List of speakers of the Massachusetts House of Representatives

Last updated

Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Seal of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts.svg
Seal of the House of Representatives
Speaker Ronald Mariano.jpg
Incumbent
Ron Mariano
since December 30, 2020
Government of Massachusetts
Status Presiding Officer
Member of General Court
Residence None official
Seat State House, Boston, Massachusetts
Nominator Political parties through majority house caucus
AppointerThe House
Constituting instrument Constitution of Massachusetts
FormationOriginal Post:
May 30, 1644
Current form:
October 25, 1780
Deputy Speaker pro tempore
Website

This is a list of speakers of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. The Speaker of the House presides over the House of Representatives. The Speaker is elected by the majority party caucus followed by confirmation of the full House through the passage of a House Resolution. As well as presiding over the body, the Speaker is also the chief leader, and controls the flow of legislation. Other House leaders, such as the majority and minority leaders, are elected by their respective party caucuses relative to their party's strength in the House. The current house speaker is Ronald Mariano.

Contents

Colonial period

House of Deputies of the Massachusetts Bay Colony

SpeakerPortraitYears ↑TownElectoral history
William Hathorne 1644–1645 Salem
George Cooke 1645 Cambridge
William Hathorne1646Salem
Robert Bridges 1646 Lynn
Joseph Hills 1647 Mistick Side
William Hathorne1648Salem
Richard Russell 1648 Charlestown
Daniel Denison 1649 Ipswich
William Hathorne1650Salem
Daniel Gookin 1651 Cambridge
Daniel Denison1651–1652 Ipswich
Humphrey Atherton 1653 Springfield
Richard Russell1654Charlestown
Edward Johnson 1655
Richard Russell1656Charlestown
William Hathorne1657Salem
Richard Russell1658Charlestown
Thomas Savage Major Thomas Savage.jpg 1659–1660
William Hathorne1660–1661Salem
Thomas Clarke 1662
John Leverett JohnLeverettInMilitaryUniform.jpg 1663–1664 Boston
Thomas Clarke1665
Richard Waldron 1666–1668 Cocheco
Thomas Clarke1669–1670
Thomas Savage1671 Boston
Thomas Clarke1672
Richard Waldron1673Cocheco
Joshua Hubbard 1673–1674
Richard Waldron1674–1675Cocheco
Peter Bulkeley1675–1676 Concord
Thomas Savage1677–1678Boston
Richard Waldron1679CochecoTown became part of New Hampshire
John Richards 1679–1680 Dorchester
Daniel Fisher 1680–1682 Dedham
Elisha Cooke Sr. Elisha Cooke SR.jpg 1683 Boston
John Waite 1684 Malden
Isaac Addington 1685 Boston
John Saffin 1686 Boston General Court adjourned May 21, 1686, did not convene until May or June 1689

Inter-Charter Period

SpeakerPortraitYears ↑TownElectoral history
Thomas Oakes 1689 Boston
John Bowles 1698–1690 Boston
Penn Townsend 1690–1691 Salem
William Bond 1691–1692 Watertown
Penn Townsend1692Salem

Second Charter of the Province of Massachusetts Bay

SpeakerPortraitYears ↑TownElectoral history
William Bond 1692–1693 Watertown
Nathaniel Byfield Nathaniel-Byfield 1730 John-Smibert.jpg 1693–1694 Boston
Nehemiah Jewett 1694–1695 Rowley
William Bond 1695–1696 Watertown
Penn Townsend 1696–1697 Salem
Nathaniel Byfield1698 Rowley
James Converse 1699–1700 Woburn
John Leverett John Leverett.gif 1700–1701 Boston
Nehemiah Jewett1701–1702Rowley
James Converse1702–1705Woburn
Thomas Oakes 1705–1707 Boston
John Burrill 1707 Lynn
Thomas Oliver 1708–1709 Cambridge
John Clark 1709–1711 Boston
John Burrill1711–1720Lynn
Elisha Cooke Jr. ElishaCookeJr.jpg 1720
Timothy Lindall 1720–1721 Boston
John Clark 1721–1724 Boston
William Dudley1724–1729 Roxbury
John Quincy 1729–1741 Mount Wollaston
William Fairfield 1741 Wenham
Thomas Cushing II 1742–1746 Boston
Thomas Hutchinson ThomasHutchinsonByEdwardTruman.jpg 1746–1748 Boston Resigned when appointed to the Governor's Council
Joseph Dwight 1748–1750 Brookfield
Thomas Hubbard 1750–1759 Waltham
Samuel White May 30, 1759 –
May 28, 1760
Taunton
James Otis Sr. James-otis-1-large.jpg May 28, 1760 –
May 26, 1762
Barnstable Resigned when appointed to the Governor's Council
Timothy Ruggles Timothy Ruggles.jpg May 26, 1762 –
May 25, 1764
Rochester
Samuel White May 25, 1764 –
June 11, 1764
Taunton
Thomas Clap pro temJune 11, 1764 –
May 29, 1765
Samuel White May 29, 1764 –
May 28, 1766
Taunton
James Otis Jr. JamesOtisJr by Blackburn.jpg May 28, 1766 –
May 28, 1766
Barnstable
Thomas Cushing Thomas Cushing, Member of Continental Congress.jpg May 28, 1766 –
1774
Boston

