History of the Office (1789 to Present)

On April 1, 1789, the House of Representatives convened with its first quorum. Its initial order of business was the election of the Speaker, Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg, a Representative from Pennsylvania. The next order of business was the election of the Clerk, John Beckley, Esquire, a citizen of Virginia.

The first five Clerks of the House also served as Librarian of Congress, which became a separate position in 1815. South Trimble, a former Representative from Kentucky, who served as Clerk from 1911 to 1919 and again from 1931 to 1946, is the longest-tenured Clerk in House history.

Congress Clerk State Date Elected
1st (1789–91) John Beckley VA Apr 01, 1789
2nd (1791–93) John Beckley VA Oct 24, 1791
3rd (1793–95) John Beckley VA Dec 02, 1793
4th (1795–97) John Beckley VA Dec 07, 1795
5th (1797–99) Jonathan W. Condy PA May 15, 1797
6th (1799–1801) Jonathan W. Condy 1 PA Dec 02, 1799
6th (1799–1801) John H. Oswald PA Dec 09, 1800 2
7th (1801–03) John Beckley VA Dec 07, 1801
8th (1803–05) John Beckley VA Oct 17, 1803
9th (1805–07) John Beckley VA Dec 02, 1805
10th (1807–09) Patrick Magruder MD Oct 26, 1807
11th (1809–11) Patrick Magruder MD May 24, 1809
12th (1811–13) Patrick Magruder MD Nov 04, 1811
13th (1813–15) Patrick Magruder MD May 24, 1813 3
13th (1813–15) Thomas Dougherty KY Jan 30, 1815 4
14th (1815–17) Thomas Dougherty KY Dec 04, 1815
15th (1817–19) Thomas Dougherty KY Dec 01, 1817
16th (1819–21) Thomas Dougherty KY Dec 06, 1819
17th (1821–23) Thomas Dougherty  5 KY Dec 04, 1821
17th (1821–23) Matthew St. Clair Clarke PA Dec 03, 1822 6
18th (1823–25) Matthew St. Clair Clarke PA Dec 01, 1823
19th (1825–27) Matthew St. Clair Clarke PA Dec 05, 1825
20th (1827–29) Matthew St. Clair Clarke PA Dec 03, 1827
21st (1829–31) Matthew St. Clair Clarke PA Dec 07, 1829
22nd (1831–33) Matthew St. Clair Clarke PA Dec 05, 1831
23rd (1833–35) Walter S. Franklin PA Dec 02, 1833
24th (1835–37) Walter S. Franklin PA Dec 07, 1835
25th (1837–39) Walter S. Franklin 7 PA Sep 04, 1837
25th (1837–39) Hugh A. Garland VA Dec 03, 1838 8
26th (1839–41) Hugh A. Garland VA Dec 21, 1839
27th (1841–43) Matthew St. Clair Clarke PA May 31, 1841
28th (1843–45) Caleb J. McNulty 9 OH Dec 06, 1843
28th (1843–45) Benjamin B. French NH Jan 18, 1845 10
29th (1845–47) Benjamin B. French NH Dec 02, 1845
30th (1847–49) Thomas J. Campbell TN Dec 07, 1847
31st (1849–51) Thomas J. Campbell 11 TN Jan 11, 1850
31st (1849–51) Richard M. Young IL Apr 17, 1850 12
32nd (1851–53) John W. Forney PA Dec 01, 1851
33rd (1853–55) John W. Forney PA Dec 05, 1853
34th (1855–57) John W. Forney 13 PA –
34th (1855–57) William Cullom TN Feb 04, 1856  14
35th (1857–59) James C. Allen IL Dec 07, 1857
36th (1859–61) James C. Allen 15 IL –
36th (1859–61) John W. Forney PA Feb 03, 1860 16
37th (1861–63) Emerson Etheridge TN Jul 04, 1861
38th (1863–65) Edward McPherson PA Dec 08, 1863
39th (1865–67) Edward McPherson PA Dec 04, 1865
40th (1867–69) Edward McPherson PA Mar 04, 1867
41st (1869–71) Edward McPherson PA Mar 05, 1869
42nd (1871–73) Edward McPherson PA Mar 04, 1871
43rd (1873–75) Edward McPherson PA Dec 01, 1873
44th (1875–77) George M. Adams KY Dec 06, 1875
45th (1877–79) George M. Adams KY Oct 15, 1877
46th (1879–81) George M. Adams KY Mar 18, 1879
47th (1881–83) Edward McPherson PA Dec 05, 1881
48th (1883–85) John B. Clark, Jr. MO Dec 04, 1883
49th (1885–87) John B. Clark, Jr. MO Dec 07, 1885
