Party Leaders in the United States Congress, 1789-2009

Party Leaders in the United States Congress,
1789-2009
Updated November 25, 2008
Valerie Heitshusen
Analyst on the Congress and Legislative Process
Government and Finance Division

Party Leaders in the United States Congress,
1789-2009
Summary
This report briefly describes current responsibilities and selection mechanisms
for 15 House and Senate party leadership posts and provides tables with historical
data, including service dates, party affiliation, and other information for each. Tables
have been updated as of the report’s issuance date to reflect leadership changes. The
report will be updated as changes in House and Senate party leadership positions
occur.
Although party divisions appeared almost from the First Congress, the formally
structured party leadership organizations now taken for granted are a relatively
modern development. Constitutionally-specified leaders, namely the Speaker of the
House and the President pro tempore of the Senate, can be identified since the first
Congress. Other leadership posts, however, were not formally recognized until about
the middle of the 19^th century, and some are 20^th century creations.
In the earliest Congresses, those House Members who took some role in leading
their party were often designated by the President as his spokesperson in the
chamber. By the early 1800s, an informal system developed when the Speaker began
naming his lieutenant to chair one of the most influential House committees.
Eventually, other members wielded significant influence via other committee posts
(e.g., the post-1880 Committee on Rules). By the end of the 19^th century, the formal
position of floor leaders had been established in the House.
The Senate was slower than the House to develop formal party leadership
positions, and there are similar problems in identifying individual early leaders. For
instance, records of party conferences in the 19^th century Senate are not available.
Memoirs and other secondary sources reveal the identities of party conference or
caucus chairs for some, but not all, Congresses after about 1850, but these posts
carried very little authority. It was not uncommon for Senators to publicly declare
that within the Senate parties, there was no single leader. Rather, through the turn
of the 20^th century, individuals who led the Senate achieved their position through
recognized personal attributes, including persuasion and oratorical skills, rather than
election or appointment to formal leadership posts. The formal positions for Senate
party floor leaders eventually arose from the position of conference chair.
Owing to the aforementioned problems in identifying informal party leaders in
earlier Congresses, the tables in this report identify each leadership position
beginning with the year in which each is generally regarded to have been formally
established. The report excludes some leadership posts in order to render the amount
of data manageable. An appendix explains the abbreviations used to denote political
parties, and a bibliography cites useful references, especially in regard to sources for
historical data.

Contents
Introduction and Methodological Notes................................1
Identifying House Leaders.......................................3
Identifying Senate Leaders.......................................3
Party Affiliation Designations....................................4
Leadership Posts Excluded......................................5
House Positions: Descriptions and Historical Tables......................5
Speaker of the House of Representatives............................5
Party Floor Leader.............................................9
Party Whip..................................................11
Conference or Caucus Chair....................................14
Senate Positions: Descriptions and Historical Tables .....................20
President Pro Tempore of the Senate..............................20
Deputy Presidents Pro Tempore.............................27
Permanent Acting President Pro Tempore......................27
Party Floor Leader............................................28
Conference Chair.............................................31
Party Whip..................................................33
Appendix: Political Party Abbreviations...............................36
Source Notes and Bibliography......................................37
List of Tables
Table 1. Speakers of the House of Representatives, 1789-2008..............6
Table 2. House Republican Floor Leaders, 1899-2009.....................9
Table 3. House Democratic Floor Leaders, 1899-2009...................10
Table 4. House Democratic Whips, 1901-2009.........................12
Table 5. House Republican Whips, 1897-2009.........................13
Table 6. House Republican Conference Chairs, 1863-2009................14
Table 7. House Democratic Caucus Chairs, 1849-2009...................16
Table 8. Presidents Pro Tempore of the Senate, 1789-2009................21
Table 9. Deputy Presidents Pro Tempore of the Senate, 1977-2009.........27
Table 10. Permanent Acting President Pro Tempore of the Senate,
1964-2009 ..................................................27
Table 11. Senate Republican Floor Leaders, 1919-2009..................28
Table 12. Senate Democratic Floor Leaders and Conference Chairs,
1893-2009 ..................................................29
Table 13. Senate Republican Conference Chairs, 1893-2009..............31
Table 14. Senate Democratic Whips, 1913-2009........................33
Table 15. Senate Republican Whips, 1915-2009........................34

