Historical Highlight
Related Collection Object
Speakers of the House (1789 to present)
Thomas Brackett Reed, Collection of the U.S. House of RepresentativesAbout this object
—Speaker Joseph G. Cannon of Illinois, (1903–1911)
Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution states: “The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers.” And when Congress first convened in 1789, the House chose Frederick A.C. Muhlenberg as its Speaker. The Speaker acts as leader of the House and combines several roles: the institutional role of presiding officer and administrative head of the House, the partisan role of leader of the majority party in the House, and the representative role of an elected Member of the House. The Speaker of the House is second in line to succeed the President, after the Vice President. Information on the current Speaker, the Honorable John Boehner of Ohio, is available at the web site of the Speaker of the House. Speaker Boehner serves as the 53rd Speaker of the House.
| Congress and Years | Name | State or Territory | Date Elected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st (1789–1791) | MUHLENBERG, Frederick Augustus Conrad | PA | Apr 01, 1789 |
| 2nd (1791–1793) | TRUMBULL, Jonathan, Jr. | CT | Oct 24, 1791 |
| 3rd (1793–1795) | MUHLENBERG, Frederick Augustus Conrad | PA | Dec 02, 1793 |
| 4th (1795–1797) | DAYTON, Jonathan | NJ | Dec 07, 1795 |
| 5th (1797–1799) | DAYTON, Jonathan | NJ | May 15, 1797 |
| 6th (1799–1801) | SEDGWICK, Theodore | MA | Dec 02, 1799 |
| 7th (1801–1803) | MACON, Nathaniel | NC | Dec 07, 1801 |
| 8th (1803–1805) | MACON, Nathaniel | NC | Oct 17, 1803 |
| 9th (1805–1807) | MACON, Nathaniel | NC | Dec 02, 1805 |
| 10th (1807–1809) | VARNUM, Joseph Bradley | MA | Oct 26, 1807 |
| 11th (1809–1811) | VARNUM, Joseph Bradley | MA | May 22, 1809 |
| 12th (1811–1813) | CLAY, Henry | KY | Nov 04, 1811 |
| 13th (1813–1815) | CLAY, Henry 1 | KY | May 24, 1813 |
| 13th (1813–1815) | CHEVES, Langdon | SC | Jan 19, 1814 |
| 14th (1815–1817) | CLAY, Henry | KY | Dec 04, 1815 |
| 15th (1817–1819) | CLAY, Henry | KY | Dec 01, 1817 |
| 16th (1819–1821) | CLAY, Henry 2 | KY | Dec 06, 1819 |
| 16th (1819–1821) | TAYLOR, John W. | NY | Nov 15, 1820 |
| 17th (1821–1823) | BARBOUR, Philip Pendleton | VA | Dec 04, 1821 |
| 18th (1823–1825) | CLAY, Henry 3 | KY | Dec 01, 1823 |
| 19th (1825–1827) | TAYLOR, John W. | NY | Dec 05, 1823 |
| 20th (1827–1829) | STEVENSON, Andrew | VA | Dec 03, 1827 |
| 21st (1829–1831) | STEVENSON, Andrew | VA | Dec 07, 1829 |
| 22nd (1831–1833) | STEVENSON, Andrew | VA | Dec 05, 1831 |
| 23rd (1833–1835) | STEVENSON, Andrew 4 | VA | Dec 02, 1833 |
| 23rd (1833–1835) | BELL, John | TN | Jun 02, 1834 |
| 24th (1835–1837) | POLK, James Knox | TN | Dec 07, 1835 |
| 25th (1837–1839) | POLK, James Knox | TN | Sep 04, 1837 |
| 26th (1839–1841) | HUNTER, Robert Mercer Taliaferro | VA | Dec 16, 1839 |
| 27th (1841–1843) | WHITE, John | KY | May 31, 1841 |
| 28th (1843–1845) | JONES, John Winston | VA | Dec 04, 1843 |
| 29th (1845–1847) | DAVIS, John Wesley | IN | Dec 01, 1845 |
| 30th (1847–1849) | WINTHROP, Robert Charles | MA | Dec 06, 1847 |