50th (1887–89) John B. Clark, Jr. MO Dec 05, 1887
51st (1889–91) Edward McPherson PA Dec 02, 1889
52nd (1891–93) James Kerr PA Dec 08, 1891
53rd (1893–95) James Kerr PA Aug 07, 1893
54th (1895–97) Alexander McDowell PA Dec 02, 1895
55th (1897–99) Alexander McDowell PA Mar 15, 1897
56th (1899–1901) Alexander McDowell PA Dec 04, 1899
57th (1901–03) Alexander McDowell PA Dec 02, 1901
58th (1903–05) Alexander McDowell PA Nov 09, 1903
59th (1905–07) Alexander McDowell PA Dec 04, 1905
60th (1907–09) Alexander McDowell PA Dec 02, 1907
61st (1909–11) Alexander McDowell PA Mar 15, 1909
62nd (1911–13) South Trimble KY Apr 04, 1911
63rd (1913–15) South Trimble KY Apr 07, 1913
64th (1915–17) South Trimble KY Dec 06, 1915
65th (1917–19) South Trimble KY Apr 02, 1917
66th (1919–21) William Tyler Page MD May 19, 1919
67th (1921–23) William Tyler Page MD Apr 11, 1921
68th (1923–25) William Tyler Page MD Dec 05, 1923
69th (1925–27) William Tyler Page MD Dec 07, 1925
70th (1927–29) William Tyler Page MD Dec 05, 1927
71st (1929–31) William Tyler Page MD Apr 15, 1929
72nd (1931–33) South Trimble KY Dec 07, 1931
73rd (1933–35) South Trimble KY Mar 09, 1933
74th (1935–37) South Trimble KY Jan 03, 1935
75th (1937–39) South Trimble KY Jan 05, 1937
76th (1939–41) South Trimble KY Jan 03, 1939
77th (1941–43) South Trimble KY Jan 03, 1941
78th (1943–45) South Trimble KY Jan 06, 1943
79th (1945–47) South Trimble 17 KY Jan 03, 1945
79th (1945–47) Harry Newlin Megill DC Aug 02, 1946 18
80th (1947–49) John Andrews MA Jan 03, 1947
81st (1949–51) Ralph R. Roberts IN Jan 03, 1949
82nd (1951–53) Ralph R. Roberts IN Jan 03, 1951
83rd (1953–55) Lyle O. Snader IL Jan 03, 195319
84th (1955–57) Ralph R. Roberts IN Jan 05, 1955
85th (1957–59) Ralph R. Roberts IN Jan 03, 1957
86th (1959–61) Ralph R. Roberts IN Jan 07, 1959
87th (1961–63) Ralph R. Roberts IN Jan 03, 1961
88th (1963–65) Ralph R. Roberts IN Jan 09, 1963
89th (1965–67) Ralph R. Roberts IN Jan 04, 1965
90th (1967–69) W. Pat Jennings VA Jan 10, 1967
91st (1969–71) W. Pat Jennings VA Jan 03, 1969
92nd (1971–73) W. Pat Jennings VA Jan 21, 1971
93rd (1973–75) W. Pat Jennings VA Jan 03, 1973
94th (1975–77) W. Pat Jennings 20 VA Jan 14, 1975
94th (1975–77) Edmund L. Henshaw, Jr. VA Nov 17, 1975 21
95th (1977–79) Edmund L. Henshaw, Jr. VA Jan 04, 1977
96th (1979–81) Edmund L. Henshaw, Jr. VA Jan 15, 1979
97th (1981–83) Edmund L. Henshaw, Jr. VA Jan 05, 1981
98th (1983–85) Benjamin J. Guthrie MD Jan 03, 1983
99th (1985–87) Benjamin J. Guthrie MD Jan 03, 1985
100th (1987–89) Donnald K. Anderson CA Jan 06, 1987
101st (1989–91) Donnald K. Anderson CA Jan 03, 1989
102nd (1991–93) Donnald K. Anderson CA Jan 03, 1991
103rd (1993–95) Donnald K. Anderson CA Jan 05, 1993
104th (1995–97) Robin H. Carle ID Jan 04, 1995
105th (1997–99) Robin H. Carle 22 ID Jan 07, 1997
105th (1997–99) Jeff Trandahl SD Jan 01, 1999 23
106th (1999–2001) Jeff Trandahl SD Jan 06, 1999
107th (2001–03) Jeff Trandahl SD Jan 03, 2001
108th (2003–05) Jeff Trandahl SD Jan 07, 2003
109th (2005–07) Jeff Trandahl 24 SD Jan 04, 2005
109th (2005–07) Karen L. Haas MD Nov 18, 2005 25
109th (2005–07) Karen L. Haas MD Dec 06, 2005 26
110th (2007–09) Karen L. Haas MD Jan 04, 2007
110th (2007–09) Lorraine C. Miller TX Feb 15, 2007 27
111th (2009–11) Lorraine C. Miller TX Jan 06, 2009
112th (2011–13) Karen L. Haas MD Jan 05, 2011
113th (2013–15) Karen L. Haas MD Jan 03, 2013
114th (2015–17) Karen L. Haas MD Jan 06, 2015
