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.
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] |
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