Fast Facts
The first Republican Conference Chairman, Justin Morrill of Vermont, introduced the resolution to create Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol.
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Republican Conference Chairmen
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Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives About this object Dedicating his life to public service, Nathaniel Banks of Massachusetts served a short tenure as Republican Conference Chairman, one term as Speaker of the House, and one term as Governor of Massachusetts.
The House Republican Conference serves as the organizational forum to elect party leaders at the outset of each new Congress. The conference meets on a weekly basis to discuss party policy, pending legislative issues, and other matters of mutual concern. Further information on the Conference's current activity is available on the House Republican Conference Web site.
No clear evidence exists of formal chairmanships of Republican organizations before the 38th Congress (1863–1865). In the 40th Congress (1867–1869), Conference minutes show three Members (Representative Nathaniel Banks of Massachusetts, Luke Poland of Vermont, and Samuel Hooper of Massachusetts) chairing three separate meetings.
| Congress and Years | Name | State or Territory |
|---|---|---|
| 38th (1863–1865) | MORRILL, Justin Smith 1 | VT |
| 39th (1865–1867) | MORRILL, Justin Smith | VT |
| 41st (1869–1871) | SCHENCK, Robert Cumming | OH |
| 41st (1869–1871) | BANKS, Nathaniel Prentice 2 | MA |
| 42nd (1871–1873) | BLAIR, Austin | MI |
| 43rd (1873–1875) | MAYNARD, Horace | TN |
| 44th (1875–1877) | MCCRARY, George Washington | IA |
| 45th (1877–1879) | HALE, Eugene | ME |
| 46th (1879–1881) | FRYE, William Pierce | ME |
| 47th (1881–1883) | ROBESON, George Maxwell | NJ |
| 48th (1883–1885) | CANNON, Joseph Gurney | IL |
| 49th (1885–1887) | CANNON, Joseph Gurney | IL |
| 50th (1887–1889) | CANNON, Joseph Gurney | IL |
| 51st (1889–1891) | HENDERSON, Thomas Jefferson | IL |
| 52nd (1891–1893) | HENDERSON, Thomas Jefferson | IL |
| 53rd (1893–1895) | HENDERSON, Thomas Jefferson | IL |
| 54th (1895–1897) | GROSVENOR, Charles Henry | OH |
| 55th (1897–1899) | GROSVENOR, Charles Henry | OH |
| 56th (1899–1901) | CANNON, Joseph Gurney | IL |
| 57th (1901–1903) | CANNON, Joseph Gurney | IL |
| 58th (1903–1905) | HEPBURN, William Peters | IA |
| 59th (1905–1907) | HEPBURN, William Peters | IA |
| 60th (1907–1909) | HEPBURN, William Peters | IA |
| 61st (1909–1911) | CURRIER, Frank Dunklee | NH |
| 62nd (1911–1913) | CURRIER, Frank Dunklee | NH |
| 63rd (1913–1915) | GREENE, William Stedman | MA |
| 64th (1915–1917) | GREENE, William Stedman | MA |
| 65th (1917–1919) | GREENE, William Stedman | MA |
| 66th (1919–1921) | TOWNER, Horace Mann | IA |
| 67th (1921–1923) | TOWNER, Horace Mann | IA |
| 68th (1923–1925) | ANDERSON, Sydney | MN |
| 69th (1925–1927) | HAWLEY, Willis Chatman | OR |
| 70th (1927–1929) | HAWLEY, Willis Chatman | OR |
| 71st (1929–1931) | HAWLEY, Willis Chatman | OR |
| 72nd (1931–1933) | HAWLEY, Willis Chatman | OR |
| 73rd (1933–1935) | LUCE, Robert | MA |
| 74th (1935–1937) | LEHLBACH, Frederick Reimold | NJ |
| 75th (1937–1939) | WOODRUFF, Roy Orchard | MI |
| 76th (1939–1941) | WOODRUFF, Roy Orchard | MI |
| 77th (1941–1943) | WOODRUFF, Roy Orchard | MI |
| 78th (1943–1945) | WOODRUFF, Roy Orchard | MI |
| 79th (1945–1947) | WOODRUFF, Roy Orchard | MI |
| 80th (1947–1949) | WOODRUFF, Roy Orchard | MI |
| 81st (1949–1951) | WOODRUFF, Roy Orchard | MI |
| 82nd (1951–1953) | HOPE, Clifford Ragsdale | KS |
| 83rd (1953–1955) | HOPE, Clifford Ragsdale | KS |
| 84th (1955–1957) | HOPE, Clifford Ragsdale | KS |
| 85th (1957–1959) | HOEVEN, Charles Bernard | IA |
| 86th (1959–1961) | HOEVEN, Charles Bernard | IA |
| 87th (1961–1963) | HOEVEN, Charles Bernard | IA |
| 88th (1963–1965) | FORD, Gerald Rudolph, Jr. | MI |
| 89th (1965–1967) | LAIRD, Melvin Robert | WI |
| 90th (1967–1969) | LAIRD, Melvin Robert | WI |
| 91st (1969–1971) | ANDERSON, John Bayard | IL |
| 92nd (1971–1973) | ANDERSON, John Bayard | IL |
| 93rd (1973–1975) | ANDERSON, John Bayard | IL |
| 94th (1975–1977) | ANDERSON, John Bayard | IL |
| 95th (1977–1979) | ANDERSON, John Bayard | IL |
| 96th (1979–1981) | DEVINE, Samuel Leeper | OH |
| 97th (1981–1983) | KEMP, Jack French | NY |
| 98th (1983–1985) | KEMP, Jack French | NY |
| 99th (1985–1987) | KEMP, Jack French | NY |
| 100th (1987–1989) | KEMP, Jack French 3 | NY |
| 100th (1987–1989) | CHENEY, Richard Bruce 4 | WY |
| 101st (1989–1991) | LEWIS, Charles Jeremy (Jerry) | CA |
| 102nd (1991–1993) | LEWIS, Charles Jeremy (Jerry) | CA |
| 103rd (1993–1995) | ARMEY, Richard Keith | TX |
| 104th (1995–1997) | BOEHNER, John Andrew | OH |
| 105th (1997–1999) | BOEHNER, John Andrew | OH |
| 106th (1999–2001) | WATTS, Julius Caesar, Jr. (J. C.) | OK |
| 107th (2001–2003) | WATTS, Julius Caesar, Jr. (J. C.) | OK |
| 108th (2003–2005) | PRYCE, Deborah D. | OH |
| 109th (2005–2007) | PRYCE, Deborah D. | OH |
| 110th (2007–2009) | PUTNAM, Adam | FL |
| 111th (2009–2011) | PENCE, Mike | IN |
| 112th (2011–2013) | HENSARLING, Jeb | TX |
| 113th (2013–2015) | MCMORRIS RODGERS, Cathy | WA |
| 114th (2015–2017) | MCMORRIS RODGERS, Cathy | WA |
| 115th (2017–2019) | MCMORRIS RODGERS, Cathy | WA |
Footnotes
1Valerie Heitshusen, "Party Leaders in the United States Congress, 1789–2015," 19 February 2015, Report RL 30567, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Representative Morrill is the first officially designated Republican Conference Chairman. There exists no clear evidence of formal chairmanships of Republican organizations in earlier Congresses.
2Heitshusen, "Party Leaders in the United States Congress, 1789–2015." Conference minutes show Representative Schenck elected Republican Conference Chairman, but Representative Banks chairing two early meetings, possibly in Schenck's absence.
3Resigned as Republican Conference Chairman on June 4, 1987.
4Elected Republican Conference Chairman on June 4, 1987, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Jack Kemp.