Postmaster of the United States House of Representatives
The postmaster of the United States House of Representatives was an employee of the United States Congress from 1834 to 1992.
Before the creation of the office of postmaster, mail duties were handled by workers in the office of the doorkeeper, who were paid additional compensation. The postmaster was made into a distinct and permanent House of Representatives employee in 1832, and in 1834, William J. McCormick, a doorkeeper's office employee, was named as the first House postmaster. Four years later, the postmaster was also given responsibility for the Capitol post office. The office of postmaster was abolished in 1992; House mail handling procedures were reassigned to other officers and private entities.
A total of twenty-one postmasters served in the House. One postmaster, William S. King, served as a U.S. representative after his service as postmaster.
List of postmasters
| Congress (years) | Postmasters, state or territory[1] | Date elected[2] |
|---|---|---|
| 23rd (1834–35) | William J. McCormick, DC[3] | - |
| 24th (1835–37) | William J. McCormick, DC[4] | - |
| 25th (1837–39) | William J. McCormick, DC[5] | - |
| 26th (1839–41) | William J. McCormick, DC | December 23, 1839 |
| 27th (1841–43) | William J. McCormick, DC | June 9, 1841 |
| 28th (1843–45) | John M. Johnson, VA | January 4, 1844 |
| 29th (1845–47) | John M. Johnson, VA | December 3, 1845 |
| 30th (1847–49) | John M. Johnson, VA | December 8, 1847 |
| 31st (1849–51) | John M. Johnson, VA | - |
| 32nd (1851–53) | John M. Johnson, VA | December 1, 1851 |
| 33rd (1853–55) | John M. Johnson, VA | December 5, 1853 |
| 34th (1855–57) | Robert Morris, PA | February 5, 1856 |
| 35th (1857–59) | Michael W. Cluskey, GA | December 7, 1857 |
| 36th (1859–61) | Josiah M. Lucas, IL | February 6, 1860 |
| 37th (1861–63) | William S. King, MN* | July 5, 1861 |
| 38th (1863–65) | William S. King, MN | December 8, 1863 |
| 39th (1865–67) | Josiah Given, OH | December 4, 1865 |
| 40th (1867–69) | William S. King, MN | March 5, 1867 |
| 41st (1869–71) | William S. King, MN | March 5, 1869 |
| 42nd (1871–73) | William S. King, MN | March 4, 1871 |
| 43rd (1873–75) | Henry Sherwood, MI | December 1, 1873 |
| 44th (1875–77) | James M. Steuart, VA[6] | December 6, 1875 |
| 45th (1877–79) | James M. Steuart, VA | October 15, 1877 |
| 46th (1879–81) | James M. Steuart, VA | March 18, 1879 |
| 47th (1881–83) | Henry Sherwood, MI | December 5, 1881 |
| 48th (1883–85) | Lycurgus Dalton, IN | December 4, 1883 |
| 49th (1885–87) | Lycurgus Dalton, IN | December 7, 1885 |
| 50th (1887–89) | Lycurgus Dalton, IN | December 5, 1887 |
| 51st (1889–91) | James L. Wheat, WI[7] James W. Hathaway, MT |
December 2, 1889 December 15, 1890[8] |
| 52nd (1891–93) | James W. Hathaway, MT | December 8, 1891 |
| 53rd (1893–95) | Lycurgus Dalton, IN | August 7, 1893 |
| 54th (1895–97) | Joseph C. McElroy, OH[9] | December 2, 1895 |
| 55th (1897–99) | Joseph C. McElroy, OH | March 15, 1897 |
| 56th (1899-1901) | Joseph C. McElroy, OH | December 4, 1899 |
| 57th (1901–03) | Joseph C. McElroy, OH | December 2, 1901 |
| 58th (1903–05) | Joseph C. McElroy, OH | November 9, 1903 |
| 59th (1905–07) | Joseph C. McElroy, OH | December 4, 1905 |
| 60th (1907–09) | Samuel A. Langum, MN | December 2, 1907 |
| 61st (1909–11) | Samuel A. Langum, MN | March 15, 1909 |
| 62nd (1911–13) | William M. Dunbar, GA | April 4, 1911 |
| 63rd (1913–15) | William M. Dunbar, GA | April 7, 1913 |
| 64th (1915–17) | William M. Dunbar, GA | December 6, 1915 |
| 65th (1917–19) | William M. Dunbar, GA | April 2, 1917 |
| 66th (1919–21) | Frank W. Collier, WI | May 19, 1919 |
| 67th (1921–23) | Frank W. Collier, WI | April 11, 1921 |
| 68th (1923–25) | Frank W. Collier, WI | December 3, 1923 |
| 69th (1925–27) | Frank W. Collier, WI | December 7, 1925 |
| 70th (1927–29) | Frank W. Collier, WI | December 5, 1927 |
| 71st (1929–31) | Frank W. Collier, WI | April 15, 1929 |
| 72nd (1931–33) | Finis E. Scott, TN | December 7, 1931 |
| 73rd (1933–35) | Finis E. Scott, TN | March 9, 1933 |
| 74th (1935–37) | Finis E. Scott, TN | January 3, 1935 |
| 75th (1937–39) | Finis E. Scott, TN | January 5, 1937 |
