Fast Facts
The House has elected or appointed employees to carry out a wide variety of tasks throughout its history. The officers’ duties are prescribed both by law and Rule II of the Rules of the House of Representatives.
More >Doorkeepers of the House
A House of Representatives officer from 1789 to 1995, the Doorkeeper was elected by a resolution at the opening of each Congress. The Office of the Doorkeeper was based on precedent from the Continental Congresses. Without debate, the First Federal Congress (1789-1791) created the Doorkeeper’s position by resolution on April 2, 1789. The Doorkeeper controlled access to the House Chamber and eventually oversaw the press in the gallery. A total of 34 individuals served in the Doorkeeper position until it was terminated in the 104th Congress (1995-1997) and many of its duties were transferred to the Sergeant at Arms, the Clerk of the House, and the newly created Chief Administrative Officer.
Two Doorkeepers also served as U.S. Representatives either prior to or after their service as a House officer. A Doorkeeper's state or territory is listed only when known.
Congress and Years | Name | State or Territory | Date Elected |
---|---|---|---|
1st (1789–1791) | DALLEY, Gifford 1 | PA | Apr 04, 1789 |
2nd (1791–1793) | DALLEY, Gifford | PA | Nov 24, 1791 |
3rd (1793–1795) | DALLEY, Gifford | PA | Dec 02, 1793 |
4th (1795–1797) | CLAXTON, Thomas | CT | Dec 07, 1795 |
5th (1797–1799) | CLAXTON, Thomas | CT | May 15, 1797 |
6th (1799–1801) | CLAXTON, Thomas | CT | Dec 02, 1799 |
7th (1801–1803) | CLAXTON, Thomas | CT | Dec 07, 1801 |
8th (1803–1805) | CLAXTON, Thomas | CT | Oct 17, 1803 |
9th (1805–1807) | CLAXTON, Thomas | CT | Dec 02, 1805 |
10th (1807–1809) | CLAXTON, Thomas | CT | Oct 27, 1807 |
11th (1809–1811) | CLAXTON, Thomas | CT | May 22, 1809 |
12th (1811–1813) | CLAXTON, Thomas | CT | Nov 04, 1811 |
13th (1813–1815) | CLAXTON, Thomas | CT | May 24, 1813 |
14th (1815–1817) | CLAXTON, Thomas | CT | Dec 04, 1815 |
15th (1817–1819) | CLAXTON, Thomas | CT | Dec 01, 1817 |
16th (1819–1821) | CLAXTON, Thomas | CT | Dec 06, 1819 |
17th (1821–1823) | BURCH, Benjamin | MD | Dec 04, 1821 |
18th (1823–1825) | BURCH, Benjamin | MD | Dec 01, 1823 |
19th (1825–1827) | BURCH, Benjamin | MD | Dec 05, 1825 |
20th (1827–1829) | BURCH, Benjamin | MD | Dec 03, 1827 |
21st (1829–1831) | BURCH, Benjamin | MD | Dec 07, 1829 |
22nd (1831–1833) | CARR, Overton | MD | Dec 07, 1831 |
23rd (1833–1835) | CARR, Overton | MD | Dec 03, 1833 |
24th (1835–1837) | CARR, Overton | MD | Dec 15, 1835 |
25th (1837–1839) | CARR, Overton | MD | Sep 04, 1837 |
26th (1839–1841) | FOLLANSBEE, Joseph | MA | Dec 23, 1839 |
27th (1841–1843) | FOLLANSBEE, Joseph | MA | Jun 09, 1841 |
28th (1843–1845) | DOW, Jesse E. | CT | Dec 07, 1843 |
29th (1845–1847) | WHITNEY, Cornelius S. | DC | Dec 03, 1845 |
30th (1847–1849) | HORNER, Robert E. | NJ | Dec 08, 1847 |
31st (1849–1851) | HORNER, Robert E. | NJ | N/A 2 |
32nd (1851–1853) | MCKNEW, Z. W. | MD | Dec 01, 1851 |
33rd (1853–1855) | MCKNEW, Z. W. | MD | Dec 05, 1853 |
34th (1855–1857) | DARLING, Nathan | NY | Feb 05, 1856 |
35th (1857–1859) | HACKNEY, Robert B. 3 | VA | Dec 07, 1857 |
35th (1857–1859) | WRIGHT, Joseph L. | NJ | May 18, 1858 4 |
36th (1859–1861) | MARSTON, George | NH | Feb 06, 1860 |
