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House History

Sergeants at Arms of the House

(1789 to Present)

An officer of the House whose history extends back to the First Congress, the Sergeant at Arms is the chamber’s principal law enforcement official, charged with maintaining security on the floor and for the House side of the Capitol complex. The modern Sergeant at Arms serves on the Capitol Police Board and the Capitol Guide Board along with the Senate Sergeant at Arms and the Architect of the Capitol. A total of 36 individuals have served as the House Sergeant at Arms since 1789.

Mandated under the current House Rule II, the Sergeant at Arms also enforces protocol and ensures decorum during floor proceedings. The Mace, which symbolizes the authority of the House, is maintained by the Office of the Sergeant at Arms. On occasion, the Sergeant at Arms has presented the Mace to restore order on the floor. The Sergeant at Arms also is empowered to compel absent Members onto the House floor to conduct business. Over time, the office’s duties have encompassed administrative functions: arranging Capitol funerals, managing parking facilities, and issuing identification to Members and staff.

Eight Sergeants at Arms 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)
Sergeant at Arms, State or Territory
Date Elected
1st (1789-91) Joseph Wheaton, RI
May 12, 1789
2nd (1791-93) Joseph Wheaton, RI
Oct. 24, 1791
3rd (1793-95) Joseph Wheaton, RI
Dec. 2, 1793
4th (1795-97) Joseph Wheaton, RI
Dec. 7, 1795
5th (1797-99) Joseph Wheaton, RI
May 15, 1797
6th (1799-1801) Joseph Wheaton, RI
Dec. 2, 1799
7th (1801-03) Joseph Wheaton, RI
Dec. 7, 1801
8th (1803-05) Joseph Wheaton, RI
Oct. 17, 1803
9th (1805-07) Joseph Wheaton, RI
Dec. 2, 1805
10th (1807-09) Thomas Dunn, MD
Oct. 27, 1807
11th (1809-11) Thomas Dunn, MD
May 22, 1809
12th (1811-13) Thomas Dunn, MD
Nov. 4, 1811
13th (1813-15) Thomas Dunn, MD
May 24, 1813
14th (1815-17) Thomas Dunn, MD
Dec. 4, 1815
15th (1817-19) Thomas Dunn, MD
Dec. 1, 1817
16th (1819-21) Thomas Dunn, MD
Dec. 6, 1819
17th (1821-23) Thomas Dunn, MD
Dec. 4, 1821
18th (1823-25) Thomas Dunn, MD
John O. Dunn, DC1
Dec. 1, 1823;
Dec. 6, 1824
19th (1825-27) John O. Dunn, DC
Dec. 5, 1825
20th (1827-29) John O. Dunn, DC
Dec. 3, 1827
21st (1829-31) John O. Dunn, DC
Dec. 7, 1829
22nd (1831-33) John O. Dunn, DC
Dec. 7, 1831
23rd (1833-35) Thomas B. Randolph, VA
Dec. 3, 1833
24th (1835-37) Roderick Dorsey , MD
Dec. 15, 1835
25th (1837-39) Roderick Dorsey , MD
Sept. 4, 1837
26th (1839-41) Roderick Dorsey , MD
Dec. 21, 1839
27th (1841-43) Eleazor M. Townsend, CT
Jun. 8, 1841
28th (1843-45) Newton Lane, KY
Dec. 7, 1843
29th (1845-47) Newton Lane, KY
Dec. 3, 1845
30th (1847-49) Nathan Sergeant, VT
Dec. 8, 1847
31st (1849-51) Adam J. Glossbrenner, PA*
Jan. 15, 1850
32nd (1851-53) Adam J. Glossbrenner, PA
Dec. 1, 1851
33rd (1853-55) Adam J. Glossbrenner, PA
Dec. 5, 1853
34th (1855-57) Adam J. Glossbrenner, PA
Feb. 4, 1856
35th (1857-59) Adam J. Glossbrenner, PA
Dec. 7, 1857
36th (1859-61) Henry W. Hoffman, MD*
Feb. 3, 1860
37th (1861-63) Edward Ball, OH*
July 5, 1861
38th (1863-65) Nehemiah G. Ordway, NH
Dec. 8, 1863
39th (1865-67) Nehemiah G. Ordway, NH
Dec. 4, 1865
40th (1867-69) Nehemiah G. Ordway, NH
March 5, 1867
41st (1869-71) Nehemiah G. Ordway, NH
March 5, 1869
42nd (1871-73) Nehemiah G. Ordway, NH
March 4, 1871
43rd (1873-75) Nehemiah G. Ordway, NH
Dec. 1, 1873
44th (1875-77) John G. Thompson, OH
Dec. 6, 1875
45th (1877-79) John G. Thompson, OH
Oct. 15, 1877
46th (1879-81) John G. Thompson, OH
March 18, 1879
