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.
Learn 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.
Congress (Years) | Clerk | State | Date Elected |
---|---|---|---|
1st (1789-91) | John Beckley | VA | Apr 01, 1789 |
2nd (1791-93) | John Beckley | VA | Oct 24, 1791 |
3rd (1793-95) | John Beckley | VA | Dec 02, 1793 |
4th (1795-97) | John Beckley | VA | Dec 07, 1795 |
5th (1797-99) | Jonathan W. Condy | PA | May 15, 1797 |
6th (1799-1801) | Jonathan W. Condy 1 | PA | Dec 02, 1799 |
6th (1799-1801) | John H. Oswald | PA | Dec 09, 1800 2 |
7th (1801-03) | John Beckley | VA | Dec 07, 1801 |
8th (1803-05) | John Beckley | VA | Oct 17, 1803 |
9th (1805-07) | John Beckley | VA | Dec 02, 1805 |
10th (1807-09) | Patrick Magruder* | MD | Oct 26, 1807 |
11th (1809-11) | Patrick Magruder | MD | May 24, 1809 |
12th (1811-13) | Patrick Magruder | MD | Nov 04, 1811 |
13th (1813-15) | Patrick Magruder 3 | MD | May 24, 1813 |
13th (1813-15) | Thomas Dougherty | KY | Jan 30, 1815 4 |
14th (1815-17) | Thomas Dougherty | KY | Dec 04, 1815 |
15th (1817-19) | Thomas Dougherty | KY | Dec 01, 1817 |
16th (1819-21) | Thomas Dougherty | KY | Dec 06, 1819 |
17th (1821-23) | Thomas Dougherty 5 | KY | Dec 04, 1821 |
17th (1821-23) | Matthew St. Clair Clarke | PA | Dec 03, 1822 6 |
18th (1823-25) | Matthew St. Clair Clarke | PA | Dec 01, 1823 |
19th (1825-27) | Matthew St. Clair Clarke | PA | Dec 05, 1825 |
20th (1827-29) | Matthew St. Clair Clarke | PA | Dec 03, 1827 |
21st (1829-31) | Matthew St. Clair Clarke | PA | Dec 07, 1829 |
22nd (1831-33) | Matthew St. Clair Clarke | PA | Dec 05, 1831 |
23rd (1833-35) | Walter S. Franklin | PA | Dec 02, 1833 |
24th (1835-37) | Walter S. Franklin | PA | Dec 07, 1835 |
25th (1837-39) | Walter S. Franklin 7 | PA | Sep 04, 1837 |
25th (1837-39) | Hugh A. Garland | VA | Dec 03, 1838 8 |
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 9 | OH | Dec 06, 1843 |
28th (1843-45) | Benjamin B. French | NH | Jan 18, 1845 10 |
29th (1845-47) | Benjamin B. French | NH | Dec 02, 1845 |
30th (1847-49) | Thomas J. Campbell* | TN | Dec 07, 1847 |
31st (1849-51) | Thomas J. Campbell 11 | TN | Jan 11, 1850 |
31st (1849-51) | Richard M. Young* | IL | Apr 17, 1850 12 |
32nd (1851-53) | John W. Forney | PA | Dec 01, 1851 |
33rd (1853-55) | John W. Forney | PA | Dec 05, 1853 |
34th (1855-57) | John W. Forney 13 | PA | — |
34th (1855-57) | William Cullom* | TN | Feb 04, 1856 14 |
35th (1857-59) | James C. Allen* | IL | Dec 07, 1857 |
36th (1859-61) | James C. Allen 15 | IL | — |
36th (1859-61) | John W. Forney | PA | Feb 03, 1860 16 |
37th (1861-63) | Emerson Etheridge* | TN | Jul 04, 1861 |
38th (1863-65) | Edward McPherson* | PA | Dec 08, 1863 |
39th (1865-67) | Edward McPherson | PA | Dec 04, 1865 |
40th (1867-69) | Edward McPherson | PA | Mar 04, 1867 |
41st (1869-71) | Edward McPherson | PA | Mar 05, 1869 |
42nd (1871-73) | Edward McPherson | PA | Mar 04, 1871 |
43rd (1873-75) | Edward McPherson | PA | Dec 01, 1873 |
44th (1875-77) | George M. Adams* | KY | Dec 06, 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 05, 1881 |
48th (1883-85) | John B. Clark, Jr.* | MO | Dec 04, 1883 |
49th (1885-87) | John B. Clark, Jr. | MO | Dec 07, 1885 |
50th (1887-89) | John B. Clark, Jr. | MO | Dec 05, 1887 |
51st (1889-91) | Edward McPherson | PA | Dec 02, 1889 |
52nd (1891-93) | James Kerr* | PA | Dec 08, 1891 |
53rd (1893-95) | James Kerr | PA | Aug 07, 1893 |
54th (1895-97) | Alexander McDowell* | PA | Dec 02, 1895 |
