Speakers of the House of Representatives

Speakers of the House
Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution states: "The House of Representatives shall choose 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. Information on the current Speaker is available at the web site of the Speaker of the House. The Honorable Nancy Pelosi of California is the 52nd Speaker of the House.

Congress Speaker State Date Elected

1st

Frederick A.C. Muhlenberg

Pennsylvania

Apr. 1, 1789

2nd

Jonathan Trumbull

Connecticut

Oct. 24, 1791

3rd

Frederick A.C. Muhlenberg

Pennsylvania

Dec. 2, 1793

4th

Jonathan Dayton

New Jersey

Dec. 7, 1795

5th

Jonathan Dayton

New Jersey

May 15, 1797

6th

Theodore Sedgwick

Massachusetts

Dec. 2, 1799

7th

Nathaniel Macon

North Carolina

Dec. 7, 1801

8th

Nathaniel Macon

North Carolina

Oct. 17, 1803

9th

Nathaniel Macon

North Carolina

Dec. 2, 1805

10th

Joseph B. Varnum

Massachusetts

Oct. 26, 1807

11th

Joseph B. Varnum

Massachusetts

May 22, 1809

12th

Henry Clay

Kentucky

Nov. 4, 1811

13th

Henry Clay ¹

Kentucky

May 24, 1813

13th

Langdon Cheves

South Carolina

Jan. 19, 1814

14th

Henry Clay

Kentucky

Dec. 4, 1815

15th

Henry Clay

Kentucky

Dec. 1, 1817

16th

Henry Clay ²

Kentucky

Dec. 6, 1819

16th

John W. Taylor

New York

Nov. 15, 1820

17th

Philip P. Barbour

Virginia

Dec. 4, 1821

18th

Henry Clay ³

Kentucky

Dec. 1, 1823

19th

John W. Taylor

New York

Dec. 5, 1825

20th

Andrew Stevenson

Virginia

Dec. 3, 1827

21st

Andrew Stevenson

Virginia

Dec. 7, 1829

22nd

Andrew Stevenson

Virginia

Dec. 5, 1831

23rd

John Bell

Tennessee

June 2, 1834

24th

James K. Polk

Tennessee

Dec. 7, 1835

25th

James K. Polk

Tennessee

Sept. 4, 1837

26th

Robert M.T. Hunter

Virginia

Dec. 16, 1839

27th

John White

Kentucky

May 31, 1841

28th

John W. Jones

Virginia

Dec. 4, 1843

29th

John W. Davis

Indiana

Dec. 1, 1845

30th

Robert C. Winthrop

Massachusetts

Dec. 6, 1847

31st

Howell Cobb

Georgia

Dec. 22, 1849

32nd

Linn Boyd

Kentucky

Dec. 1, 1851

33rd

Linn Boyd

Kentucky

Dec. 5, 1853

34th

Nathaniel P. Banks

Massachusetts

Feb. 2, 1856

35th

James L. Orr

South Carolina

Dec. 7, 1857

36th

William Pennington

New Jersey

Feb. 1, 1860

37th

Galusha A. Grow

Pennsylvania

July 4, 1861

38th

Schuyler Colfax

Indiana

Dec. 7, 1863

39th

Schuyler Colfax

Indiana

Dec. 4, 1865

40th

Schuyler Colfax

Indiana

Mar. 4, 1867

40th

Theodore M. Pomeroy ⁴

New York

Mar. 3, 1869

41st

James G. Blaine

Maine

Mar. 4, 1869

42nd

James G. Blaine

Maine

Mar. 4, 1871

43rd

James G. Blaine

Maine

Dec. 1, 1873

44th

Michael C. Kerr ⁵

Indiana

Dec. 6, 1875

44th

Samuel J. Randall

Pennsylvania

Dec. 4, 1876

45th

Samuel J. Randall

Pennsylvania

Oct. 15, 1877

46th

Samuel J. Randal

Pennsylvania

Mar. 18, 1879

47th

J. Warren Keifer

Ohio

Dec. 5, 1881

48th

John G. Carlisle

Kentucky

Dec. 3, 1883

49th

John G. Carlisle

Kentucky

Dec. 7, 1885

50th

John G. Carlisle

Kentucky

Dec. 5, 1887

51st

Thomas B. Reed

Maine

Dec. 2, 1889

52nd

Charles F. Crisp

Georgia

Dec. 8, 1891

53rd

Charles F. Crisp

Georgia

Aug. 7, 1893

54th

Thomas B. Reed

Maine

Dec. 2, 1895

55th

Thomas B. Reed

Maine

Mar. 15, 1897

56th