47th (1881-83) George W. Hooker, VT
Dec. 5, 1881
48th (1883-85) John P. Leedom, OH*
Dec. 4, 1883
49th (1885-87) John P. Leedom, OH
Dec. 7, 1885
50th (1887-89) John P. Leedom, OH
Dec. 5, 1887
51st (1889-91) Adoniram J. Holmes, IA*
Dec. 2, 1889
52nd (1891-93) Samuel S. Yoder, OH*
Dec. 8, 1891
53rd (1893-95) Herman W. Snow, IL*
Aug. 7, 1893
54th (1895-97) Benjamin F. Russell, MO
Dec. 2, 1895
55th (1897-99) Benjamin F. Russell, MO
March 15, 1897
56th (1899-1901) Henry Casson, WI
Dec. 4, 1899
57th (1901-03) Henry Casson, WI
Dec. 2, 1901
58th (1903-05) Henry Casson, WI
Nov. 9, 1903
59th (1905-07) Henry Casson, WI
Dec. 4, 1905
60th (1907-09) Henry Casson, WI
Dec. 2, 1907
61st (1909-11) Henry Casson, WI
March 15, 1909
62nd (1911-13) Uriah Stokes Jackson, IN2
Charles F. Riddell, IN
Apr. 4, 1911
July 18, 19123
63rd (1913-15) Robert B. Gordon, OH*
Apr. 7, 1913
64th (1915-17) Robert B. Gordon, OH
Dec. 6, 1915
65th (1917-19) Robert B. Gordon, OH
Apr. 2, 1917
66th (1919-21) Joseph G. Rodgers, PA4
May 19, 1919
67th (1921-23) Joseph G. Rodgers, PA
Apr. 11, 1921
68th (1923-25) Joseph G. Rodgers, PA
Dec. 3, 1923
69th (1925-27) Joseph G. Rodgers, PA
Dec. 7, 1925
70th (1927-29) Joseph G. Rodgers, PA
Dec. 5, 1927
71st (1929-31) Joseph G. Rodgers, PA
Apr. 15, 1929
72nd (1931-33) Kenneth Romney, MT
Dec. 7, 1931
73rd (1933-35) Kenneth Romney, MT
March 9, 1933
74th (1935-37) Kenneth Romney, MT
Jan. 3, 1935
75th (1937-39) Kenneth Romney, MT
Jan. 5, 1937
76th (1939-41) Kenneth Romney, MT
Jan. 3, 1939
77th (1941-43) Kenneth Romney, MT
Jan. 3, 1941
78th (1943-45) Kenneth Romney, MT
Jan. 6, 1943
79th (1945-47) Kenneth Romney, MT
Jan. 3, 1945
80th (1947-49) William F. Russell, PA
Jan. 3, 1947
81st (1949-51) Joseph H. Callahan, KY
Jan. 3, 1949
82nd (1951-53) Joseph H. Callahan, KY
Jan. 3, 1951
83rd (1953-55) William F. Russell, PA5
Lyle O. Snader, IL
William R. Bonsell, PA
Jan. 3, 1953
July 8, 19536
Jan. 11, 19547
84th (1955-57) Zeake W. Johnson, Jr., TN
Jan. 5, 1955
85th (1957-59) Zeake W. Johnson, Jr., TN
Jan. 3, 1957
86th (1959-61) Zeake W. Johnson, Jr., TN
Jan. 7, 1959
87th (1961-63) Zeake W. Johnson, Jr., TN
Jan. 3, 1961
88th (1963-65) Zeake W. Johnson, Jr., TN Jan. 9, 1963
89th (1965-67) Zeake W. Johnson, Jr., TN Jan. 4, 1965
90th (1967-69) Zeake W. Johnson, Jr., TN Jan. 10, 1967
91st (1969-71) Zeake W. Johnson, Jr., TN Jan. 3, 1969
92nd (1971-73) Zeake W. Johnson, Jr., TN8
Kenneth R. Harding, VA
Jan. 21, 1971
Oct. 1, 19729
93rd (1973-75) Kenneth R. Harding, VA Jan. 3, 1973
94th (1975-77) Kenneth R. Harding, VA Jan. 14, 1975
95th (1977-79) Kenneth R. Harding, VA Jan. 4, 1977
96th (1979-81) Kenneth R. Harding, VA10
Benjamin J. Guthrie, VA
Jan. 15, 1979
Mar. 1, 198011
97th (1981-83) Benjamin J. Guthrie, VA Jan. 5, 1981
98th (1983-85) Jack Russ, MD Jan. 3, 1983
99th (1985-87) Jack Russ, MD Jan. 3, 1985
100th (1987-89) Jack Russ, MD Jan. 6, 1987
101st (1989-91) Jack Russ, MD Jan. 3, 1989
102nd (1991-93) Jack Russ, MD12
Werner W. Brandt, VA
Jan. 3, 1991
Mar. 12, 199213
103rd (1993-95) Werner W. Brandt, VA Jan. 5, 1993
104th (1995-97) Wilson “Bill” Livingood, VA Jan. 4, 1995
105th (1997-99) Wilson “Bill” Livingood, VA Jan. 7, 1997
106th (1999-2001) Wilson “Bill” Livingood, VA Jan. 6, 1999
107th (2001-03) Wilson “Bill” Livingood, VA Jan. 3, 2001
108th (2003-05) Wilson “Bill” Livingood, VA Jan. 7, 2003
109th (2005-07) Wilson “Bill” Livingood, VA Jan. 4, 2005
110th (2007-09) Wilson “Bill” Livingood, VA Jan. 4, 2007
111th (2009-11) Wilson “Bill” Livingood, VA Jan. 6, 2009
112th (2011-present) Wilson “Bill” Livingood, VA14
Paul Irving, FL
Jan. 5, 2011
Jan. 17, 2012