Party Leaders in the
United States Congress, 1789-2009
Introduction and Methodological Notes
Although party divisions sprang up almost from the First Congress, the formally
structured party leadership organizations now taken for granted are a relatively
modern development. Constitutionally-specified leaders, namely the Speaker of the
House and the President pro tempore of the Senate, can be identified since the first
Congress. Other leadership posts, however, were not officially recognized until
about the middle of the 19^th century, and some are 20^th century creations. The
following tables identify 15 different party leadership posts beginning with the year
when each is generally regarded to have been formally established.
The tables herein present data on service dates, party affiliation, and other
information for the following House and Senate party leadership posts:
House Positions

1. Speakers of the House of Representatives, 1789-2008¹

2. House Republican Floor Leaders, 1899-2009
3. House Democratic Floor Leaders, 1899-2009
4. House Democratic Whips, 1901-2009
5. House Republican Whips, 1897-2009
6. House Republican Conference Chairs, 1863-2009
7. House Democratic Caucus Chairs, 1849-2009
Senate Positions
8. Presidents Pro Tempore of the Senate, 1789-2009
9. Deputy Presidents Pro Tempore of the Senate, 1977-2009
10. Permanent Acting President Pro Tempore of the Senate, 1964-2009
11. Senate Republican Floor Leaders, 1919-2009
12. Senate Democratic Floor Leaders and Conference Chairs, 1893-2009
13. Senate Republican Conference Chairs, 1893-2009
14. Senate Democratic Whips, 1913-2009

15. Senate Republican Whips, 1915-2009

¹ The House will not elect a Speaker for the 111^th Congress until January of 2009.

This information reflects the leadership elections and appointments for the first
session of the 111^th Congress, made in party organizational meetings held in
November, 2008, at the end of the 110^th Congress.²
Included for each post are leaders’ names, party and state affiliations, and dates
and Congresses of service. For most Congresses, the report indicates years of service
only, except in the tables for the House Speaker and the Senate President pro
tempore, both of which include specific dates of service. When a Member died while
holding a leadership office, however, the date of death is included as the end-of-
service date (except in Table 13). In cases where a leadership change occurs during
the course of a Congress, exact dates of service are indicated where possible. With
respect to length of service, the report includes all instances in which a Member held
a particular leadership post, regardless of whether the Member held the post for the
entire Congress or only a portion of it.
Official congressional documents (House Journal and Senate Journal,
Congressional Record, and predecessor publications) can be used to document the
tenure of the constitutionally-specified leaders (i.e., Speaker and President pro
tempore). The actions of the party organizations in choosing other leaders, such as
floor leaders or caucus or conference chairs, frequently went unacknowledged in
these sources, however. In the frequent absence of party caucus records in the latter
half of the 19^th century, scholars have had to rely on secondary sources, such as
memoirs and correspondence, for evidence of party leadership position-holding. The
concluding portion of this report, “Source Notes and Bibliography,” provides more
information about sources and the reliability of leadership lists.
Identifying House Leaders
The changing nature of congressional leadership provides additional challenges
to identifying leaders not constitutionally specified (e.g., floor leader).³ Even for
party elected posts, determining who held other positions can be problematic in
earlier Congresses. For example, identifying each party’s conference (or caucus)
chair often requires reliance on incomplete historical records of conference meetings
or inferences made from informal practices (e.g., noting which Member nominated
his party’s candidate for Speaker, a motion that often fell to the conference chair).
In the House, for example, it was the common practice of President Thomas
Jefferson and his immediate successors to designate a Member as their principal
legislative spokesman. Often these spokesmen held no other formal leadership
position in the House, and Presidents frequently designated new spokesmen, or even
specialized spokesmen for individual measures, as their terms progressed. As these

