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
|