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House Building Namesakes

portrait of Joseph Gurney Cannon Joseph Gurney Cannon | Illinois
(1836-1926)


A Republican from Illinois, served as a Representative in the 43d Congress and in the eight succeeding Congresses (March 1873 to March 1891). He was not elected to the 52d Congress but served in the 53d Congress and in the nine succeeding Congresses (March 1893 to March 1913). Cannon was Speaker of the House for the 58th through 61st Congresses. Although Joseph Cannon was not elected to the 63d Congress, he served in the 64th Congress and in the three succeeding Congresses (March 1915 to March 1923), before retiring from public life.

See the Cannon House Office Building


portrait of Nicholas Longworth Nicholas Longworth | Ohio
(1869-1931)


Nicholas Longworth, a Republican from Ohio, served as a Representative in the 58th Congress and in the four succeeding Congresses (March 1903 to March 1913). His uncle and great-uncle had served as Representatives for Ohio before Longworth was elected. In 1906 Longworth married Alice Lee Roosevelt, the daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, at the White House. Longworth was elected to the 64th Congress and to the eight succeeding Congresses and served from March 1915 until his death in April 1931. He was the majority leader in the 68th Congress and the Speaker of the House in the 69th through the 71st Congresses. During the time he was Speaker, Longworth became known as a master of congressional procedure.

See the Longworth House Office Building



portrait of Samuel Taliaferro Rayburn Samuel Taliaferro Rayburn | Texas
(1882-1961)


Samuel T. Rayburn was born in Tennessee but moved to Texas in 1887. A Democrat, Rayburn became a member of the Texas State legislature after working his way through school. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1913. Rayburn was elected Speaker of the House in 1940 and held that office for more than twice as long as any Speaker before him (1940-47; 1949-53; and 1955-61).




See the Rayburn House Office Building


Challenge Question icon  

Challenge Question
The House Office Buildings are named after former House Speakers. Which House Office Building does your Representative work in? Use the Clerk's Member Directory to find out.

My Representative works in:

Cannon
Longworth
Rayburn
U.S. Capitol
What's that noise?!

 
 



 
Parents & Teachers
Tools for Learning

Did You Know?
A Little Known Fact
What is an "engrossed" bill? Find out in How A Bill Becomes a Law.

Check This Out!

What did the Capitol look like in 1841? See an artistic rendering of the view in Historical Highlights.

Glossary Terms
Key Words
Use the glossary to learn key terms.

Bill
Dignitary
Fasces
House Chamber
Mace
Roll Call
Rostrum



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