² This report was originally written and updated by Paul S. Rundquist and Richard C. Sachs,
former Specialists in American National Government at CRS, and Faye M. Bullock, former
Technical Information Specialist at CRS. The listed author has updated and expanded this
report and is available to respond to inquiries on the subject.
³ See the “Source Notes and Bibliography” section at the end of this report for a description
and citation of the multiple sources used in identifying leaders in the House of
Representatives.

and other “leaders” were not chosen by a congressional party group or by a party
leader such as the Speaker, these presidential designees have not been included here
as “party leaders.”
Most historians who study the 19^th century House acknowledge that an informal
“positional leadership” system emerged possibly as early as the “War Hawk”
Congress (1811-1813) under Speaker Henry Clay. Under this system, the Speaker
— who at the time designated the chairmen of the standing committees — would
name his principal lieutenant to be chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.
After the Appropriations Committee was split from the Ways and Means Committee
in 1865, the Speaker’s principal floor lieutenant received either of these chairs.
Sometimes, the Speaker chose a rival for the speakership to chair one of these
committees in an effort to resolve intra-party disputes.
It is somewhat inaccurate, however, to consider these early leaders to be
majority leaders in the modern sense, and they have not been included here. The
position of chair of the Appropriations or Ways and Means Committee inevitably
made the incumbent a powerful congressional figure because of the important
legislation reported from these committees. These chairs were not, however, chosen
in a vote by the full party organization, as the majority or minority House leaders are
now. Furthermore, other leading congressional figures, such as the Republican leader
Thomas Brackett Reed, achieved their positions of influence within the House by
service on other committees, such as — in Reed’s case — the post-1880 Rules
Committee.
Identifying Senate Leaders
The Senate developed an identifiable party leadership later than the House. The
few existing records of party conferences in the 19^th century Senate are held in private
collections. Memoirs and other secondary sources reveal the identities of party
conference or caucus chairs for some, but not all, Congresses after about 1850; these
posts, however, carried very little authority. It was not uncommon for Senators to
declare publicly that within the Senate parties there was no single leader.⁴ Instead,
through the turn of the 20^th century, individuals who led the Senate achieved their
position through recognized personal attributes, including persuasion and oratory
skills, rather than the current practice of election to most official leadership posts.
The development of Senate party floor leaders was one of slow evolution, like
the House, but they arose for the most part from the post of conference chair. Not
until 1945 did Senate Republicans specify that the conference chair and floor leader
posts must be held by separate Senators. Among Senate Democrats, the floor leader
is also chair of the conference. In many secondary sources, Senators are identified
as “floor leaders” before existing party conference records so identify them. In this
report, footnotes to the tables attempt to clarify when a leader was identified through
official sources such as caucus minutes or through secondary sources.

⁴ Woodrow Wilson, Congressional Government (Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 1885), p. 223.

Party Affiliation Designations
Another problem in identifying party leaders in early Congresses is the matter
of party affiliation. Secondary sources reporting on party leaders often relied upon
the information compiled in early editions of the Biographical Directory of the
United States Congress. As the editors of the 1989 edition of the Biographical
Directory noted:
The most serious source of error and confusion in previous editions [of the
Biographical Directory] [was] the designations of party affiliation. Many of the
party labels added to the editions of 1913 and 1928 were anachronistic, claiming
for the two modern parties Senators and Representatives elected to Congress
before the [modern] Democratic or Republican parties existed. Other entries
ignored the frequent shifts in party affiliation during the nineteenth century or
omitted reference to short-lived and regional political parties and thus failed to⁵
reflect the vigor and diversity of nineteenth-century politics.
The 1989 and 1997 editions of the Biographical Directory resolved these differences,
and their designations of party affiliations are principal sources for this report. The
1997 edition of the Biographical Directory, in particular, included more complete
notations where Members changed their party affiliations while serving in Congress.⁶
The main source for early party affiliations of Senator leaders, principally Presidents
pro tempore, is volume four of Senator Robert C. Byrd’s The Senate, 1789-1989.⁷
(Historical Statistics, 1789-1992). An appendix explains the abbreviations used to
denote party affiliations in this report.
Leadership Posts Excluded
The tables in this report exclude some leadership posts in order to render
manageable the amount of data provided. Specifically, the Senate and House party
conference secretaries, and the chairs of party committees (e.g., steering committees,
policy committees, committees on committees, and campaign committees) are not
presented here. Junior party whips are also not identified. At least since the 1930s

