Firsts Among Members
First Member to represent two states: Matthew Lyon served the state of Vermont in the 5th and 6th Congresses (1797–1801) and the state of Kentucky in the 8th, 9th, and 10th Congresses (1803–1811). |
First former Representative to serve as President: James Madison of Virginia began his presidential service on March 4, 1809. |
First former President to serve as a Representative: John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts began his House service on March 4, 1831. |
First and only incumbent Representative to be elected President: James A. Garfield of Ohio was elected President on November 2, 1880. |
First African-American Representative: Joseph Rainey of South Carolina began his House service on December 12, 1870. |
First Hispanic-American Representative: Romualdo Pacheco of California began his House service on March 4, 1877. |
First officially designated Republican floor leader: James A. Tawney of Minnesota, 55th Congress (1897–1899). |
First officially designated Democratic floor leader: Oscar Underwood of Alabama, 56th Congress (1899–1901). |
First woman Representative: Jeannette Rankin of Montana began her House service on April 2, 1917. |
First Asian-Pacific American Representative: Dalip Saund of California began his House service on January 3, 1957. |
First Representative to be elected by a write-in vote: Thomas Alford (Arkansas, 1959–1963), won election to the 86th Congress (1959–1961) as a write-in candidate on November 4, 1958. |
First Asian-American woman Representative: Patsy Mink of Hawaii began her House service on January 3, 1965. |
First African-American woman Representative: Shirley Chisholm of New York began her House service on January 3, 1969. |
First Hispanic-American woman Representative: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida began her House service on August 29, 1989. |
