Committee Firsts
Fast Facts
As the first woman to succeed her husband in Congress, widow Mae Ella Nolan set a precedent by championing the legislative agenda of her late husband, John I. Nolan.
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The third African American elected to Congress in the 20th century and the first black Member to chair a standing committee, William L. Dawson served in the House of Representatives for nearly three decades.
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Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives About this object A World War I veteran, William Dawson of Illinois served as chairman of two committees: Expenditures in the Executive Departments and Government Operations.
- The oldest standing committee:
First created as a select committee in the 1st Congress (1789–1791) on July 24, 1789, the Committee on Ways and Means became a standing committee in the 4th Congress (1795–1797).
First African American Chairman:
William L. Dawson of Illinois chaired Expenditures in the Executive Departments, 81st Congress (1949–1951).
First Hispanic American Chairman:
Romualdo Pacheco of California chaired the Private Land Claims Committee, 47th Congress (1881–1883).
First woman Chairman:
Mae Ella Nolan of California chaired Expenditures in the Post Office Department, 68th Congress (1923–1925).
First Asian American Chairman:
Norman Mineta of California chaired the Committee on Public Works and Transportation, 103rd Congress (1993–1995).