⁵ U.S. Congress, Senate, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress 1774-1989:
the Continental Congress, September 5, 1774, to October 21, 1788, and The Congress of the
United States, from the First through the One Hundredth Congresses, March 4, 1789, to^th^nd
January 3, 1989, inclusive, Bicentennial edition, S.Doc. 100-34, 100 Cong., 2 sess.
(Washington: GPO, 1989), p. 3.
⁶ Biographical Directory of the American Congress 1774-1996 (Washington: CQ Staff
Directories, Inc., 1997), p. xi. This commercially published edition of the Biographical
Directory is a continuation of earlier editions that were published under public auspices.
An online, updated, version is also available at [http://bioguide.congress.gov/biosearch/
biosearch.asp].
⁷ Robert C. Byrd, The Senate, 1789-1989, 4 vols., S. Doc. 100-20, 100^th Cong., 1^st sess.
(Washington: GPO, 1988-1993), vol. 4, Historical Statistics, 1789-1992. Hereafter cited
as Byrd’s Historical Statistics. See also, Gerald Gamm and Steven S. Smith, “Last Among
Equals: The Senate’s Presiding Officer,” paper presented at the annual meeting of the
American Political Science Association, Boston, MA, September 3-6, 1998.

in the House, both parties have selected (or allowed the principal whip to designate)
subordinate whips. The lack of adequate records makes it almost impossible to
identify all deputy whips, regional whips, and zone whips who have been appointed
in the last 70 years.
House Positions:
Descriptions and Historical Tables
Speaker of the House of Representatives
The position of Speaker is constitutionally specified in Article 1, Section 2. The
Speaker is the only party leader who is chosen by a roll-call vote of the full House of
Representatives, which occurs after each party has nominated a candidate for the
position when a new Congress convenes. House rules give the Speaker various
formal duties. These include, for example, administering the oath of office to new
Members, signing House-passed bills and resolutions, presiding over the House (and
making rulings on the presence of a quorum, points of order, etc.), referring measures
to committees, and naming the party’s slate of members for certain committee
positions. Each party conference cedes additional powers and responsibilities to a
Speaker from its own party, including influence over the makeup of certain standing
committees. For more information, consult CRS Report 97-780, The Speaker of the
House: House Officer, Party Leader, and Representative, by James V. Saturno, and
CRS Report RL30857, Speakers of the House: Elections, 1913-2007, by Richard S.
Beth and James V. Saturno.
Table 1. Speakers of the House of Representatives, 1789-2008
Speaker P arty State Congress Dates
Frederick A.C. MuhlenbergN/APA1^st Apr. 1, 1789-
Mar. 3, 1791
Jonathan TrumbullN/ACT2^nd Oct. 24, 1791-
Mar. 3, 1793
Frederick A.C. MuhlenbergN/APA3^rd Dec. 2, 1793-
Mar. 3, 1795
Jonathan DaytonN/ANJ4^th-5^th Dec. 7, 1795-
Mar. 3, 1799
Theodore SedgwickN/AMA6^th Dec. 2, 1799-
Mar. 3, 1801
Nathaniel MaconN/ANC7^th-9^thDec. 7, 1801-
Mar. 3, 1807
Joseph B. VarnumN/AMA10^th-11^thOct. 26, 1807-
Mar. 3, 1811
Henry ClayR(DR)^aKY12^th-13^thNov. 4, 1811-^b