Massachusetts Provincial Congress of Deputies

SpeakerPortraitYears ↑Electoral History
John Hancock John Hancock 1770-crop.jpg 1774-1775Left office to attend the Second Continental Congress where he served as President
Joseph Warren JosephWarrenByCopley.jpeg 1775Died at the Battle of Bunker Hill
James Warren James Warren.jpg 1775-1780

House of Representatives under the Massachusetts Constitution

#PortraitSpeakerPartyYears ↑City or Town (District) 1 Electoral history
1 Caleb Davis 1738-1797.jpg Caleb Davis None1780–1782 Boston Resigned
2 Nathaniel Gorham.jpg Nathaniel Gorham None1782–1783 Charlestown [ data missing ]
3 Portrait of Tristram Dalton, 1st US Senator from Massachusetts.jpg Tristram Dalton None1783–1784 Newbury Elected to State Senate
4 Gilbert Stuart, Samuel Alleyne Otis, 1811-1813, NGA 57542.jpg Samuel Allyne Otis None1784–1785 Barnstable [ data missing ]
5 Nathaniel Gorham.jpg Nathaniel GorhamNone1785–1786Charlestown[ data missing ]
6 Raphaelle Peale - Artemas Ward (1727-1800) - H835 - Harvard Art Museums.jpg Artemas Ward None1786–1787 Shrewsbury [ data missing ]
7 James Warren.jpg James Warren None1787–1788 Plymouth [ data missing ]
8 TheodoreSedgwick.jpg Theodore Sedgwick Pro-Administration1788–1789 Sheffield Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives
9 Gilbert Stuart - General David Cobb (page 229 crop).jpg David Cobb Pro-Administration1789–1793 Taunton Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives
10 Edward Hutchinson Robbins.jpg Edward Robbins Democratic-Republican 1793–1802 Boston Elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
11 John Coffin Jones Federalist 1802–1803 Boston [ data missing ]
12 Harrison Gray Otis by Chester Harding, 1833, oil on canvas, from the National Portrait Gallery - NPG-7700056A 2.jpg Harrison Gray Otis Federalist 1803–1805 Boston Elected to the State Senate
13 Timothy Bigelow, Jr. (1767).jpg Timothy Bigelow Federalist 1805–1806 Worcester Party lost majority
14 PerezMorton byFevretDeSaintMemin.png Perez Morton Democratic-Republican 1806–1808 Dorchester Party lost majority
15 Timothy Bigelow, Jr. (1767).jpg Timothy Bigelow Federalist 1808–1810 Worcester Party lost majority
16 PerezMorton byFevretDeSaintMemin.png Perez Morton Democratic-Republican 1810–1811 Dorchester Resigned
17 Daguerreotype of Joseph Story, 1844 (edit).jpg Joseph Story Democratic-Republican 1811–1812 Salem Resigned when appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
18 Eleazer-ripley.png Eleazer Ripley Democratic-Republican 1812 Waterville Joined United States Army
19 Timothy Bigelow, Jr. (1767).jpg Timothy Bigelow Federalist 1812–1820 Worcester [ data missing ]
20 ElijahMills.jpg Elijah H. Mills Federalist 1820–1821 Northampton Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives
21 Josiah Quincy.jpg Josiah Quincy III Federalist 1821–1822 Boston Resigned to become Judge of Boston Municipal Court
22 Luther Lawrence.jpg Luther Lawrence Federalist 1822 Lowell Party lost majority
23 LLincolnJr.jpg Levi Lincoln, Jr. National Republican 1822–1823 Worcester Elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
24 William C. Jarvis [1] National Republican 1823–1825 Woburn Party lost majority
25 Timothy Fuller.jpg Timothy Fuller Democratic-Republican 1825–1826 Cambridgeport Party lost majority
26 William C. Jarvis National Republican 1826–1828 Woburn [ data missing ]
27 William Barron Calhoun.png William B. Calhoun National Republican 1828–1834 Springfield Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives
28 JuliusRockwell.jpg Julius Rockwell Whig 1835–1837 Pittsfield Resigned when appointed commissioner of the Bank of Massachusetts
29 Robert Charles Winthrop - Brady-Handy (cropped).jpg Robert Charles Winthrop Whig 1838–1840 Boston Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives
30 George Ashmun.png George Ashmun Whig 1841 Blandford [ data missing ]
31 Thomas H. Kinnicutt Whig 1842 Worcester [ data missing ]
32 Daniel Putnam King (1801-1850).jpg Daniel P. King Whig 1843 South Danvers [ data missing ]
