |
|
Willaim Jasper Talbert (SC) |
Democrat |
56th-57th |
1899-1903 |
| John J. Gardner (NJ) |
|
Republican |
55th-61st |
1897-1911 |
|
Ben F. Caldwell (IL) |
Democrat |
58th |
1903-1905 |
|
William Randolph Hearst (NY) |
Democrat |
59th |
1905-1907 |
|
Henry R. Ralney (IL) |
Democrat |
60th-61st |
1907-1911 |
| William B. Wilson (PA) |
|
Democrat |
62nd |
1911-1913 |
|
John J. Gardner (NJ) |
Republican |
62nd |
1911-1913 |
| David J. Lewis (MD) |
|
Democrat |
63rd-64th |
1913-1917 |
|
John M.C. Smith (MI) |
Republican |
63rd-65th |
1913-1919 |
| James P. Maher (NY) |
|
Democrat |
65th |
1917-1919 |
| J.M.C. Smith (MI) |
|
Republican |
66th |
1919-1921 |
|
James P. Maher (NY) |
Democrat |
66th |
1919-1921 |
| John I. Nolan (CA) |
|
Republican |
67th |
1921-1922 |
|
Eugene Black (TX) |
Democrat |
67th |
1921-1923 |
| Frederick N. Zihlman (MD) |
|
Republican |
67th-68th |
1922-1925 |
|
William D. Upshaw (GA) |
Democrat |
68th-69th |
1923-1927 |
| William F. Kopp (IA) |
|
Republican |
69th-71st |
1925-1930 |
|
William P. Connery Jr. (MA) |
Democrat |
70th-71st |
1927-1931 |
| William P. Connery, Jr. (MA) |
|
Democrat |
72nd-75th |
1931-1937 |
|
Richard Welch (CA) |
Republican |
72nd-79th |
1931-1947 |
| Mary T. Norton (NJ) |
|
Democrat |
75th-79th |
1937-1947 |
The two separate committees were terminated
on January 7, 1947, and the Committee on Education and Labor was
re-created as of that date.
Committee on Education and Labor
(1947-1995)
| CHAIRMAN |
RANKING MINORITY
MEMBER |
PARTY |
CONGRESS |
YEARS |
| Fred A. Hartley, Jr. (NJ) |
|
Republican |
80th |
1947-1949 |
|
John Lesinski (MI) |
Democrat |
80th |
1947-1949 |
| John Lesinski (MI) |
|
Democrat |
81st |
1949-1950 |
|
Samuel K. McConnell, Jr. (PA) |
Republican |
81st-82nd |
1949-1953 |
| Graham A. Barden (NC) |
|
Democrat |
81st-82nd |
1950-1953 |
| Samuel K. McConnell, Jr. (PA) |
|
Republican |
83rd |
1953-1955 |
|
Graham A. Barden (NC) |
Democrat |
83rd |
1953-1955 |
| Graham A. Barden (NC) |
|
Democrat |
84th-86th |
1955-1961 |
|
Samuel K. McConnell, Jr. (PA) |
Republican |
84th-85th |
1955-1957 |
|
Ralph W. Gwins (NY) |
Republican |
85th |
1957-1959 |
|
Carroll D. Kearns (PA) |
Republican |
86th-87th |
1959-1963 |
| Adam C. Powell (NY) |
|
Democrat |
87th-89th |
1961-1966 |
|
Peter H.B. Frelinghuysen (NJ) |
Republican |
88th |
1963-1965 |
|
William H. Ayres (OH) |
Republican |
89th-91st |
1965-1971 |
| Carl D. Perkins (KY) |
|
Democrat |
90th-98th |
1967-1984 |
|
Albert H. Quie (MN) |
Republican |
92nd-95th |
1971-1978 |
|
John M. Ashbrook (OH) |
Republican |
96th-97th |
1979-1982 |
|
John N. Erlenborn (IL) |
Republican |
97th-98th |
1982-1984 |
| Augustus F. Hawkins (CA) |
|
Democrat |
98th-101st |
1984-1991 |
|
James M. Jeffords (VT) |
Republican |
99th-100th |
1985-1988 |
|
William F. Goodling (PA) |
Republican |
101st-103rd |
1989-1995 |
| William D. Ford (MI) |
|
Democrat |
102nd-103rd |
1991-1995 |
On January 4, 1995, the Committee's name was
changed to the Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities.
Committee on Economic and Educational
Opportunities (1995-1997)
| CHAIRMAN |
RANKING MINORITY
MEMBER |
PARTY |
CONGRESS |
YEARS |
| William F. Goodling (PA) |
|
Republican |
104th |
1995-1997 |
|
William L. Clay (MO) |
Democrat |
104th |
1995-1997 |
On January 7, 1997, the Committee's name was
changed to the Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Committee on Education and the
Workforce (1997- )
| CHAIRMAN |
RANKING MINORITY
MEMBER |
PARTY |
CONGRESS |
YEARS |
| William F. Goodling (PA) |
|
Republican |
105th-106th |
1997-2000 |
|
William L. Clay (MO) |
Democrat |
105th-106th |
1997-2000 |
| John A. Boehner (OH) |
|
Republican |
107th-109th |
2001-2006 |
| |
George Miller (CA) |
Democrat |
107th- |
2001- |
| Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (CA) |
|
Republican |
109th- |
2006- |
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