Jan. 19, 1814

Speaker P arty State Congress Dates
Langdon CheevesR(DR)^aSC13^th Jan. 19, 1814-
Mar. 3, 1815
Henry ClayR(DR)^aKY14^th-16^thDec. 4, 1815-^c
Oct. 28, 1820
John W. TaylorR(DR)^aNY16^thNov. 15, 1820-
Mar. 3, 1821
Philip BarbourR(DR)^aVA17^thDec. 4, 1821-
Mar. 3, 1823
Henry ClayR(DR)^aKY18^th Dec. 3, 1823-^d
Mar. 6, 1825
John W. TaylorR(DR)^aNY19^thDec. 5, 1825-
Mar. 3, 1827
Andrew StevensonN/AVA20^thDec. 3, 1827-
Mar. 3, 1829
Andrew StevensonJVA21^st-23^rdDec. 7, 1829-^e
June 2, 1834
John BellN/ATN23^rdJune 2, 1834-
Mar. 3, 1835
James K. PolkJTN24^th-25^thDec. 7, 1835-
Mar. 3, 1839
Robert M.T. HunterWWA26^thDec. 16, 1839-
Mar. 3, 1841
John WhiteWKY27^thMay 31, 1841-
Mar. 3, 1843
John W. JonesDVA28^thDec. 4, 1843-
Mar. 3, 1845
John W. DavisDIN29^thDec. 1, 1845-
Mar. 3, 1847
Robert C. WinthropWMA30^thDec. 6, 1847-
Mar. 3, 1849
Howell CobbDGA31^stDec. 22, 1849-
Mar. 3, 1851
Linn BoydDKY32^nd-33^rdDec. 1, 1851-
Mar. 3, 1855
Nathaniel P. BanksAm^fMA34^thFeb. 2, 1856-
Mar. 3, 1857
James L. OrrDSC35^thDec. 7, 1857-
Mar. 3, 1859
William PenningtonRNJ36^thFeb. 1, 1860-
Mar. 3, 1861
Galusha A. GrowRPA37^thJuly 4, 1861-
Mar. 3, 1863

Speaker P arty State Congress Dates
Schuyler ColfaxRIN38^th-40^thDec. 7, 1863-^g
Mar. 3, 1869
Theodore PomeroyRNY40^thMar. 3, 1869^h
James G. BlaineRME41^st-43^rdMar. 4, 1869-
Mar. 3, 1875
Michael C. KerrDIN44^thDec. 6, 1875-ⁱ
Aug. 19, 1876
Samuel J. RandallDPA44^th-46^thDec. 4, 1876-
Mar. 3, 1881
J. Warren KeiferROH47^thDec. 5, 1881-
Mar. 3, 1883
John G. CarlisleDKY48^th-50^thDec. 3, 1883-
Mar. 3, 1889
Thomas B. ReedRME51^st Dec. 2, 1889-
Mar. 3, 1891
Charles F. CrispDGA52^nd-53^rd Dec. 7, 1891-
Mar. 3, 1895
Thomas B. ReedRME54^th-55^thDec. 2, 1895-
Mar. 3, 1899
David B. HendersonRIA56^th-57^thDec. 4, 1899-
Mar. 3, 1903
Joseph G. CannonRIL58^th-61^stNov. 9, 1903-
Mar. 3, 1911
James B. (Champ) ClarkDMO62^nd-65^thApril 4, 1911-
Mar. 3, 1919
Frederick H. GillettRMA66^th-68^thMay 19, 1919-
Mar. 3, 1925
Nicholas LongworthROH69^th-71^stDec. 7, 1925-
Mar. 3, 1931
John N. GarnerDTX72^ndDec. 7, 1931-
Mar. 3, 1933
Henry T. RaineyDIL73^rdMar. 9, 1933-^j
Aug. 19, 1934
Joseph W. ByrnsDTN74^thJan. 3, 1935-^k
June 4, 1936
William B. BankheadDAL74^th-76^thJune 4, 1936-^l
Sept. 15, 1940
Sam T. RayburnDTX76^th-79^thSept. 16, 1940-
Jan. 3, 1947
Joseph W. Martin, Jr.RMA80^thJan. 3, 1947-
Jan. 3, 1949

