Democratic Caucus Chairmen
(1849 to Present)
The House Democratic Caucus Chairman presides over caucus meetings, which are composed
of all members of the Democratic party. The chair is elected by the caucus, and
is limited to two consecutive full terms. A list of House Democratic Chairman from
1849 to present is presented below.
The House Democratic Caucus serves as the organizational forum to elect party leaders
at the outset of each new Congress. The caucus meets on a weekly basis to discuss
party policy, pending legislative issues, and other matters of mutual concern.
Further information on the caucus' current activities is available on the
House Democratic Caucus Web
site.
Congress
|
Name
|
State
|
Years of Service
|
31st
|
James Thompson
|
Pennsylvania
|
1849-1851
|
32nd
|
n/a1
|
.........
|
1851-1853
|
33rd
|
Edson B. Olds
|
Ohio
|
1853-1855
|
34th
|
George W. Jones
|
Tennessee
|
1855-1857
|
35th
|
n/a2
|
.........
|
1857-1859
|
36th
|
George S. Houston
|
Alabama
|
1859-1861
|
37th-40th
|
n/a3
|
.........
|
1861-1869
|
41st
|
William E. Niblack
|
Indiana
|
1869-18714
|
41st
|
Samuel J. Randall
|
Pennsylvania
|
1869-1871
|
42nd
|
n/a5
|
.........
|
1871-1873
|
43rd
|
William E. Niblack
|
Indiana
|
1873-1875
|
44th
|
Lucius Q.C. Lamar
|
Mississippi
|
1875-1877
|
45th
|
Hiester Clymer
|
Pennsylvania
|
1877-1879
|
46th
|
John F. House
|
Tennessee
|
1879-1881
|
47th
|
n/a6
|
.........
|
1881-1883
|
48th
|
George W. Geddes
|
Ohio
|
1883-1885
|
49th
|
J. Randolph Tucker
|
Virginia
|
1885-1887
|
50th
|
Samuel S. Cox
|
New York
|
1887-18897
|
51st-53rd
|
William S. Holman
|
Indiana
|
1889-1895
|
54th
|
David B. Culberson
|
Texas
|
1895-1897
|
55th
|
James D. Richardson
|
Tennessee
|
1897-1899
|
56th-58th
|
James Hay
|
Virginia
|
1899-1905
|
59th
|
Robert L. Henry
|
Texas
|
1905-1907
|
60th-61st
|
Henry D. Clayton
|
Alabama
|
1907-19118
|
62nd
|
Albert S. Burleson
|
Texas
|
1911-19138
|
63rd
|
A. Mitchell Palmer
|
Pennsylvania
|
1913-1915
|
64th-65th
|
Edward W. Saunders
|
Virginia
|
1915-1919
|
66th
|
Arthur G. DeWalt
|
Pennsylvania
|
1919-1921
|
67th
|
Sam Rayburn
|
Texas
|
1921-1923
|
68th
|
Henry T. Rainey
|
Illinois
|
1923-1925
|
69th
|
Charles D. Carter
|
Oklahoma
|
1925-1927
|
70th
|
Arthur H. Greenwood
|
Indiana
|
1927-1929
|
71st
|
David H. Kincheloe
|
Kentucky
|
1929-19309
|
72nd
|
William W. Arnold
|
Illinois
|
1931-1933
|
73rd
|
Clarence F. Lea
|
California
|
1933-1935
|
74th
|
Edward T. Taylor
|
Colorado
|
1935-1937
|
75th
|
Robert L. Doughton
|
North Carolina
|
1937-1939
|
76th
|
John W. McCormack
|
Massachusetts
|
1939-194010
|
77th
|
Richard M. Duncan
|
Missouri
|
1941-1943
|
78th
|
Harry R. Sheppard
|
California
|
1943-1945
|
79th
|
Jere Cooper
|
Tennessee
|
1945-1947
|
80th
|
Aime J. Forand
|
Rhode Island
|
1947-1949
|
81st
|
Francis E. Walter
|
Pennsylvania
|
1949-1951
|
82nd
|
Jere Cooper
|
Tennessee
|
1951-1953
|
83rd
|
Wilbur D. Mills
|
Arkansas
|
1953-1955
|
84th
|
John J. Rooney
|
New York
|
1955-1957
|
85th-86th
|
Melvin Price
|
Illinois
|
1957-1961
|
87th-88th
|
Francis E. Walter
|
Pennsylvania
|
1961-196311
|
88th
|
Albert Thomas
|
Texas
|
1964-1965
|
89th
|
Eugene Keogh
|
New York
|
1965-1967
|
90th-91st
|
Dan Rostenkowski
|
Illinois
|
1967-1971
|
92nd-93rd
|
Olin Teague
|
Texas
|
1971-1975
|
94th
|
Philip Burton
|
California
|
1976-1977
|
95th-96th
|
Thomas S. Foley
|
Washington
|
1977-1981
|
97th-98th
|
Gillis W. Long
|
Louisiana
|
1981-1985
|
99th-100th
|
Richard A. Gephardt
|
Missouri
|
1985-1989
|
101st
|
William (Bill) H. Gray III
|
Pennsylvania
|
198912
|
101st-103rd
|
Steny H. Hoyer
|
Maryland
|
1989-199513
|
104th-105th
|
Vic Fazio
|
California
|
1995-1999
|
106th-107th
|
Martin Frost
|
Texas
|
1999-2003
|
108th-109th
|
Bob Menendez
|
New Jersey
|
2003-200614
|
109th
|
James Clyburn
|
South Carolina
|
2006-200715
|
110th
|
Rahm Emanuel
|
Illinois
|
2007-2009
|
111th-112th
|
John Larson
|
Connecticut
|
2009-present
|