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(1789 to Present)
“The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers...”
The Constitution of the United States, Article I, Section 2 |
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On April 1, 1789, the House of Representatives convened with its first quorum. Its initial order of business was the election of the Speaker, Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg, a Representative from Pennsylvania. The next order of business was the election of the Clerk, John Beckley, Esquire, a citizen of Virginia. Although the Clerk’s title is derived from that of the Clerk of the British House of Commons, the duties are similar to those prescribed for the Secretary of the Continental Congress in March 1785.
A total of 34 individuals have served as Clerks of the House. Thirteen Clerks also served as Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate (indicated by asterisks) either prior to or after their service as a House officer. By clicking on their names, viewers will be linked to their individual biographies in the Online Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, http://bioguide.congress.gov. |
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For more information about the Clerk's office, visit History of the Office. |
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Congress (Years) |
Clerk, State |
Date Elected |
1st (1789-91) |
John Beckley, VA |
Apr. 1, 1789 |
2nd (1791-93) |
John Beckley, VA |
Oct. 24, 1791 |
3rd (1793-95) |
John Beckley, VA |
Dec. 2, 1793 |
4th (1795-97) |
John Beckley, VA |
Dec. 7, 1795 |
5th (1797-99) |
Jonathan W. Condy, PA |
May 15, 1797 |
6th (1799-1801) |
Jonathan W. Condy, PA1
John H. Oswald, PA |
Dec. 2, 1799
Dec. 9, 18002 |
7th (1801-03) |
John Beckley, VA |
Dec. 7, 1801 |
8th (1803-05) |
John Beckley, VA |
Oct. 17, 1803 |
9th (1805-07) |
John Beckley, VA |
Dec. 2, 1805 |
10th (1807-09) |
Patrick Magruder, MD* |
Oct. 26, 1807 |
11th (1809-11) |
Patrick Magruder, MD |
May 22, 1809 |
12th (1811-13) |
Patrick Magruder, MD |
Nov. 4, 1811 |
13th (1813-15) |
Patrick Magruder, MD3
Thomas Dougherty, KY
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May 24, 1813
Jan. 30, 18154 |
14th (1815-17) |
Thomas Dougherty, KY |
Dec. 4, 1815 |
15th (1817-19) |
Thomas Dougherty, KY |
Dec. 1, 1817 |
16th (1819-21) |
Thomas Dougherty, KY |
Dec. 6, 1819 |
17th (1821-23) |
Thomas Dougherty, KY5
Matthew St. Clair Clarke, PA |
Dec. 4, 1821
Dec. 3, 18226 |
18th (1823-25) |
Matthew St. Clair Clarke, PA |
Dec. 1, 1823 |
19th (1825-27) |
Matthew St. Clair Clarke, PA |
Dec. 5, 1825 |
20th (1827-29) |
Matthew St. Clair Clarke, PA |
Dec. 3, 1827 |
21st (1829-31) |
Matthew St. Clair Clarke, PA |
Dec. 7, 1829 |
22nd (1831-33) |
Matthew St. Clair Clarke, PA |
Dec. 5, 1831 |
23rd (1833-35) |
Walter S. Franklin, PA |
Dec. 2, 1833 |