37th (1861–1863) | GOODNOW, Ira | NY | Jul 05, 1861 |
38th (1863–1865) | GOODNOW, Ira | NY | Dec 08, 1863 |
39th (1865–1867) | GOODNOW, Ira | NY | Dec 04, 1865 |
40th (1867–1869) | LIPPINCOTT, Charles E. | IL | Mar 05, 1867 |
41st (1869–1871) | BUXTON, Otis S. | NY | Mar 05, 1869 |
42nd (1871–1873) | BUXTON, Otis S. | NY | Mar 04, 1871 |
43rd (1873–1875) | BUXTON, Otis S. | NY | Dec 01, 1873 |
44th (1875–1877) | FITZHUGH, Lafayette H. 5 | TX | Dec 06, 1875 |
44th (1875–1877) | PATTERSON, John H. | NJ | May 26, 1876 6 |
45th (1877–1879) | POLK, John W. 7 | MO | Oct 17, 1877 |
45th (1877–1879) | FIELD, Charles W. | GA | Apr 08, 1878 8 |
46th (1879–1881) | FIELD, Charles W. | GA | Mar 18, 1879 |
47th (1881–1883) | BROWNLOW, Walter Preston | TN | Dec 05, 1881 |
48th (1883–1885) | WINTERSMITH, James W. | TX | Dec 04, 1883 |
49th (1885–1887) | DONALDSON, Samuel | TN | Dec 07, 1885 |
50th (1887–1889) | HURD, A. B. | MS | Dec 05, 1887 |
51st (1889–1891) | ADAMS, Charles E. | MD | Dec 02, 1889 |
52nd (1891–1893) | TURNER, Charles Henry | NY | Dec 08, 1891 |
53rd (1893–1895) | HURD, A. B. | TN 9 | Sep 07, 1893 |
54th (1895–1897) | GLENN, William J. | NY | Dec 02, 1895 |
55th (1897–1899) | GLENN, William J. | NY | Mar 15, 1897 |
56th (1899–1901) | GLENN, William J. | NY | Dec 04, 1899 |
57th (1901–1903) | GLENN, William J. 10 | NY | Dec 02, 1901 |
57th (1901–1903) | LYON, Frank B. | NY | Mar 18, 1902 11 |
58th (1903–1905) | LYON, Frank B. | NY | Nov 09, 1903 |
59th (1905–1907) | LYON, Frank B. | NY | Dec 04, 1905 |
60th (1907–1909) | LYON, Frank B. | NY | Dec 02, 1907 |
61st (1909–1911) | LYON, Frank B. | NY | Mar 15, 1909 |
62nd (1911–1913) | SINNOTT, Joseph J. | VA | Apr 04, 1911 |
63rd (1913–1915) | SINNOTT, Joseph J. | VA | Apr 07, 1913 |
64th (1915–1917) | SINNOTT, Joseph J. | VA | Dec 06, 1915 |
65th (1917–1919) | SINNOTT, Joseph J. | VA | Apr 02, 1917 |
66th (1919–1921) | KENNEDY, Bert W. | MI | May 19, 1919 |
67th (1921–1923) | KENNEDY, Bert W. | MI | Apr 11, 1921 |
68th (1923–1925) | KENNEDY, Bert W. | MI | Dec 05, 1923 |
69th (1925–1927) | KENNEDY, Bert W. | MI | Dec 07, 1925 |
70th (1927–1929) | KENNEDY, Bert W. | MI | Dec 05, 1927 |
71st (1929–1931) | KENNEDY, Bert W. | MI | Apr 15, 1929 |
72nd (1931–1933) | SINNOTT, Joseph J. | VA | Dec 07, 1931 |
73rd (1933–1935) | SINNOTT, Joseph J. | VA | Mar 09, 1933 |
74th (1935–1937) | SINNOTT, Joseph J. | VA | Jan 03, 1935 |
75th (1937–1939) | SINNOTT, Joseph J. | VA | Jan 05, 1937 |
76th (1939–1941) | SINNOTT, Joseph J. | VA | Jan 03, 1939 |
77th (1941–1943) | SINNOTT, Joseph J. | VA | Jan 03, 1941 |
78th (1943–1945) | SINNOTT, Joseph J. 12 | VA | Jan 06, 1943 |
78th (1943–1945) | ROBERTS, Ralph R. | IN | Feb 05, 1943 13 |
79th (1945–1947) | ROBERTS, Ralph R. | IN | Jan 03, 1945 |
80th (1947–1949) | MELETIO, M. L. | MO | Jan 03, 1947 |
81st (1949–1951) | MILLER, William M. (Fishbait) | MS | Jan 03, 1949 |
82nd (1951–1953) | MILLER, William M. (Fishbait) | MS | Jan 03, 1951 |
83rd (1953–1955) | KENNAMER, Tom | MO | Jan 03, 1953 |
84th (1955–1957) | MILLER, William M. (Fishbait) | MS | Jan 05, 1955 |
85th (1957–1959) | MILLER, William M. (Fishbait) | MS | Jan 03, 1957 |
86th (1959–1961) | MILLER, William M. (Fishbait) | MS | Jan 07, 1959 |
87th (1961–1963) | MILLER, William M. (Fishbait) | MS | Jan 03, 1961 |