115th (2017–19) Karen L. Haas MD Jan 03, 2017
116th (2019–21) Karen L. Haas MD Jan 03, 2019
116th (2019–21) Cheryl L. Johnson LA Feb 25, 2019 28
117th (2021–23) Cheryl L. Johnson LA Jan 03, 2021
118th (2023–25) Cheryl L. Johnson LA Jan 07, 2023 29
118th (2023–25) Kevin F. McCumber IL Jul 01, 2023 30
1 Resigned on December 4, 1800. House Journal, 6th Congress, (December 9, 1800): H736.
2 Elected on December 9, 1800. House Journal, 6th Congress, (December 9, 1800): H736.
3 Resigned on January 28, 1815. House Journal, 13th Congress, (January 28, 1815): H694.
4 Elected on January 30, 1815. House Journal, 13th Congress, (January 30, 1815): H1113-1114.
5 Died in 1822.
6 Elected on December 3, 1822. House Journal, 17th Congress, (December 3, 1822): H18.
7 Died on September 20, 1838.
8 Elected on December 3, 1838. House Journal, 25th Congress, (December 3, 1838): H14.
9 Dismissed from office on January 18, 1845. House Journal, (January 18, 1845): H230-233.
10 Elected on January 18, 1845. House Journal, (January 18, 1845): H233.
11 Died on April 13, 1850. House Journal, (April 15, 1850): H788-789.
12 Elected on April 17, 1850. House Journal, (April 17, 1850): H804-805.
13 Presided over deadlocked election of the Speaker.
14 Elected on February 4, 1856. House Journal, (February 4, 1856): H452.
15 Presided over deadlocked election of the Speaker.
16 Elected on February 3, 1860. House Journal, 36th Congress, (February 3, 1860): H174.
17 Died on November 23, 1946.
18 H. Res. 753, passed by Congress on August 2, 1946, authorized the "appointment of an acting Clerk." Harry Newlin Megill was designated that same day. House Journal, 79th Cong., 2nd sess., (August 2, 1946): H799; H918.
19 Per H.J. Res. 292, Lyle Snader was appointed "to serve concurrently as Clerk and Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives until another person is chosen . . . to be and duly qualifies as Sergeant at Arms." House Journal, 83rd Cong., 1st sess., (July 8, 1953): 545.
20 Resigned on November 15, 1975. House Journal, 94th Cong., 1st sess., (November 17, 1975): H1790.
21 Appointed acting Clerk on November 16, 1975, "to act as and to exercise temporarily" the duties of Clerk of the House. House Journal, 94th Cong., 1st sess., (November 17, 1975): H1790.
22 Resigned on December 21, 1998. Roll Call, "House Clerk's Office Shake-Up Continues," (January 7, 1999): 1, 21.
23 Appointed by the Speaker effective January 1, 1999. Congressional Record, 106th Cong., 1st sess., (January 6, 1999): H228.
24 Resigned on November 18, 2005. Congressional Record, House, 109th Cong., 1st sess., (November 18, 2005): H11026.
25 Appointed by the Speaker on November 18, 2005. Congressional Record, House, 109th Cong., 1st sess., (November 18, 2005): H11026.
26 Elected by the House of Representatives (H. Res. 580) on December 6, 2005. Congressional Record, House, 109th Cong., 1st sess., (December 6, 2005): H11073.
27 Elected by H. Res. 129, on February 6, 2007. Congressional Record, 110th Cong., 1st sess., (February 6, 2007): H1230.
28 Elected by H. Res. 143, on February 25, 2019. Congressional Record, 116th Cong., 1st sess., (February 25, 2019): H2066.
29 Elected Clerk on calendar day January 7, 2023, and legislative day January 6, 2023.
30 Appointed acting Clerk on June 22, 2023, “to exercise temporarily” the duties of the Clerk of the House effective July 1, 2023. Congressional Record, House, 118th Cong., 1st sess., (June 22, 2023): H3095.