Sources: House Journal, various editions; Congressional Record, various editions; Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (2005); Congressional Directory, various editions; Jefferson’s Manual, 108th Congress: 363-366.

1. Elected to full the vacancy caused by the death of Thomas Dunn, House Journal, 18th Cong., 2nd sess., (December 6, 1824): 8.
2. Died in June 1912. Also listed in the House Journal as Ulysses S. Jackson and W. Stokes Jackson.
3. Elected to fill the vacancy following Jackson’s death. See, House Journal, 62nd Cong., 1st sess., (July 18, 1912): 873.
4. Rodgers’ last name is listed as both “Rodgers” and “Rogers” in House Journal and Congressional Directory.
5. Died July 7, 1953.
6. Snader was the Clerk of the House and was appointed the duties of Sergeant at Arms until a replacement was elected. See, House Journal, 83rd Cong., 1st sess., (July 8, 1953): 545.
7. Appointed September 15, 1953, “to act temporarily as Sergeant at Arms.” See House Journal, 93rd Cong., 1st sess., (January 6, 1954): 14. Elected to position on January 11, 1954, by H. Res. 402. See, Congressional Record, 92nd Cong., 2nd sess., (January 11, 1954): 783.
8. Resigned office on September 30, 1972. See, House Journal, 92nd Cong., 2nd sess., (September 25, 1972): 1105.
9. Elected Sergeant at Arms, effective October 1, 1972. See, H. Res. 1134, Congressional Record, 92nd Congress, 2nd sess., (September 25, 1972): 1105.
10. Resigned February 29, 1980. See, House Journal, 96th Cong., 2nd sess., (February 28, 1980): 279.
11. Appointed “to act as and to temporarily exercise” the duties of Sergeant at Arms after the resignation of Harding on February 29, 1980. See, House Journal, 96th Cong., 2nd sess., (March 1, 1980): 280.
12. Resigned March 12, 1992. See, Congressional Record, 102nd Cong., 2nd sess., (March 12, 1992): 1224.
13. Appointed by the Speaker on March 12, 1992, “to act as and to exercise temporarily” the duties of the Sergeant at Arms. See, Congressional Record, 102nd Cong., 2nd sess., (March 12, 1992): 1224.
14. Resigned office on January 17, 2012. See, Congressional Record, 112nd Cong., 2nd sess., (January 17, 2012): H10.


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