Members of each political party convene in private meetings known as party conferences (or party caucuses) to elect floor leaders, make committee assignments, and set legislative agendas. Each party elects a Conference Secretary who is responsible for keeping the minutes. Edward Carmack of Tennessee became the first Democratic Conference Secretary in 1903, and the Republicans elected their first Conference Secretary, Charles Curtis of Kansas, in 1911.
Charles Curtis (KS)
Term: 1911-1913
William S. Kenyon (IA)
Term: 1913-1915
James W. Wadsworth, Jr. (NY)
Term: 1915-1927
Frederick Hale (ME)
Term: 1927-1940
Wallace H. White, Jr. (ME)
Term: 1940-1944
Harold H. Burton (OH)
Term: 1944-1945
J. Chandler Gurney (SD)
Term: 1945-1946
Milton R. Young (ND)
Term: 1946-1971
Norris Cotton (NH)
Term: 1971-1972
Wallace F. Bennett (UT)
Term: 1973-1974
Robert T. Stafford (VT)
Term: 1976-1976
Clifford P. Hansen (WY)
Term: 1977-1978
E.J. "Jake" Garn (UT)
Term: 1979-1985
William Thad Cochran (MS)
Term: 1985-1991
Robert W. Kasten, Jr. (WI)
Term: 1991-1993
Trent Lott (MS)
Term: 1993-1995
Connie Mack (FL)
Term: 1995-1997
Paul Coverdell (GA)
Term: 1997-2000
Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX)
Term: 2001-2007
John Cornyn (TX)
Term: 2007-2009
John Thune (SD)
Term: 2009-June 2009
Lisa Murkowski (AK)
Term: June 2009- Spetember 17, 2010
John Barrasso (WY)
Term: September 22, 2010- present
Note: With election of Kay Bailey Hutchison, the position became known as Republican Conference Vice-Chair.
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Edward W. Carmack (TN)
Term: 1903-1907
Robert L. Owen (OK)
Term: 1907-1911
William E. Chilton (WV)
Term: 1911-1913
Willard Saulsbury (DE)
Term: 1913-1916
Key Pittman (NV)
Term: 1916-1917
Note: Served as acting secretary.
William King (UT)
Term: 1917-1927
Hugo Black (AL)
Term: 1927-1937
Joshua B. Lee (OK)
Term: 1937-1942
Francis T. Maloney (CT)
Term: 1943-1945
Brien McMahon (CT)
Term: 1945-1952
Thomas Hennings (MO)
Term: 1953-1960
George Smathers (FL)
Term: 1960-1966
Robert C. Byrd (WV)
Term: 1967-1971
Frank Moss (UT)
Term: 1971-1976
Daniel Inouye (HI)
Term: 1977-1989
David Pryor (AR)
Term: 1989-1995
Barbara A. Mikulski (MD)
Term: 1995-2005
Debbie Stabenow (MI)
Term: 2005-2007
Patty Murray (WA)
Term: 2007-present