David B. Henderson

Iowa

Dec. 4, 1899

57th

David B. Henderson

Iowa

Dec. 2, 1901

58th

Joseph G. Cannon

Illinois

Nov. 9, 1903

59th

Joseph G. Cannon

Illinois

Dec. 4, 1905

60th

Joseph G. Cannon

Illinois

Dec. 2, 1907

61st

Joseph G. Cannon

Illinois

Mar. 15, 1909

62nd

James Beauchamp Clark

Missouri

Apr. 4, 1911

63rd

James Beauchamp Clark

Missouri

Apr. 7, 1913

64th

James Beauchamp Clark

Missouri

Dec. 6, 1915

65th

James Beauchamp Clark

Missouri

Apr. 2, 1917

66th

Frederick H. Gillett

Massachusetts

May 19, 1919

67th

Frederick H. Gillett

Massachusetts

Apr. 11, 1921

68th

Frederick H. Gillett

Massachusetts

Dec. 3, 1923

69th

Nicholas Longworth

Ohio

Dec. 7, 1925

70th

Nicholas Longworth

Ohio

Dec. 5, 1927

71st

Nicholas Longworth

Ohio

Apr. 15, 1929

72nd

John N. Garner

Texas

Dec. 7, 1931

73rd

Henry T. Rainey ⁶

Illinois

Mar. 9, 1933

74th

Joseph W. Byrns ⁷

Tennessee

Jan. 3, 1935

74th

William B. Bankhead

Alabama

Jun. 4, 1936

75th

William B. Bankhead

Alabama

Jan. 5, 1937

76th

William B. Bankhead ⁸

Alabama

Jan. 3, 1939

76th

Sam Rayburn

Texas

Sept. 16, 1940

77th

Sam Rayburn

Texas

Jan. 3, 1941

78th

Sam Rayburn

Texas

Jan. 6, 1943

79th

Sam Rayburn

Texas

Jan. 3, 1945

80th

Joseph W. Martin, Jr.

Massachusetts

Jan. 3, 1947

81st

Sam Rayburn

Texas

Jan. 3, 1949

82nd

Sam Rayburn

Texas

Jan. 3, 1951

83rd

Joseph W. Martin, Jr.

Massachusetts

Jan. 3, 1953

84th

Sam Rayburn

Texas

Jan. 5, 1955

85th

Sam Rayburn

Texas

Jan. 3, 1957

86th

Sam Rayburn

Texas

Jan. 7, 1959

87th

Sam Rayburn ⁹

Texas

Jan. 3, 1961

87th

John W. McCormack

Massachusetts

Jan. 10, 1962

88th

John W. McCormack

Massachusetts

Jan. 9, 1963

89th

John W. McCormack

Massachusetts

Jan. 4, 1965

90th

John W. McCormack

Massachusetts

Jan. 10, 1967

91st

John W. McCormack

Massachusetts

Jan. 3, 1969

92nd

Carl B. Albert

Oklahoma

Jan. 21, 1971

93rd

Carl B. Albert

Oklahoma

Jan. 3, 1973

94th

Carl B. Albert

Oklahoma

Jan. 14, 1975

95th

Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr.

Massachusetts

Jan. 4, 1977

96th

Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr.

Massachusetts

Jan. 15, 1979

97th

Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr.

Massachusetts

Jan. 5, 1981

98th

Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr.

Massachusetts

Jan. 3, 1983

99th

Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr.

Massachusetts

Jan. 3, 1985

100th

James C. Wright, Jr.

Texas

Jan. 6, 1987

101st

James C. Wright, Jr. ¹⁰

Texas

Jan. 3, 1989

101st

Thomas S. Foley

Washington

Jun. 6, 1989

102nd

Thomas S. Foley

Washington

Jan. 3, 1991

103rd

Thomas S. Foley

Washington

Jan. 5, 1993

104th

Newt Gingrich

Georgia

Jan. 4, 1995

105th

Newt Gingrich

Georgia

Jan. 7, 1997

106th

J. Dennis Hastert

Illinois

Jan. 6, 1999

107th

J. Dennis Hastert

Illinois

Jan. 3, 2001

108th

J. Dennis Hastert

Illinois

Jan. 7, 2003

109th

J. Dennis Hastert

Illinois

Jan. 4, 2005

110th

Nancy Pelosi

California

Jan. 4, 2007

111th

Nancy Pelosi

California

Jan. 6, 2009

Source: Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress
¹ Resigned from the House of Representatives, January 19, 1814.

² Resigned on October 28, 1820.