24th (1835-37) |
Walter S. Franklin, PA |
Dec. 7, 1835 |
25th (1837-39) |
Walter S. Franklin, PA7
Hugh A. Garland, VA |
Sep. 4, 1837
Dec. 3, 18388 |
26th (1839-41) |
Hugh A. Garland, VA |
Dec. 21, 1839 |
27th (1841-43) |
Matthew St. Clair Clarke, PA |
May 31, 1841 |
28th (1843-45) |
Caleb J. McNulty, OH9
Benjamin B. French, NH |
Dec. 6, 1843
Jan. 18, 184510 |
29th (1845-47) |
Benjamin B. French, NH |
Dec. 2, 1845 |
30th (1847-49) |
Thomas J. Campbell, TN* |
Dec. 7, 1847 |
31st (1849-51) |
Thomas J. Campbell, TN11
Richard M. Young, IL* |
Jan. 11, 1850
Apr. 17,185012 |
32nd (1851-53) |
John W. Forney, PA |
Dec. 1, 1851 |
33rd (1853-55) |
John W. Forney, PA |
Dec. 5, 1853 |
34th (1855-57) |
John W. Forney, PA13
William Cullom, TN* |
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Feb. 4, 185614 |
35th (1857-59) |
James C. Allen, IL* |
Dec. 7, 1857 |
36th (1859-61) |
James C. Allen, IL15
John W. Forney, PA |
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Feb. 3, 186016 |
37th (1861-63) |
Emerson Etheridge, TN* |
Jul. 4, 1861 |
38th (1863-65) |
Edward McPherson, PA* |
Dec. 8, 1863 |
39th (1865-67) |
Edward McPherson, PA |
Dec. 4, 1865 |
40th (1867-69) |
Edward McPherson, PA |
Mar. 4, 1867 |
41st (1869-71) |
Edward McPherson, PA |
Mar. 5, 1869 |
42nd (1871-73) |
Edward McPherson, PA |
Mar. 4, 1871 |
43rd (1873-75) |
Edward McPherson, PA |
Dec. 1, 1873 |
44th (1875-77) |
George M. Adams, KY* |
Dec. 6, 1875 |
45th (1877-79) |
George M. Adams, KY |
Oct. 15, 1877 |
46th (1879-81) |
George M. Adams, KY |
Mar. 18, 1879 |
47th (1881-83) |
Edward McPherson, PA |
Dec. 5, 1881 |
48th (1883-85) |
John B. Clark, Jr., MO* |
Dec. 4, 1883 |
49th (1885-87) |
John B. Clark, Jr., MO |
Dec. 7, 1885 |
50th (1887-89) |
John B. Clark, Jr., MO |
Dec. 5, 1887 |
51st (1889-91) |
Edward McPherson, PA |
Dec. 2, 1889 |
52nd (1891-93) |
James Kerr, PA* |
Dec. 8, 1891 |
53rd (1893-95) |
James Kerr, PA |
Aug. 7, 1893 |
54th (1895-97) |
Alexander McDowell, PA* |
Dec. 2, 1895 |
55th (1897-99) |
Alexander McDowell, PA |
Mar. 15, 1897 |
56th (1899-1901) |
Alexander McDowell, PA |
Dec. 4, 1899 |
57th (1901-03) |
Alexander McDowell, PA |
Dec. 2, 1901 |
58th (1903-05) |
Alexander McDowell, PA |
Nov. 9, 1903 |
59th (1905-07) |
Alexander McDowell, PA |
Dec. 4, 1905 |
60th (1907-09) |
Alexander McDowell, PA |
Dec. 2, 1907 |
61st (1909-11) |
Alexander McDowell, PA |
Mar. 15, 1909 |
62nd (1911-13) |
South Trimble, KY* |
Apr. 4, 1911 |
63rd (1913-15) |
South Trimble, KY |
Apr. 7, 1913 |
64th (1915-17) |
South Trimble, KY |
Dec. 6, 1915 |
65th (1917-19) |
South Trimble, KY |
Apr. 2, 1917 |
66th (1919-21) |
William Tyler Page, MD |
May 19, 1919 |
67th (1921-23) |
William Tyler Page, MD |
Apr. 11, 1921 |
68th (1923-25) |
William Tyler Page, MD |
Dec. 5, 1923 |
69th (1925-27) |
William Tyler Page, MD |
Dec. 7, 1925 |
70th (1927-29) |
William Tyler Page, MD |
