Doorkeepers of the House
(1789 to 1995)
A House of Representatives officer from 1789 to 1995, the Doorkeeper was elected
by a resolution at the opening of each Congress. The Office of the Doorkeeper was
based on precedent from the Continental Congresses. Without debate, the First Federal
Congress (1789-1791) created the Doorkeeper’s position by resolution on April
2, 1789. The Doorkeeper controlled access to the House Chamber and eventually oversaw
the press in the gallery. A total of 34 individuals served in the Doorkeeper position
until it was terminated in the 104th Congress (1995-1997) and many of its duties
were transferred to the Sergeant at Arms, the Clerk of the House, and the newly
created Chief Administrative Officer.
Two Doorkeepers also served as U.S. Representatives (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.
Congress (Years)
|
Doorkeepers, State or Territory 1
|
Date Elected
|
1st (1789-91)
|
Gifford Dalley2
|
April 4, 1789
|
2nd (1791-93)
|
Gifford Dalley
|
Oct. 24, 1791
|
3rd (1793-95)
|
Gifford Dalley
|
Dec. 2, 1793
|
4th (1795-97)
|
Thomas Claxton
|
Dec. 7, 1795
|
5th (1797-99)
|
Thomas Claxton
|
May 15, 1797
|
6th (1799-1801)
|
Thomas Claxton
|
Dec. 2, 1799
|
7th (1801-03)
|
Thomas Claxton
|
Dec. 7, 1801
|
8th (1803-05)
|
Thomas Claxton
|
Oct. 17, 1803
|
9th (1805-07)
|
Thomas Claxton
|
Dec. 2, 1805
|
10th (1807-09)
|
Thomas Claxton
|
Oct. 27, 1807
|
11th (1809-11)
|
Thomas Claxton
|
May 22, 1809
|
12th (1811-13)
|
Thomas Claxton
|
Nov. 4, 1811
|
13th (1813-15)
|
Thomas Claxton
|
May 24, 1813
|
14th (1815-17)
|
Thomas Claxton
|
Dec. 4, 1815
|
15th (1817-19)
|
Thomas Claxton
|
Dec. 1, 1817
|
16th (1819-21)
|
Thomas Claxton
|
Dec. 6, 1819
|
17th (1821-23)
|
Benjamin Birch, MD
|
Dec. 4, 1821
|
18th (1823-25)
|
Benjamin Birch, MD
|
Dec. 1, 1823
|
19th (1825-27)
|
Benjamin Birch, MD
|
Dec. 5, 1825
|
20th (1827-29)
|
Benjamin Birch, MD
|
Dec. 3, 1827
|
21st (1829-31)
|
Benjamin Birch, MD
|
Dec. 7, 1829
|
22nd (1831-33)
|
Overton Carr, MD
|
Dec. 7, 1831
|
23rd (1833-35)
|
Overton Carr, MD
|
Dec. 3, 1833
|
24th (1835-37)
|
Overton Carr, MD
|
Dec. 15, 1835
|
25th (1837-39)
|
Overton Carr, MD
|
Sept. 4, 1837
|
26th (1839-41)
|
Joseph Follansbee, MA
|
Dec. 23, 1839
|
27th (1841-43)
|
Joseph Follansbee, MA
|
June 9, 1841
|
28th (1843-45)
|
Jesse E. Dow, CT
|
Dec. 7, 1843
|
29th (1845-47)
|
Cornelius S. Whitney, DC
|
Dec. 3, 1845
|
30th (1847-49)
|
Robert E. Horner, NJ
|
Dec. 8, 1847
|
31st (1849-51)
|
Robert E. Horner, NJ
|
N/A3
|
32nd (1851-53)
|
Zadock W. McKnew, MD
|
Dec. 1, 1851
|
33rd (1853-55)
|
Zadock W. McKnew, MD
|
Dec. 5, 1853
|
34th (1855-57)
|
Nathan Darling, NY
|
Feb. 5, 1856
|
35th (1857-59)
|
Robert B. Hackney, VA
|
Dec. 7, 1857
|
36th (1859-61)
|
George Marston, NH
|
Feb. 6, 1860
|
37th (1861-63)
|
Ira Goodnow, NY
|
July 5, 1861
|
38th (1863-65)
|
Ira Goodnow, NY
|
Dec. 8, 1863
|
39th (1865-67)
|
Ira Goodnow, NY
|
Dec. 4, 1865
|
40th (1867-69)
|
Charles E. Lippincott, IL
|
March 5, 1867
|
41st (1869-71)
|
Otis S. Buxton, NY
|
March 5, 1869
|
42nd (1871-73)
|
Otis S. Buxton, NY
|
March 4, 1871
|
43rd (1873-75)
|
Otis S. Buxton, NY
|
Dec. 1, 1873
|
44th (1875-77)
|
Lafayette H. Fitzhugh, TX
John H. Patterson, NJ
|
Dec. 6, 1875
May 26, 18764
|
45th (1877-79)
|
John W. Polk, MO
|
Oct. 17, 1877
|
46th (1879-81)
|
Charles W. Field, GA
|
March 18, 1879
|
47th (1881-83)
|
Walter P.