³ Resigned from the House of Representatives, March 6, 1825.

⁴ Elected Speaker, March 3, 1869, and served one day.

⁵ Died in office, August 19, 1876.

⁶ Died in office, August 19, 1934.

⁷ Died in office June 4, 1936.

⁸ Died in office, September 15, 1940.

⁹ Died November 16, 1961.

¹⁰ Resigned from the House of Representatives, June 6, 1989.

Congress	Speaker	State	Date Elected
1st	Frederick A.C. Muhlenberg	Pennsylvania	Apr. 1, 1789
2nd	Jonathan Trumbull	Connecticut	Oct. 24, 1791
3rd	Frederick A.C. Muhlenberg	Pennsylvania	Dec. 2, 1793
4th	Jonathan Dayton	New Jersey	Dec. 7, 1795
5th	Jonathan Dayton	New Jersey	May 15, 1797
6th	Theodore Sedgwick	Massachusetts	Dec. 2, 1799
7th	Nathaniel Macon	North Carolina	Dec. 7, 1801
8th	Nathaniel Macon	North Carolina	Oct. 17, 1803
9th	Nathaniel Macon	North Carolina	Dec. 2, 1805
10th	Joseph B. Varnum	Massachusetts	Oct. 26, 1807
11th	Joseph B. Varnum	Massachusetts	May 22, 1809
12th	Henry Clay	Kentucky	Nov. 4, 1811
13th	Henry Clay ¹	Kentucky	May 24, 1813
13th	Langdon Cheves	South Carolina	Jan. 19, 1814
14th	Henry Clay	Kentucky	Dec. 4, 1815
15th	Henry Clay	Kentucky	Dec. 1, 1817
16th	Henry Clay ²	Kentucky	Dec. 6, 1819
16th	John W. Taylor	New York	Nov. 15, 1820
17th	Philip P. Barbour	Virginia	Dec. 4, 1821
18th	Henry Clay ³	Kentucky	Dec. 1, 1823
19th	John W. Taylor	New York	Dec. 5, 1825
20th	Andrew Stevenson	Virginia	Dec. 3, 1827
21st	Andrew Stevenson	Virginia	Dec. 7, 1829
22nd	Andrew Stevenson	Virginia	Dec. 5, 1831
23rd	John Bell	Tennessee	June 2, 1834
24th	James K. Polk	Tennessee	Dec. 7, 1835
25th	James K. Polk	Tennessee	Sept. 4, 1837
26th	Robert M.T. Hunter	Virginia	Dec. 16, 1839
27th	John White	Kentucky	May 31, 1841
28th	John W. Jones	Virginia	Dec. 4, 1843
29th	John W. Davis	Indiana	Dec. 1, 1845
30th	Robert C. Winthrop	Massachusetts	Dec. 6, 1847
31st	Howell Cobb	Georgia	Dec. 22, 1849
32nd	Linn Boyd	Kentucky	Dec. 1, 1851
33rd	Linn Boyd	Kentucky	Dec. 5, 1853
34th	Nathaniel P. Banks	Massachusetts	Feb. 2, 1856
35th	James L. Orr	South Carolina	Dec. 7, 1857
36th	William Pennington	New Jersey	Feb. 1, 1860
37th	Galusha A. Grow	Pennsylvania	July 4, 1861
38th	Schuyler Colfax	Indiana	Dec. 7, 1863
39th	Schuyler Colfax	Indiana	Dec. 4, 1865
40th	Schuyler Colfax	Indiana	Mar. 4, 1867
40th	Theodore M. Pomeroy ⁴	New York	Mar. 3, 1869
41st	James G. Blaine	Maine	Mar. 4, 1869
42nd	James G. Blaine	Maine	Mar. 4, 1871
43rd	James G. Blaine	Maine	Dec. 1, 1873
44th	Michael C. Kerr ⁵	Indiana	Dec. 6, 1875
44th	Samuel J. Randall	Pennsylvania	Dec. 4, 1876
45th	Samuel J. Randall	Pennsylvania	Oct. 15, 1877
46th	Samuel J. Randal	Pennsylvania	Mar. 18, 1879
47th	J. Warren Keifer	Ohio	Dec. 5, 1881
48th	John G. Carlisle	Kentucky	Dec. 3, 1883
49th	John G. Carlisle	Kentucky	Dec. 7, 1885
50th	John G. Carlisle	Kentucky	Dec. 5, 1887
51st	Thomas B. Reed	Maine	Dec. 2, 1889
52nd	Charles F. Crisp	Georgia	Dec. 8, 1891
53rd	Charles F. Crisp	Georgia	Aug. 7, 1893
54th	Thomas B. Reed	Maine	Dec. 2, 1895
