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House History

Clerks of the U.S. House of Representatives

(1789 to Present)

“The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers...”
The Constitution of the United States, Article I, Section 2

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 35 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.

Donnald AndersonLearn more about the history of the Clerk of the House from former Clerk Donnald K. Anderson’s oral history interview, visit Oral History of the U.S. House of Representatives.

For more information and teaching tips about the Clerk’s office, visit History of the Office and Weekly Historical Highlights.

Current Clerk of the House

Clerk of the House Lorraine C. Miller

The 35th Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, Lorraine C. Miller, was sworn in as Clerk on February 15, 2007.
Image courtesy of the Office of the Clerk


Congress (Years) Clerk State Date Elected
1st (1789-91)John BeckleyVAApr 01, 1789
2nd (1791-93)John BeckleyVAOct 24, 1791
3rd (1793-95)John BeckleyVADec 02, 1793
4th (1795-97)John BeckleyVADec 07, 1795
5th (1797-99)Jonathan W. CondyPAMay 15, 1797
6th (1799-1801)Jonathan W. Condy 1PADec 02, 1799
6th (1799-1801)John H. OswaldPADec 09, 1800 2
7th (1801-03)John BeckleyVADec 07, 1801
8th (1803-05)John BeckleyVAOct 17, 1803
9th (1805-07)John BeckleyVADec 02, 1805
10th (1807-09)Patrick Magruder*MDOct 26, 1807
11th (1809-11)Patrick MagruderMDMay 24, 1809
12th (1811-13)Patrick MagruderMDNov 04, 1811
13th (1813-15)Patrick Magruder 3MDMay 24, 1813
13th (1813-15)Thomas DoughertyKYJan 30, 1815 4
14th (1815-17)Thomas DoughertyKYDec 04, 1815
15th (1817-19)Thomas DoughertyKYDec 01, 1817
16th (1819-21)Thomas DoughertyKYDec 06, 1819
17th (1821-23)Thomas Dougherty 5KYDec 04, 1821
17th (1821-23)Matthew St. Clair ClarkePADec 03, 1822 6
18th (1823-25)Matthew St. Clair ClarkePADec 01, 1823
19th (1825-27)Matthew St. Clair ClarkePADec 05, 1825
20th (1827-29)Matthew St. Clair ClarkePADec 03, 1827
21st (1829-31)Matthew St. Clair ClarkePADec 07, 1829
22nd (1831-33)Matthew St. Clair ClarkePADec 05, 1831
23rd (1833-35)Walter S. FranklinPADec 02, 1833
24th (1835-37)Walter S. FranklinPADec 07, 1835
25th (1837-39)Walter S. Franklin 7PASep 04, 1837
25th (1837-39)Hugh A. GarlandVADec 03, 1838 8
26th (1839-41)Hugh A. GarlandVADec 21, 1839
27th (1841-43)Matthew St. Clair ClarkePAMay 31, 1841
28th (1843-45)Caleb J. McNulty 9OHDec 06, 1843
28th (1843-45)Benjamin B. FrenchNHJan 18, 1845 10
29th (1845-47)Benjamin B. FrenchNHDec 02, 1845
30th (1847-49)Thomas J. Campbell*TNDec 07, 1847
31st (1849-51)Thomas J. Campbell 11TNJan 11, 1850
31st (1849-51)Richard M. Young*ILApr 17, 1850 12
32nd (1851-53)John W. ForneyPADec 01, 1851
33rd (1853-55)John W. ForneyPADec 05, 1853
34th (1855-57)John W. Forney 13PA
34th (1855-57)William Cullom*TNFeb 04, 1856 14
35th (1857-59)James C. Allen*ILDec 07, 1857
36th (1859-61)James C. Allen 15IL
36th (1859-61)John W. ForneyPAFeb 03, 1860 16
37th (1861-63)Emerson Etheridge*TNJul 04, 1861
38th (1863-65)Edward McPherson*PADec 08, 1863
39th (1865-67)Edward McPhersonPADec 04, 1865
40th (1867-69)Edward McPhersonPAMar 04, 1867
41st (1869-71)Edward McPhersonPAMar 05, 1869
42nd (1871-73)Edward McPhersonPAMar 04, 1871
43rd (1873-75)Edward McPhersonPADec 01, 1873
44th (1875-77)George M. Adams*KYDec 06, 1875
45th (1877-79)George M. AdamsKYOct 15, 1877
46th (1879-81)George M. AdamsKYMar 18, 1879
47th (1881-83)Edward McPhersonPADec 05, 1881
48th (1883-85)John B. Clark, Jr.*MODec 04, 1883
49th (1885-87)John B. Clark, Jr.MODec 07, 1885
50th (1887-89)John B. Clark, Jr.MODec 05, 1887
51st (1889-91)Edward McPhersonPADec 02, 1889
52nd (1891-93)James Kerr*PADec 08, 1891
53rd (1893-95)James KerrPAAug 07, 1893
54th (1895-97)Alexander McDowell*PADec 02, 1895
55th (1897-99)Alexander McDowellPAMar 15, 1897
56th (1899-1901)Alexander McDowellPADec 04, 1899
57th (1901-03)Alexander McDowellPADec 02, 1901
58th (1903-05)Alexander McDowellPANov 09, 1903
59th (1905-07)Alexander McDowellPADec 04, 1905
60th (1907-09)Alexander McDowellPADec 02, 1907
61st (1909-11)Alexander McDowellPAMar 15, 1909
62nd (1911-13)South Trimble*KYApr 04, 1911
63rd (1913-15)South TrimbleKYApr 07, 1913
64th (1915-17)South TrimbleKYDec 06, 1915
65th (1917-19)South TrimbleKYApr 02, 1917
66th (1919-21)William Tyler PageMDMay 19, 1919
67th (1921-23)William Tyler PageMDApr 11, 1921
68th (1923-25)William Tyler PageMDDec 05, 1923
69th (1925-27)William Tyler PageMDDec 07, 1925
70th (1927-29)William Tyler PageMDDec 05, 1927
71st (1929-31)William Tyler PageMDApr 15, 1929
72nd (1931-33)South TrimbleKYDec 07, 1931
73rd (1933-35)South TrimbleKYMar 09, 1933
74th (1935-37)South TrimbleKYJan 03, 1935
75th (1937-39)South TrimbleKYJan 05, 1937
76th (1939-41)South TrimbleKYJan 03, 1939
77th (1941-43)South TrimbleKYJan 03, 1941
78th (1943-45)South TrimbleKYJan 06, 1943
79th (1945-47)South Trimble 17KYJan 03, 1945
79th (1945-47)Harry Newlin MegillAug 02, 1946 18
80th (1947-49)John AndrewsMAJan 03, 1947
81st (1949-51)Ralph R. RobertsINJan 03, 1949
82nd (1951-53)Ralph R. RobertsINJan 03, 1951
83rd (1953-55)Lyle O. SnaderILJan 03, 1953
84th (1955-57)Ralph R. RobertsINJan 05, 1955
85th (1957-59)Ralph R. RobertsINJan 03, 1957
86th (1959-61)Ralph R. RobertsINJan 07, 1959
87th (1961-63)Ralph R. RobertsINJan 03, 1961
88th (1963-65)Ralph R. RobertsINJan 09, 1963
89th (1965-67)Ralph R. RobertsINJan 04, 1965
90th (1967-69)W. Pat Jennings*VAJan 10, 1967
91st (1969-71)W. Pat JenningsVAJan 03, 1969
92nd (1971-73)W. Pat JenningsVAJan 21, 1971
93rd (1973-75)W. Pat JenningsVAJan 03, 1973
94th (1975-77)W. Pat Jennings 19VAJan 14, 1975
94th (1975-77)Edmund L. Henshaw, Jr.VANov 17, 1975 20
95th (1977-79)Edmund L. Henshaw, Jr.VAJan 04, 1977
96th (1979-81)Edmund L. Henshaw, Jr.VAJan 15, 1979
97th (1981-83)Edmund L. Henshaw, Jr.VAJan 05, 1981
98th (1983-85)Benjamin J. GuthrieMDJan 03, 1983
99th (1985-87)Benjamin J. GuthrieMDJan 03, 1985
100th (1987-89)Donnald K. AndersonCAJan 06, 1987
101st (1989-91)Donnald K. AndersonCAJan 03, 1989
102nd (1991-93)Donnald K. AndersonCAJan 03, 1991
103rd (1993-95)Donnald K. AndersonCAJan 05, 1993
104th (1995-97)Robin H. CarleIDJan 04, 1995
105th (1997-99)Robin H. Carle 21IDJan 07, 1997
105th (1997-99)Jeff TrandahlSDJan 01, 1999 22
106th (1999-2001)Jeff TrandahlSDJan 06, 1999
107th (2001-03)Jeff TrandahlSDJan 03, 2001
108th (2003-05)Jeff TrandahlSDJan 07, 2003
109th (2005-07)Jeff Trandahl 23SDJan 04, 2005
109th (2005-07)Karen L. HaasMDNov 18, 2005 24
109th (2005-07)Karen L. HaasMDDec 06, 2005 25
110th (2007-09)Karen L. HaasMDJan 04, 2007
110th (2007-09)Lorraine C. MillerTXFeb 15, 2007 26
111th (2009-11)Lorraine C. MillerTXJan 06, 2009