33 Thomas H. Kinnicutt Whig 1844WorcesterResigned
34 Samuel H. Walley, Jr. Whig 1844–1846 Boston [ data missing ]
35 Ebenezer Bradbury Whig 1847 Newburyport [ data missing ]
36 Francis Crowninshield Whig 1848–1849 Boston [ data missing ]
37 Ensign Hosmer Kellogg.png Ensign H. Kellogg Whig 1850 Pittsfield [ data missing ]
38 Nathaniel Prentice Banks.jpg Nathaniel Prentice Banks Democratic 1851–1852 Waltham Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives
39 George Bliss Whig 1853 Springfield [ data missing ]
40 Otis P. Lord Whig 1854 Salem Party lost majority
41 1855 Daniel Clarke Eddy Massachusetts House of Representatives US.png Daniel C. Eddy Know Nothing 1855 Lowell [ data missing ]
42 Charles A. Phelps Know Nothing 1856–1857 Boston Elected to the Massachusetts Senate; [2] Party Lost election
43 JuliusRockwell.jpg Julius Rockwell Republican 1858 Pittsfield Resigned when appointed to the Massachusetts Superior Court
44 CharlesHale ca1861 Boston.png Charles Hale Republican 1859 Boston [ data missing ]
45 John A. Goodwin Republican 1860–1861 Lowell [ data missing ]
46 AlexanderBullock.jpg Alexander Hamilton Bullock Republican 1862–1865 Worcester Elected Governor of Massachusetts
47 James M. Stone Republican 1866–1867 Charlestown [ data missing ]
48 1868 Harvey Jewell Massachusetts House of Representatives.png Harvey Jewell Republican 1868–1871 Boston [ data missing ]
49 1875 John Eliot Sanford Massachusetts House of Representatives.png John E. Sanford Republican 1872–1875 Taunton [ data missing ]
50 JDLong.jpg John Davis Long Republican 1876–1878 Hingham Elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
51 Levi Clifford Wade.png Levi C. Wade Republican 1879 Newton [ data missing ]
52 Charles J. Noyes.png Charles J. Noyes Republican 1880–1882 Boston (14th Suffolk)[ data missing ]
53 George Augustus Marden.png George Augustus Marden Republican 1883–1884 Lowell [ data missing ]
54 1878 John Quincy Adams Brackett Massachusetts House of Representatives.png John Q. A. Brackett Republican January 7, 1885 –
1886
Boston (17th Suffolk) [3] Elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
55 Charles J. Noyes.png Charles J. Noyes Republican 1887–1888 Boston (14th Suffolk)[ data missing ]
56 William Emerson Barrett.png William Emerson Barrett Republican 1889–1893 Melrose (11th Middlesex)Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives
57 Portrait of George von Lengerke Meyer.jpg George von Lengerke Meyer Republican 1894–1896 Boston (9th Suffolk)[ data missing ]
58 JohnLBates.jpg John Lewis Bates Republican 1897–1899 Boston (1st Suffolk)Elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
59 James J. Myers.png James J. Myers Republican 1900–1903 Cambridge (1st Middlesex)Retired
60 Louis Adams Frothingham.png Louis A. Frothingham Republican 1904–1905 Boston (11th Suffolk)Left House to run for governor
61 John N. Cole.png John N. Cole Republican 1906–1908 Andover (8th Essex)Left House to run for Lieutenant Governor
62 Joseph H. Walker (Massachusetts speaker).png Joseph Walker Republican 1909–1911 Brookline (2nd Norfolk)Left House to run for governor
63 Grafton Dulany Cushing.png Grafton D. Cushing Republican 1912–1914 Boston (11th Suffolk)Elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
64 Channing H Cox.png Channing H. Cox Republican 1915–1918 Boston (10th Suffolk)Elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
65 Joseph E. Warner.png Joseph E. Warner Republican 1919–1920 Taunton (4th Bristol)Lost primary for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts to Alvan Fuller
66 Benjamin Loring Young.png Benjamin Loring Young Republican 1921–1924 Weston (13th Middlesex)[ data missing ]
67 John Carpenter Hull.png John C. Hull Republican 1925–1928 Leominster (11th Worcester)Appointed First Securities Director in the wake of The Great Depression (1930–36)
68 LeverettSaltonstall.jpg Leverett Saltonstall Republican 1929–1936 Chestnut Hill (5th Middlesex)Defeated for election as Lieutenant Governor by Francis E. Kelly [4]