88th (1963–1965) | MILLER, William M. (Fishbait) | MS | Jan 09, 1963 |
89th (1965–1967) | MILLER, William M. (Fishbait) | MS | Jan 04, 1965 |
90th (1967–1969) | MILLER, William M. (Fishbait) | MS | Jan 10, 1967 |
91st (1969–1971) | MILLER, William M. (Fishbait) | MS | Jan 03, 1969 |
92nd (1971–1973) | MILLER, William M. (Fishbait) | MS | Jan 21, 1971 |
93rd (1973–1975) | MILLER, William M. (Fishbait) 14 | MS | Jan 03, 1973 |
93rd (1973–1975) | MOLLOY, James T. | NY | Dec 31, 1974 15 |
94th (1975–1977) | MOLLOY, James T. | NY | Jan 14, 1975 |
95th (1977–1979) | MOLLOY, James T. | NY | Jan 04, 1977 |
96th (1979–1981) | MOLLOY, James T. | NY | Jan 15, 1979 |
97th (1981–1983) | MOLLOY, James T. | NY | Jan 05, 1981 |
98th (1983–1985) | MOLLOY, James T. | NY | Jan 03, 1983 |
99th (1985–1987) | MOLLOY, James T. | NY | Jan 03, 1985 |
100th (1987–1989) | MOLLOY, James T. | NY | Jan 06, 1987 |
101st (1989–1991) | MOLLOY, James T. | NY | Jan 03, 1989 |
102nd (1991–1993) | MOLLOY, James T. | NY | Jan 03, 1991 |
103rd (1993–1995) | MOLLOY, James T. | NY | Jan 05, 1993 |
Footnotes
1Gifford Dalley’s last name has been spelled “Dalley,” “Dally,” and “Dudley” in various editions of the Register of Debates.
2Election of Doorkeeper was postponed to March 1, 1851, when it was postponed indefinitely. Horner retained the duties of Doorkeeper from the 30th Congress through the 31st Congress. House Journal, 31st Cong., 1st sess., (January 19, 1850): 363; House Journal, 31st Cong., 1st sess., (April 18, 1850): 806.
3Dismissed from office on May 10, 1858.
4Elected on May 18, 1858, to fill the unexpired term of Robert B. Hackney, who was removed from office on May 17, 1858. See, House Journal, 35th Cong., 1st sess., (May 17, 1858): 832-33; and House Journal, 35th Cong., 1st sess., (May 18, 1848): 842-843.
5Dismissed from office on May 22, 1876.
6Elected on May 26, 1876, to fill the unexpired term of L.H. Fitzhugh, who was removed from office on May 22, 1876. See, House Journal, 44th Cong., 1st sess., (May 22, 1876): 998; and House Journal, 44th Cong., 1st sess., (May 26, 1876): Addenda.
7Dismissed from office on April 4, 1878.
8Elected on April 8, 1878, to fill the unexpired term of John W. Polk, who was removed from office on April 4, 1878. See, House Journal, 45th Cong., 2nd sess., (April 8, 1876): 808-813.
9Hurt is listed in the House Journal as residing in the state of Mississippi in the 50th Congress and in the state of Tennessee in the 53rd Congress.
10Died on March 12, 1902. See, Congressional Record, 57th Cong., 1st sess., (March 12, 1902): 2706.
11Elected on March 18, 1902, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of William J. Glenn. See, Congressional Record, 57th Cong., 1st sess., (March 18, 1902): 2964.
12Died on January 27, 1943. See, House Journal, 78th Cong., 1st sess., (January 28, 1943): 72.
13Elected on February 5, 1943, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Joseph J. Sinnott. See, House Journal, 78th Cong., 1st sess., (February 5, 1943): 86.
14Resigned effective December 31, 1974. See, Congressional Record, 93rd Cong., 2nd sess., (December 19, 1974): 2549.
15Appointed “to act as and to temporarily exercise” the duties of Doorkeeper effective December 31, 1974. See, Congressional Record, 93rd Cong., 2nd sess., (December 19, 1974): 2549.