Brownlow, TN*
|
Dec. 5, 1881
|
48th (1883-85)
|
James G. Wintersmith, TX
|
Dec. 4, 1883
|
49th (1885-87)
|
Samuel Donelson, TN
|
Dec. 7, 1885
|
50th (1887-89)
|
Alvin B. Hurt, MS
|
Dec. 5, 1887
|
51st (1889-91)
|
Charles E. Adams, MD
|
Dec. 2, 1889
|
52nd (1891-93)
|
Charles H.
Turner, NY*
|
Dec. 8, 1891
|
53rd (1893-95)
|
Alvin B. Hurt, TN5
|
Aug. 7, 1893
|
54th (1895-97)
|
William J. Glenn, NY
|
Dec. 2, 1895
|
55th (1897-99)
|
William J. Glenn, NY
|
March 15, 1897
|
56th (1899-1901)
|
William J. Glenn, NY
|
Dec. 4, 1899
|
57th (1901-03)
|
William J. Glenn, NY
|
Dec. 2, 1901
|
58th (1903-05)
|
Frank B. Lyon, NY
|
Nov. 9, 1903
|
59th (1905-07)
|
Frank B. Lyon, NY
|
Dec. 4, 1905
|
60th (1907-09)
|
Frank B. Lyon, NY
|
Dec. 2, 1907
|
61st (1909-11)
|
Frank B. Lyon, NY
|
March 15, 1909
|
62nd (1911-13)
|
Joseph J. Sinnott, VA
|
Apr. 4, 1911
|
63rd (1913-15)
|
Joseph J. Sinnott, VA
|
Apr. 7, 1913
|
64th (1915-17)
|
Joseph J. Sinnott, VA
|
Dec. 6, 1915
|
65th (1917-19)
|
Joseph J. Sinnott, VA
|
Apr. 2, 1917
|
66th (1919-21)
|
Bert W. Kennedy, MI
|
May 19, 1919
|
67th (1921-23)
|
Bert W. Kennedy, MI
|
Apr. 11, 1921
|
68th (1923-25)
|
Bert W. Kennedy, MI
|
Dec. 5, 1923
|
69th (1925-27)
|
Bert W. Kennedy, MI
|
Dec. 7, 1925
|
70th (1927-29)
|
Bert W. Kennedy, MI
|
Dec. 5, 1927
|
71st (1929-31)
|
Bert W. Kennedy, MI
|
Apr. 15, 1929
|
72nd (1931-33)
|
Joseph J. Sinnott, VA
|
Dec. 7, 1931
|
73rd (1933-35)
|
Joseph J. Sinnott, VA
|
March 9, 1933
|
74th (1935-37)
|
Joseph J. Sinnott, VA
|
Jan. 3, 1935
|
75th (1937-39)
|
Joseph J. Sinnott, VA
|
Jan. 5, 1937
|
76th (1939-41)
|
Joseph J. Sinnott, VA
|
Jan. 3, 1939
|
77th (1941-43)
|
Joseph J. Sinnott, VA
|
Jan. 3, 1941
|
78th (1943-45)
|
Joseph J. Sinnott, VA 6
Ralph R. Roberts, IN
|
Jan. 6, 1943
Feb. 5, 19437
|
79th (1945-47)
|
Ralph R. Roberts, IN
|
Jan. 3, 1945
|
80th (1947-49)
|
M.L. Meletio, MO
|
Jan. 3, 1947
|
81st (1949-51)
|
William M. Miller, MS
|
Jan. 3, 1949
|
82nd (1951-53)
|
William M. Miller, MS
|
Jan. 3, 1951
|
83rd (1953-55)
|
Tom J. Kennamer, MO
|
Jan. 3, 1953
|
84th (1955-57)
|
William M. Miller, MS
|
Jan. 5, 1955
|
85th (1957-59)
|
William M. Miller, MS
|
Jan. 3, 1957
|
86th (1959-61)
|
William M. Miller, MS
|
Jan. 7, 1959
|
87th (1961-63)
|
William M. Miller, MS
|
Jan. 3, 1961
|
88th (1963-65)
|
William M. Miller, MS
|
Jan. 9, 1963
|
89th (1965-67)
|
William M. Miller, MS
|
Jan. 4, 1965
|
90th (1967-69)
|
William M. Miller, MS
|
Jan. 10, 1967
|
91st (1969-71)
|
William M. Miller, MS
|
Jan. 3, 1969
|
92nd (1971-73)
|
William M. Miller, MS
|
Jan. 21, 1971
|
93rd (1973-75)
|
William M. Miller, MS8
James T. Molloy, NY
|
Jan. 3, 1973
Dec. 31, 19749
|
94th (1975-77)
|
James T. Molloy, NY
|
Jan. 14, 1975
|
95th (1977-79)
|
James T. Molloy, NY
|
Jan. 4, 1977
|
96th (1979-81)
|
James T. Molloy, NY
|
Jan. 15, 1979
|
97th (1981-83)
|
James T. Molloy, NY
|
Jan. 5, 1981
|
98th (1983-85)
|
James T. Molloy, NY
|
Jan. 3, 1983
|
99th (1985-87)
|
James T. Molloy, NY
|
Jan. 3, 1985
|
100th (1987-89)
|
James T. Molloy, NY
|
Jan. 6, 1987
|
101st (1989-91)
|
James T. Molloy, NY
|
Jan. 3, 1989
|
102nd (1991-93)
|
James T. Molloy, NY
|
Jan. 3, 1991
|
103rd (1993-95)
|
James T. Molloy, NY
|
Jan. 5, 1993
|