Doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives
An appointed officer of the United States House of Representatives from 1789 until 1995, the doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives was chosen by a resolution at the opening of each United States Congress. The Office of the Doorkeeper was based on precedent from the Continental Congresses. Without debate, the first federal Congress created the doorkeeper's position by resolution on April 2, 1789. The doorkeeper controlled access to the House chamber and eventually oversaw the press in the gallery.
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The doorkeeper’s most visible job was introducing American presidents and foreign dignitaries to Congress. For 18 years, before the State of the Union address, Doorkeeper James T. Molloy announced, "Mister Speaker, the president of the United States.”[1]
The Office of the Doorkeeper was abolished during the 104th Congress (Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 104–186 (text) (PDF)) in an effort to save money.[2] Thirty-three doorkeepers served until the position was abolished and the office's duties were divided among the sergeant at arms, the clerk of the House, and the newly created chief administrative officer.
List of doorkeepers
Two doorkeepers also served as members of the United States House of Representatives (indicated below by asterisks) either prior to or after their service as a House officer.
| Congress (years) | Doorkeepers, state or territory[3] | Date elected |
|---|---|---|
| 1st (1789–91) | Gifford Dalley,[4] NY | April 4, 1789 |
| 2nd (1791–93) | October 24, 1791 | |
| 3rd (1793–95) | December 2, 1793 | |
| 4th (1795–97) | Thomas Claxton, CT | December 7, 1795 |
| 5th (1797–99) | May 15, 1797 | |
| 6th (1799-1801) | December 2, 1799 | |
| 7th (1801–03) | December 7, 1801 | |
| 8th (1803–05) | October 17, 1803 | |
| 9th (1805–07) | December 2, 1805 | |
| 10th (1807–09) | October 27, 1807 | |
| 11th (1809–11) | May 22, 1809 | |
| 12th (1811–13) | November 4, 1811 | |
| 13th (1813–15) | May 24, 1813 | |
| 14th (1815–17) | December 4, 1815 | |
| 15th (1817–19) | December 1, 1817 | |
| 16th (1819–21) | December 6, 1819 | |
| 17th (1821–23) | Benjamin Birch, MD | December 4, 1821 |
| 18th (1823–25) | December 1, 1823 | |
| 19th (1825–27) | December 5, 1825 | |
| 20th (1827–29) | December 3, 1827 | |
| 21st (1829–31) | December 7, 1829 | |
| 22nd (1831–33) | Overton Carr, MD | December 7, 1831 |
| 23rd (1833–35) | December 3, 1833 | |
| 24th (1835–37) | December 15, 1835 | |
| 25th (1837–39) | September 4, 1837 | |
| 26th (1839–41) | Joseph Follansbee, MA | December 23, 1839 |
| 27th (1841–43) | June 9, 1841 | |
| 28th (1843–45) | Jesse E. Dow, CT | December 7, 1843 |
| 29th (1845–47) | Cornelius S. Whitney, DC | December 3, 1845 |
| 30th (1847–49) | Robert E. Horner, NJ | December 8, 1847 |
| 31st (1849–51) | N/A[5] | |
| 32nd (1851–53) | Zadock W. McKnew, MD | December 1, 1851 |
| 33rd (1853–55) | December 5, 1853 | |
| 34th (1855–57) | Nathan Darling, NY | February 5, 1856 |
| 35th (1857–59) | Robert B. Hackney, VA[6] | December 7, 1857 |
| Joseph L. Wright, NJ[7] | May 18, 1858 | |
| 36th (1859–61) | December 5, 1859 | |
| George Marston, NH | February 6, 1860 | |
| 37th (1861–63) | Ira Goodnow, NY | July 5, 1861 |
| 38th (1863–65) | December 8, 1863 | |
| 39th (1865–67) | December 4, 1865 | |
| 40th (1867–69) | Charles E. Lippincott, IL | March 5, 1867 |
| 41st (1869–71) | Otis S. Buxton, NY | March 5, 1869 |
| 42nd (1871–73) | March 4, 1871 | |
| 43rd (1873–75) | December 1, 1873 | |
| 44th (1875–77) | Lafayette H. Fitzhugh, TX[8] | December 6, 1875 |
| John H. Patterson, NJ[9] | May 26, 1876 | |
| 45th (1877–79) | John W. Polk, MO[10] | October 17, 1877 |
| Charles W. Field, GA[11] | April 8, 1878 | |
| 46th (1879–81) | March 18, 1879 | |
| 47th (1881–83) | Walter P. Brownlow, TN* | December 5, 1881 |
| 48th (1883–85) | James G. Wintersmith, TX | December 4, 1883 |
| 49th (1885–87) | Samuel Donelson, TN | December 7, 1885 |
| 50th (1887–89) | Alvin B. Hurt, MS | December 5, 1887 |
| 51st (1889–91) | Charles E. Adams, MD | December 2, 1889 |
| 52nd (1891–93) | Charles H. Turner, NY* | December 8, 1891 |
| 53rd (1893–95) | Alvin B. Hurt, TN[12] | August 7, 1893 |
| 54th (1895–97) | William J. Glenn, NY | December 2, 1895 |
| 55th (1897–99) | March 15, 1897 | |
| 56th (1899-1901) | December 4, 1899 | |
| 57th (1901–03) | December 2, 1901[13] | |
| Frank B. Lyon, NY | March 18, 1902 | |
| 58th (1903–05) | November 9, 1903 | |
| 59th (1905–07) | December 4, 1905 | |
| 60th (1907–09) | December 2, 1907 | |
| 61st (1909–11) | March 15, 1909 | |