| 31st (1849–1851) | COBB, Howell | GA | Dec 22, 1849 |
| 32nd (1851–1853) | BOYD, Linn | KY | Dec 01, 1851 |
| 33rd (1853–1855) | BOYD, Linn | KY | Dec 05, 1853 |
| 34th (1855–1857) | BANKS, Nathaniel Prentice | MA | Feb 02, 1856 |
| 35th (1857–1859) | ORR, James Lawrence | SC | Dec 07, 1857 |
| 36th (1859–1861) | PENNINGTON, William | NJ | Feb 01, 1860 |
| 37th (1861–1863) | GROW, Galusha Aaron | PA | Jul 04, 1861 |
| 38th (1863–1865) | COLFAX, Schuyler | IN | Dec 07, 1863 |
| 39th (1865–1867) | COLFAX, Schuyler | IN | Dec 04, 1865 |
| 40th (1867–1869) | COLFAX, Schuyler | IN | Mar 04, 1867 |
| 40th (1867–1869) | POMEROY, Theodore Medad 5 | NY | Mar 03, 1869 |
| 41st (1869–1871) | BLAINE, James Gillespie | ME | Mar 04, 1869 |
| 42nd (1871–1873) | BLAINE, James Gillespie | ME | Mar 04, 1871 |
| 43rd (1873–1875) | BLAINE, James Gillespie | ME | Dec 01, 1873 |
| 44th (1875–1877) | KERR, Michael Crawford 6 | IN | Dec 06, 1875 |
| 44th (1875–1877) | RANDALL, Samuel Jackson | PA | Dec 04, 1876 |
| 45th (1877–1879) | RANDALL, Samuel Jackson | PA | Oct 15, 1877 |
| 46th (1879–1881) | RANDALL, Samuel Jackson | PA | Mar 18, 1879 |
| 47th (1881–1883) | KEIFER, Joseph Warren | OH | Dec 05, 1881 |
| 48th (1883–1885) | CARLISLE, John Griffin | KY | Dec 03, 1883 |
| 49th (1885–1887) | CARLISLE, John Griffin | KY | Dec 07, 1885 |
| 50th (1887–1889) | CARLISLE, John Griffin | KY | Dec 05, 1887 |
| 51st (1889–1891) | REED, Thomas Brackett | ME | Dec 02, 1889 |
| 52nd (1891–1893) | CRISP, Charles Frederick | GA | Dec 08, 1891 |
| 53rd (1893–1895) | CRISP, Charles Frederick | GA | Aug 07, 1893 |
| 54th (1895–1897) | REED, Thomas Brackett | ME | Dec 02, 1895 |
| 55th (1897–1899) | REED, Thomas Brackett | ME | Mar 15, 1897 |
| 56th (1899–1901) | HENDERSON, David Bremner | IA | Dec 04, 1899 |
| 57th (1901–1903) | HENDERSON, David Bremner | IA | Dec 02, 1901 |
| 58th (1903–1905) | CANNON, Joseph Gurney | IL | Nov 09, 1903 |
| 59th (1905–1907) | CANNON, Joseph Gurney | IL | Dec 04, 1905 |
| 60th (1907–1909) | CANNON, Joseph Gurney | IL | Dec 02, 1907 |
| 61st (1909–1911) | CANNON, Joseph Gurney | IL | Mar 15, 1909 |
| 62nd (1911–1913) | CLARK, James Beauchamp (Champ) | MO | Apr 04, 1911 |
| 63rd (1913–1915) | CLARK, James Beauchamp (Champ) | MO | Apr 07, 1913 |
| 64th (1915–1917) | CLARK, James Beauchamp (Champ) | MO | Dec 06, 1915 |
| 65th (1917–1919) | CLARK, James Beauchamp (Champ) | MO | Apr 02, 1917 |
| 66th (1919–1921) | GILLETT, Frederick Huntington | MA | May 19, 1919 |
| 67th (1921–1923) | GILLETT, Frederick Huntington | MA | Apr 11, 1921 |
| 68th (1923–1925) | GILLETT, Frederick Huntington | MA | Dec 03, 1923 |
| 69th (1925–1927) | LONGWORTH, Nicholas | OH | Dec 07, 1925 |
| 70th (1927–1929) | LONGWORTH, Nicholas | OH | Dec 05, 1927 |
| 71st (1929–1931) | LONGWORTH, Nicholas | OH | Apr 15, 1929 |
| 72nd (1931–1933) | GARNER, John Nance | TX | Dec 07, 1931 |
| 73rd (1933–1935) | RAINEY, Henry Thomas 7 | IL | Mar 09, 1933 |
| 74th (1935–1937) | BYRNS, Joseph Wellington 8 | TN | Jan 03, 1935 |
| 74th (1935–1937) | BANKHEAD, William Brockman | AL | Jun 04, 1936 |
| 75th (1937–1939) | BANKHEAD, William Brockman | AL | Jan 05, 1937 |