55th	Thomas B. Reed	Maine	Mar. 15, 1897
56th	David B. Henderson	Iowa	Dec. 4, 1899
57th	David B. Henderson	Iowa	Dec. 2, 1901
58th	Joseph G. Cannon	Illinois	Nov. 9, 1903
59th	Joseph G. Cannon	Illinois	Dec. 4, 1905
60th	Joseph G. Cannon	Illinois	Dec. 2, 1907
61st	Joseph G. Cannon	Illinois	Mar. 15, 1909
62nd	James Beauchamp Clark	Missouri	Apr. 4, 1911
63rd	James Beauchamp Clark	Missouri	Apr. 7, 1913
64th	James Beauchamp Clark	Missouri	Dec. 6, 1915
65th	James Beauchamp Clark	Missouri	Apr. 2, 1917
66th	Frederick H. Gillett	Massachusetts	May 19, 1919
67th	Frederick H. Gillett	Massachusetts	Apr. 11, 1921
68th	Frederick H. Gillett	Massachusetts	Dec. 3, 1923
69th	Nicholas Longworth	Ohio	Dec. 7, 1925
70th	Nicholas Longworth	Ohio	Dec. 5, 1927
71st	Nicholas Longworth	Ohio	Apr. 15, 1929
72nd	John N. Garner	Texas	Dec. 7, 1931
73rd	Henry T. Rainey ⁶	Illinois	Mar. 9, 1933
74th	Joseph W. Byrns ⁷	Tennessee	Jan. 3, 1935
74th	William B. Bankhead	Alabama	Jun. 4, 1936
75th	William B. Bankhead	Alabama	Jan. 5, 1937
76th	William B. Bankhead ⁸	Alabama	Jan. 3, 1939
76th	Sam Rayburn	Texas	Sept. 16, 1940
77th	Sam Rayburn	Texas	Jan. 3, 1941
78th	Sam Rayburn	Texas	Jan. 6, 1943
79th	Sam Rayburn	Texas	Jan. 3, 1945
80th	Joseph W. Martin, Jr.	Massachusetts	Jan. 3, 1947
81st	Sam Rayburn	Texas	Jan. 3, 1949
82nd	Sam Rayburn	Texas	Jan. 3, 1951
83rd	Joseph W. Martin, Jr.	Massachusetts	Jan. 3, 1953
84th	Sam Rayburn	Texas	Jan. 5, 1955
85th	Sam Rayburn	Texas	Jan. 3, 1957
86th	Sam Rayburn	Texas	Jan. 7, 1959
87th	Sam Rayburn ⁹	Texas	Jan. 3, 1961
87th	John W. McCormack	Massachusetts	Jan. 10, 1962
88th	John W. McCormack	Massachusetts	Jan. 9, 1963
89th	John W. McCormack	Massachusetts	Jan. 4, 1965
90th	John W. McCormack	Massachusetts	Jan. 10, 1967
91st	John W. McCormack	Massachusetts	Jan. 3, 1969
92nd	Carl B. Albert	Oklahoma	Jan. 21, 1971
93rd	Carl B. Albert	Oklahoma	Jan. 3, 1973
94th	Carl B. Albert	Oklahoma	Jan. 14, 1975
95th	Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr.	Massachusetts	Jan. 4, 1977
96th	Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr.	Massachusetts	Jan. 15, 1979
97th	Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr.	Massachusetts	Jan. 5, 1981
98th	Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr.	Massachusetts	Jan. 3, 1983
99th	Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr.	Massachusetts	Jan. 3, 1985
100th	James C. Wright, Jr.	Texas	Jan. 6, 1987
101st	James C. Wright, Jr. ¹⁰	Texas	Jan. 3, 1989
101st	Thomas S. Foley	Washington	Jun. 6, 1989
102nd	Thomas S. Foley	Washington	Jan. 3, 1991
103rd	Thomas S. Foley	Washington	Jan. 5, 1993
104th	Newt Gingrich	Georgia	Jan. 4, 1995
105th	Newt Gingrich	Georgia	Jan. 7, 1997
106th	J. Dennis Hastert	Illinois	Jan. 6, 1999
107th	J. Dennis Hastert	Illinois	Jan. 3, 2001
108th	J. Dennis Hastert	Illinois	Jan. 7, 2003
109th	J. Dennis Hastert	Illinois	Jan. 4, 2005
110th	Nancy Pelosi	California	Jan. 4, 2007
111th	Nancy Pelosi	California	Jan. 6, 2009