| 62nd (1911–13) | Joseph J. Sinnott, VA | April 4, 1911 |
| 63rd (1913–15) | April 7, 1913 | |
| 64th (1915–17) | December 6, 1915 | |
| 65th (1917–19) | April 2, 1917 | |
| 66th (1919–21) | Bert W. Kennedy, MI | May 19, 1919 |
| 67th (1921–23) | April 11, 1921 | |
| 68th (1923–25) | December 5, 1923 | |
| 69th (1925–27) | December 7, 1925 | |
| 70th (1927–29) | December 5, 1927 | |
| 71st (1929–31) | April 15, 1929 | |
| 72nd (1931–33) | Joseph J. Sinnott, VA[14] | December 7, 1931 |
| 73rd (1933–35) | March 9, 1933 | |
| 74th (1935–37) | January 3, 1935 | |
| 75th (1937–39) | January 5, 1937 | |
| 76th (1939–41) | January 3, 1939 | |
| 77th (1941–43) | January 3, 1941 | |
| 78th (1943–45) | January 6, 1943 | |
| Ralph R. Roberts, IN[15] | February 5, 1943 | |
| 79th (1945–47) | January 3, 1945 | |
| 80th (1947–49) | M.L. Meletio, MO | January 3, 1947 |
| 81st (1949–51) | William M. Miller, MS | January 3, 1949 |
| 82nd (1951–53) | January 3, 1951 | |
| 83rd (1953–55) | Tom J. Kennamer, MO | January 3, 1953 |
| 84th (1955–57) | William M. Miller, MS[16] | January 5, 1955 |
| 85th (1957–59) | January 3, 1957 | |
| 86th (1959–61) | January 7, 1959 | |
| 87th (1961–63) | January 3, 1961 | |
| 88th (1963–65) | January 9, 1963 | |
| 89th (1965–67) | January 4, 1965 | |
| 90th (1967–69) | January 10, 1967 | |
| 91st (1969–71) | January 3, 1969 | |
| 92nd (1971–73) | January 21, 1971 | |
| 93rd (1973–75) | January 3, 1973 | |
| James T. Molloy, NY[17] | December 31, 1974 | |
| 94th (1975–77) | January 14, 1975 | |
| 95th (1977–79) | January 4, 1977 | |
| 96th (1979–81) | January 15, 1979 | |
| 97th (1981–83) | January 5, 1981 | |
| 98th (1983–85) | January 3, 1983 | |
| 99th (1985–87) | January 3, 1985 | |
| 100th (1987–89) | January 6, 1987 | |
| 101st (1989–91) | January 3, 1989 | |
| 102nd (1991–93) | January 3, 1991 | |
| 103rd (1993–95) | January 5, 1993 |
Notes
- Brown, Emma (Jul 20, 2011). "Former House of Representatives doorkeeper Molloy dies at 75". Retrieved Dec 24, 2020 – via www.washingtonpost.com.
- Havesi, Dennis (2011-07-23). "James T. Molloy, Last Doorkeeper of the House, Is Dead at 75". Retrieved 2023-06-07 – via www.nytimes.com.
- A doorkeeper's state or territory is listed when known.
- Gifford Dalley's last name has been spelled "Dalley," "Dally," and "Dudley" in various editions of the Register of Debates.
- Election of Doorkeeper was postponed to March 1, 1851, when it was postponed indefinitely. Horner retained the duties of Doorkeeper from the 30th Congress until his removal on May 27, 1850. House Journal, 31st Cong., 1st sess., (May 27, 1850): 966; House Journal, 31st Cong., 2nd sess., (March 3, 1851): 406.
- Dismissed from office May 11, 1858.
- Elected on May 18, 1858, to fill the unexpired term of Robert B. Hackney, who was removed from office on May 17, 1858. See, House Journal, 35th Cong., 1st sess., (May 17, 1858): 832-33; and House Journal, 35th Cong., 1st sess., (May 18, 1848): 842-843.
- Dismissed from office May 22, 1876.
- Elected on May 26, 1876, to fill the unexpired term of L.H. Fitzhugh, who was removed from office on May 22, 1876. See, House Journal, 44th Cong., 1st sess., (May 22, 1876): 998; and House Journal, 44th Cong., 1st sess., (May 26, 1876): Addenda.
- Dismissed from office April 8, 1878.
- Elected on April 8, 1878, to fill the unexpired term of John W. Polk, who was removed from office on April 4, 1878. See, House Journal, 45th Cong., 2nd sess., (April 8, 1876): 808-813.
- Hurt is listed in the House Journal as residing in the state of Mississippi in the 50th Congress and in the state of Tennessee in the 53rd Congress.
- Died on March 12, 1902. See, Congressional Record, 57th Cong., 1st sess., (March 12, 1902): 2706.
- Died on January 27, 1943. See, House Journal, 78th Cong., 1st sess. (January 28, 1943): 72.
- Elected on February 5, 1943. See, House Journal, 78th Cong., 1st sess. (February 5, 1943): 86.
- Resigned effective December 31, 1974. See, Congressional Record, 93rd Cong., 2nd sess. (December 19, 1974): 2549.
- Appointed “to act as and to temporarily exercise” the duties of Doorkeeper effective December 31, 1974. See, Congressional Record, 93rd Cong., 2nd sess. (December 19, 1974): 2549.
References
- Clerk of the House:
- House Journal, various editions; Congressional Record, various editions;
- Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (2005);
- Congressional Pictorial Directory, various editions;
- Congressional Directory, various editions;
- Donald Bacon, et al., Encyclopedia of the U.S. Congress, vol. 1 (NY: Simon and Schuster, 1995): 659–661.
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