69 1935 Horace Cahill Massachusetts House of Representatives.png Horace T. Cahill Republican 1937–1938 Braintree (6th Norfolk)Elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
70 Christian Archibald Herter (politician).jpg Christian Herter Republican 1939–1942 Boston (5th Suffolk)Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives
71 1939 Rudolph King Massachusetts House of Representatives.png Rudolph King Republican 1943–1944 Millis (8th Norfolk)Resigned to run become Registrar of Motor Vehicles
72 1945 Frederick Willis Massachusetts House of Representatives.png Frederick Willis Republican 1945–1948 Saugus (10th Essex)Party lost majority
73 Tip O'Neill 1978 (retouched).jpg Thomas P. O'Neill Democratic 1949–1952 Cambridge (3rd Middlesex)Party lost majority; O'Neill elected to U.S. House of Representatives
74 1953 Charles Gibbons Massachusetts House of Representatives.png Charles Gibbons Republican 1953–1954 Stoneham (22nd Middlesex)Party lost majority
75 1945 Michael Skerry Massachusetts House of Representatives.png Michael F. Skerry Democratic 1955–1957 Medford (27th Middlesex)Resigned when appointed Clerk of the Malden District Court
76 1953 John Forbes Thompson Massachusetts House of Representatives.png John F. Thompson Democratic 1958–1964 Ludlow (2nd Hampden)Resigned after being indicted on charges of conspiracy and bribery
77 1967 John Davoren Massachusetts House of Representatives.png John Davoren Democratic 1965–1967 Milford (9th Worcester)Resigned when appointed Secretary of the Commonwealth
78 Rob Quinn (13560397264).jpg Robert H. Quinn Democratic 1967–1969 Boston (9th Suffolk)Elected Massachusetts Attorney General
79 David M Bartley.jpg David M. Bartley Democratic 1969–1975 Holyoke (7th Hampden)Resigned to become President of Holyoke Community College
80 Thomas W. McGee.jpg Thomas W. McGee Democratic 1975–1984 Lynn (20th Essex)Defeated by Keverian in leadership challenge
81 George Keverian 1980s Massachusetts USA 9519694698.png George Keverian Democratic 1985–1990 Everett (39th Middlesex)Retired to run for State Treasurer
82 1983 Charles Flaherty Massachusetts House of Representatives.png Charles Flaherty Democratic 1991 –
April 9, 1996
Cambridge (27th Middlesex)Resigned: pleaded guilty to tax evasion
83 1995 Thomas Finneran Massachusetts House of Representatives.png Thomas Finneran Democratic April 9, 1996 –
September 28, 2004
Mattapan (12th Suffolk)Resigned after pleading guilty to obstruction of justice
84 Salvatore F. DiMasi.jpg Salvatore DiMasi Democratic September 28, 2004 –
January 27, 2009
Boston (3rd Suffolk)Resigned: convicted of conspiracy, honest services fraud, and extortion
85 Robert A. DeLeo.jpg Robert DeLeo Democratic January 27, 2009 – December 29, 2020 Winthrop (19th Suffolk)Resigned to accept position at Northeastern University
86 Speaker Ronald Mariano.jpg Ron Mariano Democratic December 30, 2020 – present Quincy (3rd Norfolk)Current speaker

See also

Notes

1. ^ Prior to 1857, representatives were selected by a majority of votes at a town meeting. Since 1857, representatives have been elected by district. [5]

Sources

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References

  1. "Jarvis, William C., 1780-1836", A New Nation Votes: American Electoral Returns, 1788-1825, retrieved June 22, 2020
  2. Castle, William Richards (December 1902), The Harvard Graduates' Magazine Vol XI No. 42, Boston, Massachusetts: The Harvard Graduates' Magazine Association, p. 305
  3. Hurd, Duane Hamilton (1890). "History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts: With Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men Vol. 1". Philadelphia, PA: J. W. Lewis & CO.: lviii.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. "Bioguide Search".
  5. Duane Hamilton Hurd, ed. (1888). History of Essex County, Massachusetts: With Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Volume 1. J. W. Lewis & Company. p. 414. Retrieved April 2, 2013.