| 76th (1939–41) | Finis E. Scott, TN | January 3, 1939 |
| 77th (1941–43) | Finis E. Scott, TN | January 3, 1941 |
| 78th (1943–45) | Finis E. Scott, TN | January 6, 1943 |
| 79th (1945–47) | Finis E. Scott, TN | January 3, 1945 |
| 80th (1947–49) | Frank W. Collier, WI[10] | January 3, 1947 |
| 81st (1949–51) | Finis E. Scott, TN | January 3, 1949 |
| 82nd (1951–53) | Finis E. Scott, TN | January 3, 1951 |
| 83rd (1953–55) | Beecher Hess, OH | January 3, 1953 |
| 84th (1955–57) | H.H. Morris, KY | January 5, 1955 |
| 85th (1957–59) | H.H. Morris, KY | January 3, 1957 |
| 86th (1959–61) | H.H. Morris, KY | January 7, 1959 |
| 87th (1961–63) | H.H. Morris, KY | January 3, 1961 |
| 88th (1963–65) | H.H. Morris, KY | January 9, 1963 |
| 89th (1965–67) | H.H. Morris, KY | January 4, 1965 |
| 90th (1967–69) | H.H. Morris, KY | January 10, 1967 |
| 91st (1969–71) | H.H. Morris, KY | January 3, 1969 |
| 92nd (1971–73) | H.H. Morris, KY[11] Robert V. Rota, PA |
January 21, 1971 July 1, 1972[12] |
| 93rd (1973–75) | Robert V. Rota, PA | January 3, 1973 |
| 94th (1975–77) | Robert V. Rota, PA | January 14, 1975 |
| 95th (1977–79) | Robert V. Rota, PA | January 4, 1977 |
| 96th (1979–81) | Robert V. Rota, PA | January 15, 1979 |
| 97th (1981–83) | Robert V. Rota, PA | January 5, 1981 |
| 98th (1983–85) | Robert V. Rota, PA | January 3, 1983 |
| 99th (1985–87) | Robert V. Rota, PA | January 3, 1985 |
| 100th (1987–89) | Robert V. Rota, PA | January 6, 1987 |
| 101st (1989–91) | Robert V. Rota, PA | January 3, 1989 |
| 102nd (1991–93) | Robert V. Rota, PA[13] Michael J. Shinay, VA |
January 3, 1991 March 31, 1992[14] |
Notes
- Specific state information provided when known.
- The postmaster position was appointed from the 23rd through the 26th Congresses. The first recorded vote in the House Journal took place on January 4, 1844, between William J. McCormick and John M. Johnson. See, House Journal, 28th Cong., 1st sess., (January 4, 1844): 174. Specific appointment and election dates are provided when known.
- See, contingency report H. Misc. Doc. 28 from the 24th Congress, 1st sess.
- See, contingency report H. Misc. Doc. 19 and H. Misc. Doc. 7 from the 24th Congress, 1st sess.
- It is assumed that McCormick was the postmaster during the 25th Congress, but the documentation is sparse.
- James M. Steuart's last name has been spelled "Stewart" and "Steuart" in both the House Journal and the Congressional Directory.
- Resigned October 1, 1890. See, Chicago Daily Tribune, (October 2, 1890): 7.
- Elected December 15, 1890. See, House Journal, 51st Cong., 2nd sess. (December 15, 1890): 15.
- Name is listed as both Joseph C. McElroy and Joseph B. McElroy in the House Journal. The correct name is Captain Joseph C. McElroy of Oak Grove, OH. Born at Oak Grove, prospected in the California goldfields in 1849. During the Civil War he raised a militia company at Racine, and was later promoted Captain of Co. K, 18th O.V.I. After the war, he served on the Racine Village council, Sheriff of Meigs County, and was a member of the Ohio General Assembly. He was Secretary-Treasurer of the Ohio Commission for the Chickamauga Battleground National Park, and served 14 years as postmaster of the U.S. House of Representatives. He died August 21, 1907, as noted next day in NYT
- Died October 15, 1948, See, Collier, Frank W.," 18 October 1948, Washington Post: B2.
- Resigned, June 30, 1972. See, House Journal, 92nd Cong., 2nd sess., (June 6, 1972): 621.
- Elected July 1, 1972. See, Congressional Record, 92nd Cong. 2nd sess., (July 1, 1972): 726.
- Resigned March 19, 1992. See, Congressional Record, 102nd Cong., 2nd sess., (March 19, 1992): 1356.
- Appointed March 31, 1992, "to act as and exercise temporarily" duties of the Postmaster; see, Congressional Record, 102nd Cong., 2nd sess., (March 31, 1992): 2070.
Sources
- Postmasters of the House, Office of the Clerk
- House Journal, various editions;
- Congressional Globe, various editions;
- Congressional Record, various editions;
- Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (2005);
- Congressional Pictorial Directory, various editions.
- Official Congressional Directory, various editions.
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