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(1789 to Present)
Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution states:
"The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker
and other Officers."
The election of the Rev. William Linn as Chaplain of the House on
May 1, 1789, continued the tradition established by the Continental
Congresses of each day's proceedings opening with a prayer by a
chaplain. The early Chaplains alternated duties with their Senate
counterparts on a weekly basis. The two conducted Sunday services
for the Washington community in the House chamber every other week.
In addition to opening proceedings with prayer, the Chaplain provides
pastoral counseling to the House community, coordinates the scheduling
of guest chaplains, and arranges memorial services for the House
and its staff. In the past, Chaplains have performed marriage and
funeral ceremonies for House members.
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| Date of Appointment |
Chaplain |
Denomination |
| May 1, 1789 |
The Reverend William Linn | Presbyterian |
| Jan. 4, 1790 |
The Reverend Samuel Blair | Presbyterian |
| Nov. 5, 1792 |
The Reverend Ashbel Green | Presbyterian |
| Nov. 17, 1800 |
The Reverend Thomas Lyell | Methodist |
| Dec. 7, 1801 |
The Reverend William Parkinson | Baptist |
| Nov. 5, 1804 |
The Reverend James Laurie | Presbyterian |
| Dec. 1, 1806 |
The Reverend Robert Elliot | Presbyterian |
| Oct. 26, 1807 |
The Reverend Obadiah Bruen Brown | Baptist |
| May 22, 1809 |
The Reverend Jesse Lee | Methodist |
| Nov. 4, 1811 |
The Reverend Nicholas Sneathen | Methodist |
| Nov. 2, 1812 |
The Reverend Jesse Lee | Methodist |
| Sept. 19, 1814 |
The Reverend Obadiah Bruen Brown | Baptist |
| Dec. 4, 1815 |
The Reverend Spencer Houghton Cone | Baptist |
| Dec. 2, 1816 |
The Reverend Burgess Allison | Baptist |
| Nov. 18, 1820 |
The Reverend John Nicholson Campbell | Presbyterian |
| Dec. 3, 1821 |
The Reverend Jared Sparks | Unitarian |
| Dec. 2, 1822 |
The Reverend John Brackenridge | Presbyterian |
| Dec. 1, 1823 |
The Reverend Henry Biddleman Bascom | Methodist |
| Dec. 6, 1824 |
The Reverend Reuben Post | Presbyterian |
| Dec. 6, 1830 |
The Reverend Ralph Randolph Gurley | Presbyterian |
| Dec. 5, 1831 |
The Reverend Reuben Post | Presbyterian |
| Dec. 3, 1832 |
The Reverend William Hammett | Methodist |
| Dec. 2, 1833 |
The Reverend Thomas H. Stockton | Methodist |
| Dec. 1, 1834 |
The Reverend Edward Dunlap Smith | Presbyterian |
| Dec. 7, 1835 |
The Reverend Thomas H. Stockton | Methodist |
| Dec. 5, 1836 |
The Reverend Oliver C. Comstock | Baptist |
| Sept. 4, 1837 |
The Reverend Septimus Tustin | Presbyterian |
| Dec. 4, 1837 |
The Reverend Levi R. Reese | Methodist |
| Dec. 2, 1839 |
The Reverend Joshua Bates | Congregationalist |
| Dec. 7, 1840 |
The Reverend Thomas W. Braxton | Baptist |
| May 31, 1841 |
The Reverend John W. French | Episcopalian |
| Dec. 6, 1841 |
The Reverend John Newland Maffit | Methodist |
| Dec. 5, 1842 |
The Reverend Frederick T. Tiffany | Episcopalian |
| Dec. 4, 1843 |
The Reverend Isaac S. Tinsley | Baptist |
| Dec. 4, 1844 |
The Reverend William M. Daily | Methodist |
| Dec. 1, 1845 |
The Reverend William Henry Milburn | Methodist |
| Dec. 7, 1846 |
The Reverend William T.S. Sprole | Presbyterian |
| Dec. 6, 1847 |
The Reverend Ralph Gurley | Presbyterian |
| Dec. 1, 1851 |
The Reverend Littleton F. Morgan | Methodist |
| Dec. 6, 1852 |
The Reverend James Gallagher | Presbyterian |
| Dec. 5, 1853 |
The Reverend William Henry Milburn | Methodist* |
| Jul. 4, 1861 |
The Reverend Thomas H. Stockton | Methodist* |
| Dec. 7, 1863 |
The Reverend William Henry Channing | Unitarian |
| Dec. 4, 1865 |
The Reverend Charles B. Boynton | Congregationalist |
| Mar. 4, 1869 |
The Reverend John George Butler | Presbyterian |
| Dec. 6, 1875 |
The Reverend S.L. Townsend | Episcopalian |
| Oct. 15, 1877 |
The Reverend John Poise | Methodist |
| Dec. 3, 1877 |
The Reverend W.P. Harrison | Methodist |
| Dec. 5, 1881 |
The Reverend Frederick Dunglison Power | Disciples of Christ |
| Dec. 3, 1883 |
The Reverend John Summerfield Lindsay | Episcopalian |
| Dec. 7, 1885 |
The Reverend William Henry Milburn | Methodist |
| Aug. 7, 1893 |
The Reverend Samuel W. Haddaway | Methodist |
| Dec. 4, 1893 |
The Reverend Edward B. Bagby | Christian |
| Dec. 2, 1895 |
The Reverend Henry N. Couden | Universalist |
| Apr. 11, 1921 |
The Reverend James Shera Montgomery | Methodist |
| Jan. 3, 1950 |
The Reverend Bernard Braskamp | Presbyterian |
| Jan. 10, 1967 |
The Reverend Edward G. Latch | Methodist |
| Jan. 15, 1979 |
The Reverend James D. Ford | Lutheran |
| Mar. 23, 2000 |
The Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin | Roman Catholic |
*
From 1855 to 1861 the local clergy in the District of Columbia
conducted the opening prayer. Thereafter, the House has
elected a Chaplain at the beginning of each Congress.
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Splendid Hall
Take a virtual tour of Splendid Hall and discover the architectural treasures and historical artifacts of the Old House Chamber.
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