Fast Facts
Future President Gerald Ford of Michigan served as Minority Leader from the 89th to 93rd Congresses (1965–1973).
More >Related Collection Object
Minority Leaders of the House (1899 to present)
About this object Representative Joe Martin of Massachusetts led the Republican Party through nine non-consecutive terms as Minority Leader.
The minority leader serves as floor leader of the "loyal opposition," and is the minority counterpart to the Speaker. Although many of the basic leadership responsibilities of the minority and majority leaders are similar, the minority leader speaks for minority party and its policies and works to protect the minority's rights. Information on the current activities of the minority leader is available from the The Office of the Minority Leader's website.
| Congress and Years | Name | Party | State or Territory |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56th (1899–1901) | RICHARDSON, James Daniel | Democrat | TN |
| 57th (1901–1903) | RICHARDSON, James Daniel | Democrat | TN |
| 58th (1903–1905) | WILLIAMS, John Sharp | Democrat | MS |
| 59th (1905–1907) | WILLIAMS, John Sharp | Democrat | MS |
| 60th (1907–1909) | WILLIAMS, John Sharp 1 | Democrat | MS |
| 60th (1907–1909) | CLARK, James Beauchamp (Champ) 2 | Democrat | MO |
| 61st (1909–1911) | CLARK, James Beauchamp (Champ) | Democrat | MO |
| 62nd (1911–1913) | MANN, James Robert | Republican | IL |
| 63rd (1913–1915) | MANN, James Robert | Republican | IL |
| 64th (1915–1917) | MANN, James Robert | Republican | IL |
| 65th (1917–1919) | MANN, James Robert | Republican | IL |
| 66th (1919–1921) | CLARK, James Beauchamp (Champ) | Democrat | MO |
| 67th (1921–1923) | KITCHIN, Claude | Democrat | NC |
| 68th (1923–1925) | GARRETT, Finis James | Democrat | TN |
| 69th (1925–1927) | GARRETT, Finis James | Democrat | TN |
| 70th (1927–1929) | GARRETT, Finis James | Democrat | TN |
| 71st (1929–1931) | GARNER, John Nance | Democrat | TX |
| 72nd (1931–1933) | SNELL, Bertrand Hollis | Republican | NY |
| 73rd (1933–1935) | SNELL, Bertrand Hollis | Republican | NY |
| 74th (1935–1937) | SNELL, Bertrand Hollis | Republican | NY |
| 75th (1937–1939) | SNELL, Bertrand Hollis | Republican | NY |
| 76th (1939–1941) | MARTIN, Joseph William, Jr. | Republican | MA |
| 77th (1941–1943) | MARTIN, Joseph William, Jr. | Republican | MA |
| 78th (1943–1945) | MARTIN, Joseph William, Jr. | Republican | MA |
| 79th (1945–1947) | MARTIN, Joseph William, Jr. | Republican | MA |
| 80th (1947–1949) | RAYBURN, Samuel Taliaferro | Democrat | TX |
| 81st (1949–1951) | MARTIN, Joseph William, Jr. | Republican | MA |
| 82nd (1951–1953) | MARTIN, Joseph William, Jr. | Republican | MA |
| 83rd (1953–1955) | RAYBURN, Samuel Taliaferro | Democrat | TX |
| 84th (1955–1957) | MARTIN, Joseph William, Jr. | Republican | MA |
| 85th (1957–1959) | MARTIN, Joseph William, Jr. | Republican | MA |
| 86th (1959–1961) | HALLECK, Charles Abraham | Republican | IN |
| 87th (1961–1963) | HALLECK, Charles Abraham | Republican | IN |
| 88th (1963–1965) | HALLECK, Charles Abraham | Republican | IN |
| 89th (1965–1967) | FORD, Gerald Rudolph, Jr. | Republican | MI |
| 90th (1967–1969) | FORD, Gerald Rudolph, Jr. | Republican | MI |
| 91st (1969–1971) | FORD, Gerald Rudolph, Jr. | Republican | MI |
| 92nd (1971–1973) | FORD, Gerald Rudolph, Jr. | Republican | MI |
| 93rd (1973–1975) | FORD, Gerald Rudolph, Jr. 3 | Republican | MI |
| 93rd (1973–1975) | RHODES, John Jacob 4 | Republican | AZ |
| 94th (1975–1977) | RHODES, John Jacob | Republican | AZ |
| 95th (1977–1979) | RHODES, John Jacob | Republican | AZ |
| 96th (1979–1981) | RHODES, John Jacob | Republican | AZ |
| 97th (1981–1983) | MICHEL, Robert Henry | Republican | IL |
| 98th (1983–1985) | MICHEL, Robert Henry | Republican | IL |
| 99th (1985–1987) | MICHEL, Robert Henry | Republican | IL |
| 100th (1987–1989) | MICHEL, Robert Henry | Republican | IL |
| 101st (1989–1991) | MICHEL, Robert Henry | Republican | IL |
| 102nd (1991–1993) | MICHEL, Robert Henry | Republican | IL |
| 103rd (1993–1995) | MICHEL, Robert Henry | Republican | IL |
| 104th (1995–1997) | GEPHARDT, Richard Andrew | Democrat | MO |
| 105th (1997–1999) | GEPHARDT, Richard Andrew | Democrat | MO |
| 106th (1999–2001) | GEPHARDT, Richard Andrew | Democrat | MO |
| 107th (2001–2003) | GEPHARDT, Richard Andrew | Democrat | MO |
| 108th (2003–2005) | PELOSI, Nancy | Democrat | CA |
| 109th (2005–2007) | PELOSI, Nancy | Democrat | CA |
| 110th (2007–2009) | BOEHNER, John Andrew | Republican | OH |
| 111th (2009–2011) | BOEHNER, John Andrew | Republican | OH |
| 112th (2011–2013) | PELOSI, Nancy | Democrat | CA |
| 113th (2013–2015) | PELOSI, Nancy | Democrat | CA |
| 114th (2015–2017) | PELOSI, Nancy | Democrat | CA |
| 115th (2017–2019) | PELOSI, Nancy | Democrat | CA |
Footnotes
1Resigned as Minority Leader on June 13, 1908.
2Elected Minority Leader on December 5, 1908, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John Sharp Williams as Minority Leader.
3Resigned from the House of Representatives on December 6, 1973, after having been confirmed by the Senate to become Vice President to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew.
4Elected Minority Leader on December 7, 1973, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Gerald Ford.