1 Resigned on December 4, 1800. House Journal, 6th Congress, (December 9, 1800): H736.2 Elected on December 9, 1800. House Journal, 6th Congress, (December 9, 1800): H736.3 Resigned on January 28, 1815. House Journal, 13th Congress, (January 28, 1815): H694.4 Elected on January 30, 1815. House Journal, 13th Congress, (January 30, 1815): H1113-1114.5 Died in 1822.6 Elected on December 3, 1822. House Journal, 17th Congress, (December 3, 1822): H18.7 Died on September 20, 1838.8 Elected on December 3, 1838. House Journal, 25th Congress, (December 3, 1838): H14.9 Dismissed from office on January 18, 1845. House Journal, (January 18, 1845): H230-233. 10 Elected on January 18, 1845. House Journal, (January 18, 1845): H233.11 Died on April 13, 1850. House Journal, (April 15, 1850): H788-789.12 Elected on April 17, 1850. House Journal, (April 17, 1850): H804-805.13 Presided over deadlocked election of the Speaker.14 Elected on February 4, 1856. House Journal, (February 4, 1856): H452.15 Presided over deadlocked election of the Speaker.16 Elected on February 30, 1860. House Journal, 36th Congress, (February 3, 1860): H174.17 Died on November 23, 1946.18 H. Res. 753, passed by Congress on August 2, 1946, authorized the "appointment of an acting Clerk." Harry Newlin Megill was designated that same day. See, House Journal, 79th Cong., 2nd sess., (August 2, 1946): H799; H918.19 Resigned on November 15, 1975. House Journal, 94th Cong., 1st sess., (November 17, 1975): H1790.20 Appointed acting Clerk on November 16, 1975, "to act as and to exercise temporarily" the duties of Clerk of the House. See, House Journal, 94th Cong., 1st sess., (November 17, 1975): H1790.21 Resigned on December 21, 1998. See, Roll Call, "House Clerk's Office Shake-Up Continues," (January 7, 1999): 1, 21.22 Appointed by the Speaker effective January 1, 1999. See, "Appointment by the Speaker After Sine Die Adjournment," Congressio