Dec. 5, 1927 |
71st (1929-31) |
William Tyler Page, MD |
Apr. 15, 1929 |
72nd (1931-33) |
South Trimble, KY |
Dec. 7, 1931 |
73rd (1933-35) |
South Trimble, KY |
Mar. 9, 1933 |
74th (1935-37) |
South Trimble, KY |
Jan. 3, 1935 |
75th (1937-39) |
South Trimble, KY |
Jan. 5, 1937 |
76th (1939-41) |
South Trimble, KY |
Jan. 3, 1939 |
77th (1941-43) |
South Trimble, KY |
Jan. 3, 1941 |
78th (1943-45) |
South Trimble, KY |
Jan. 6, 1943 |
79th (1945-47) |
South Trimble, KY17
Harry Newlin Megill |
Jan. 3, 1945
Aug. 2, 194618 |
80th (1947-49) |
John Andrews, MA |
Jan. 3, 1947 |
81st (1949-51) |
Ralph R. Roberts, IN |
Jan. 3, 1949 |
82nd (1951-53) |
Ralph R. Roberts, IN |
Jan. 3, 1951 |
83rd (1953-55) |
Lyle O. Snader, IL |
Jan. 3, 1953 |
84th (1955-57) |
Ralph R. Roberts, IN |
Jan. 5, 1955 |
85th (1957-59) |
Ralph R. Roberts, IN |
Jan. 3, 1957 |
86th (1959-61) |
Ralph R. Roberts, IN |
Jan. 7, 1959 |
87th (1961-63) |
Ralph R. Roberts, IN |
Jan. 3, 1961 |
88th (1963-65) |
Ralph R. Roberts, IN |
Jan. 9, 1963 |
89th (1965-67) |
Ralph R. Roberts, IN |
Jan. 4, 1965 |
90th (1967-69) |
W. Pat Jennings, VA* |
Jan. 10, 1967 |
91st (1969-71) |
W. Pat Jennings, VA |
Jan. 3, 1969 |
92nd (1971-73) |
W. Pat Jennings, VA |
Jan. 21, 1971 |
93rd (1973-75) |
W. Pat Jennings, VA |
Jan. 3, 1973 |
94th (1975-77) |
W. Pat Jennings, VA19
Edmund L. Henshaw, Jr., VA |
Jan. 14, 1975
Nov. 17, 197520 |
95th (1977-79) |
Edmund L. Henshaw, Jr., VA |
Jan. 4, 1977 |
96th (1979-81) |
Edmund L. Henshaw, Jr., VA |
Jan. 15, 1979 |
97th (1981-83) |
Edmund L. Henshaw, Jr., VA |
Jan. 5, 1981 |
98th (1983-85) |
Benjamin J. Guthrie, MD |
Jan. 3, 1983 |
99th (1985-87) |
Benjamin J. Guthrie, MD |
Jan. 3, 1985 |
100th (1987-89) |
Donnald K. Anderson, CA |
Jan. 6, 1987 |
101st (1989-91) |
Donnald K. Anderson, CA |
Jan. 3, 1989 |
102nd (1991-93) |
Donnald K. Anderson, CA |
Jan. 3, 1991 |
103rd (1993-95) |
Donnald K. Anderson, CA |
Jan. 5, 1993 |
104th (1995-97) |
Robin H. Carle, ID |
Jan. 4, 1995 |
105th (1997-99) |
Robin H. Carle, ID21
Jeff Trandahl, SD |
Jan. 7, 1997
Jan. 1, 199922 |
106th (1999-2001) |
Jeff Trandahl, SD |
Jan. 6, 1999 |
107th (2001-03) |
Jeff Trandahl, SD |
Jan. 3, 2001 |
108th (2003-05) |
Jeff Trandahl, SD |
Jan. 7, 2003 |
109th (2005-07) |
Jeff Trandahl, SD23
Karen L. Haas, MD |
Jan. 4, 2005
Nov. 18, 200524
Dec. 6, 200525 |
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Sources: House Journal, various editions; Congressional Record, various editions; Congressional Directory, various editions; Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (2005); Donald C. Bacon et. al, The Encyclopedia of the United States Congress, vol. 2 (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1995): 379-381. |
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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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