| 76th (1939–1941) | BANKHEAD, William Brockman 9 | AL | Jan 03, 1939 |
| 76th (1939–1941) | RAYBURN, Samuel Taliaferro | TX | Sep 16, 1940 |
| 77th (1941–1943) | RAYBURN, Samuel Taliaferro | TX | Jan 03, 1941 |
| 78th (1943–1945) | RAYBURN, Samuel Taliaferro | TX | Jan 06, 1943 |
| 79th (1945–1947) | RAYBURN, Samuel Taliaferro | TX | Jan 03, 1945 |
| 80th (1947–1949) | MARTIN, Joseph William, Jr. | MA | Jan 03, 1947 |
| 81st (1949–1951) | RAYBURN, Samuel Taliaferro | TX | Jan 03, 1949 |
| 82nd (1951–1953) | RAYBURN, Samuel Taliaferro | TX | Jan 03, 1951 |
| 83rd (1953–1955) | MARTIN, Joseph William, Jr. | MA | Jan 03, 1953 |
| 84th (1955–1957) | RAYBURN, Samuel Taliaferro | TX | Jan 05, 1955 |
| 85th (1957–1959) | RAYBURN, Samuel Taliaferro | TX | Jan 03, 1957 |
| 86th (1959–1961) | RAYBURN, Samuel Taliaferro | TX | Jan 07, 1959 |
| 87th (1961–1963) | RAYBURN, Samuel Taliaferro 10 | TX | Jan 03, 1961 |
| 87th (1961–1963) | MCCORMACK, John William | MA | Jan 10, 1962 |
| 88th (1963–1965) | MCCORMACK, John William | MA | Jan 09, 1963 |
| 89th (1965–1967) | MCCORMACK, John William | MA | Jan 04, 1965 |
| 90th (1967–1969) | MCCORMACK, John William | MA | Jan 10, 1967 |
| 91st (1969–1971) | MCCORMACK, John William | MA | Jan 03, 1969 |
| 92nd (1971–1973) | ALBERT, Carl Bert | OK | Jan 21, 1971 |
| 93rd (1973–1975) | ALBERT, Carl Bert | OK | Jan 03, 1973 |
| 94th (1975–1977) | ALBERT, Carl Bert | OK | Jan 14, 1975 |
| 95th (1977–1979) | O'NEILL, Thomas Philip, Jr. (Tip) | MA | Jan 04, 1977 |
| 96th (1979–1981) | O'NEILL, Thomas Philip, Jr. (Tip) | MA | Jan 15, 1979 |
| 97th (1981–1983) | O'NEILL, Thomas Philip, Jr. (Tip) | MA | Jan 05, 1981 |
| 98th (1983–1985) | O'NEILL, Thomas Philip, Jr. (Tip) | MA | Jan 03, 1983 |
| 99th (1985–1987) | O'NEILL, Thomas Philip, Jr. (Tip) | MA | Jan 03, 1985 |
| 100th (1987–1989) | WRIGHT, James Claude, Jr. | TX | Jan 06, 1987 |
| 101st (1989–1991) | WRIGHT, James Claude, Jr. 11 | TX | Jan 03, 1989 |
| 101st (1989–1991) | FOLEY, Thomas Stephen | WA | Jun 06, 1989 |
| 102nd (1991–1993) | FOLEY, Thomas Stephen | WA | Jan 03, 1991 |
| 103rd (1993–1995) | FOLEY, Thomas Stephen | WA | Jan 05, 1993 |
| 104th (1995–1997) | GINGRICH, Newton Leroy | GA | Jan 04, 1995 |
| 105th (1997–1999) | GINGRICH, Newton Leroy | GA | Jan 07, 1997 |
| 106th (1999–2001) | HASTERT, John Dennis | IL | Jan 06, 1999 |
| 107th (2001–2003) | HASTERT, John Dennis | IL | Jan 03, 2001 |
| 108th (2003–2005) | HASTERT, John Dennis | IL | Jan 07, 2003 |
| 109th (2005–2007) | HASTERT, John Dennis | IL | Jan 04, 2005 |
| 110th (2007–2009) | PELOSI, Nancy | CA | Jan 04, 2007 |
| 111th (2009–2011) | PELOSI, Nancy | CA | Jan 06, 2009 |
| 112th (2011–2013) | BOEHNER, John Andrew | OH | Jan 05, 2011 |
Footnotes
1Resigned from the House of Representatives, January 19, 1814.
2Resigned on October 28, 1820.
3Resigned from the House of Representatives, March 6, 1825.
4Resigned on June 2, 1834.
5Elected Speaker, March 3, 1869, and served one day.
6Died in office, August 19, 1876.
7Died in office, August 19, 1934.
8Died in office, June 4, 1936.
9Died in office, September 15, 1940.
10Died November 16, 1961.
11Resigned from the House of Representatives, June 6, 1989.