55th (1897-99) | Alexander McDowell | PA | Mar 15, 1897 |
56th (1899-1901) | Alexander McDowell | PA | Dec 04, 1899 |
57th (1901-03) | Alexander McDowell | PA | Dec 02, 1901 |
58th (1903-05) | Alexander McDowell | PA | Nov 09, 1903 |
59th (1905-07) | Alexander McDowell | PA | Dec 04, 1905 |
60th (1907-09) | Alexander McDowell | PA | Dec 02, 1907 |
61st (1909-11) | Alexander McDowell | PA | Mar 15, 1909 |
62nd (1911-13) | South Trimble* | KY | Apr 04, 1911 |
63rd (1913-15) | South Trimble | KY | Apr 07, 1913 |
64th (1915-17) | South Trimble | KY | Dec 06, 1915 |
65th (1917-19) | South Trimble | KY | Apr 02, 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 05, 1923 |
69th (1925-27) | William Tyler Page | MD | Dec 07, 1925 |
70th (1927-29) | William Tyler Page | MD | Dec 05, 1927 |
71st (1929-31) | William Tyler Page | MD | Apr 15, 1929 |
72nd (1931-33) | South Trimble | KY | Dec 07, 1931 |
73rd (1933-35) | South Trimble | KY | Mar 09, 1933 |
74th (1935-37) | South Trimble | KY | Jan 03, 1935 |
75th (1937-39) | South Trimble | KY | Jan 05, 1937 |
76th (1939-41) | South Trimble | KY | Jan 03, 1939 |
77th (1941-43) | South Trimble | KY | Jan 03, 1941 |
78th (1943-45) | South Trimble | KY | Jan 06, 1943 |
79th (1945-47) | South Trimble 17 | KY | Jan 03, 1945 |
79th (1945-47) | Harry Newlin Megill | Aug 02, 1946 18 | |
80th (1947-49) | John Andrews | MA | Jan 03, 1947 |
81st (1949-51) | Ralph R. Roberts | IN | Jan 03, 1949 |
82nd (1951-53) | Ralph R. Roberts | IN | Jan 03, 1951 |
83rd (1953-55) | Lyle O. Snader | IL | Jan 03, 1953 |
84th (1955-57) | Ralph R. Roberts | IN | Jan 05, 1955 |
85th (1957-59) | Ralph R. Roberts | IN | Jan 03, 1957 |
86th (1959-61) | Ralph R. Roberts | IN | Jan 07, 1959 |
87th (1961-63) | Ralph R. Roberts | IN | Jan 03, 1961 |
88th (1963-65) | Ralph R. Roberts | IN | Jan 09, 1963 |
89th (1965-67) | Ralph R. Roberts | IN | Jan 04, 1965 |
90th (1967-69) | W. Pat Jennings* | VA | Jan 10, 1967 |
91st (1969-71) | W. Pat Jennings | VA | Jan 03, 1969 |
92nd (1971-73) | W. Pat Jennings | VA | Jan 21, 1971 |
93rd (1973-75) | W. Pat Jennings | VA | Jan 03, 1973 |
94th (1975-77) | W. Pat Jennings 19 | VA | Jan 14, 1975 |
94th (1975-77) | Edmund L. Henshaw, Jr. | VA | Nov 17, 1975 20 |
95th (1977-79) | Edmund L. Henshaw, Jr. | VA | Jan 04, 1977 |
96th (1979-81) | Edmund L. Henshaw, Jr. | VA | Jan 15, 1979 |
97th (1981-83) | Edmund L. Henshaw, Jr. | VA | Jan 05, 1981 |
98th (1983-85) | Benjamin J. Guthrie | MD | Jan 03, 1983 |
99th (1985-87) | Benjamin J. Guthrie | MD | Jan 03, 1985 |
100th (1987-89) | Donnald K. Anderson | CA | Jan 06, 1987 |
101st (1989-91) | Donnald K. Anderson | CA | Jan 03, 1989 |
102nd (1991-93) | Donnald K. Anderson | CA | Jan 03, 1991 |
103rd (1993-95) | Donnald K. Anderson | CA | Jan 05, 1993 |
104th (1995-97) | Robin H. Carle | ID | Jan 04, 1995 |
105th (1997-99) | Robin H. Carle 21 | ID | Jan 07, 1997 |
105th (1997-99) | Jeff Trandahl | SD | Jan 01, 1999 22 |
106th (1999-2001) | Jeff Trandahl | SD | Jan 06, 1999 |
107th (2001-03) | Jeff Trandahl | SD | Jan 03, 2001 |
108th (2003-05) | Jeff Trandahl | SD | Jan 07, 2003 |
109th (2005-07) | Jeff Trandahl 23 | SD | Jan 04, 2005 |
109th (2005-07) | Karen L. Haas | MD | Nov 18, 2005 24 |
109th (2005-07) | Karen L. Haas | MD | Dec 06, 2005 25 |
110th (2007-09) | Karen L. Haas | MD | Jan 04, 2007 |
110th (2007-09) | Lorraine C. Miller | TX | Feb 15, 2007 26 |
111th (2009-11) | Lorraine C. Miller | TX | Jan 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