Speaker P arty State Congress Dates
Sam T. RayburnDTX81^st-82^ndJan. 3, 1949-
Jan. 3, 1953
Joseph W. Martin, Jr.RMA83^rdJan. 3, 1953-
Jan. 3, 1955
Sam T. RayburnDTX84^th-87^thJan. 5, 1955-^m
Nov. 16, 1961
John W. McCormackDMA87^th-91^stJan. 10, 1962-
Jan. 3, 1971
Carl AlbertDOK92^nd-94^thJan. 21, 1971-
Jan. 3, 1977
Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr.DMA95^th-99^thJan. 4, 1977-
Jan. 3, 1987
James C. Wright, Jr.DTX100^th-101^stJan. 6, 1987-ⁿ
June 6, 1989
Thomas S. FoleyDWA101^st-103^rdJune 6, 1989-
Jan. 3, 1995
Newt GingrichRGA104^th-105^thJan. 4, 1995-
Jan. 3, 1999
J. Dennis HastertRIL106^th-109^thJan. 6, 1999-
Jan. 3, 2007
Nancy PelosiDCA110^th-Jan. 4, 2007-
^Sources^:^{See th}^{e “}^S^ou^{rce Notes}^an^{d B}ⁱ^bliog^r^aph^y^{” s}^ectioⁿ^{at th}^{e en}^d^o^f^th^{is r}^e^p^o^r^{t f}^o^r^a^d^e^scrⁱ^p^tioⁿ
^an^d^f^u^{ll citatio}ⁿ^o^f^{all so}^u^r^ces.
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^a^.^A^l^t^h^o^{ugh t}^h^e^Bi^o^g^r^aphi^cal^Dⁱ^r^ect^or^{y of}^t^h^{e Am}^erⁱ^c^{an C}^ongr^es^s^,^1774-1996^id^en^tif^{ies th}^ese
^Speak^ers^as^R^e^pu^blican^s^,^th^{e party}^desⁱ^gⁿ^a^tion^“^D^em^{ocratic R}^e^pu^blican^s^”^is^m^o^{re w}ⁱ^dely^u^s^ed
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^con^t^em^porary^R^e^pu^blican^P^a^rty^,^w^h^ich^{did n}^o^{t em}^erg^e^uⁿ^{til th}^{e 1850s}^.
^{b. R}^e^sⁱ^gⁿ^e^{d f}^r^om^t^h^{e H}^o^u^s^{e of}^R^e^pres^en^t^a^tⁱ^v^es^{, Jan}^u^a^ry^{19, 1814.}
^{c. R}^e^sⁱ^gⁿ^e^{d t}^h^{e S}^p^eak^ers^hⁱ^p^on^O^c^t^{ober 28, 1820.}
^{d. R}^e^sⁱ^gⁿ^e^{d f}^r^om^t^h^{e H}^o^u^s^{e, March}^{6, 1825.}
^{e. R}^e^sⁱ^gⁿ^e^{d f}^r^om^t^h^{e H}^o^u^s^{e, Ju}ⁿ^e^{2, 1834.}
^f^.^Speak^{er Nath}^an^{iel P}^.^B^aⁿ^k^s^s^e^rv^{ed in}^th^{e Hou}^s^{e th}^{ree s}^e^{parate tim}^es^uⁿ^d^{er thr}^e^e^dⁱ^f^f^e^ren^t^party^th
^d^e^si^gna^tⁱ^o^ns.^Iⁿ^t^h^e³⁴^C^oⁿ^g^r^es^s^,^h^e^s^e^rv^{ed as}^an^A^m^erican^P^a^rty^Mem^b^er.
^g^.^R^e^sⁱ^gⁿ^e^{d f}^r^om^t^h^{e H}^o^u^s^{e, March}^{3, 1869.}
^h^.^El^ect^{ed S}^p^eak^{er, March}^{3, 1869, an}^{d s}^e^rv^{ed on}^{e day}^.
ⁱ^.^Dⁱ^e^dⁱⁿ^o^ffi^c^e^,^A^ugust¹⁹^,^1876.
^j^.^Dⁱ^e^dⁱⁿ^o^ffi^c^e^,^A^ugust¹⁹^,^1934.
^k^.^Dⁱ^{ed i}ⁿ^of^fⁱ^{ce, Ju}ⁿ^e^{4, 1936.}
^l^.^Dⁱ^{ed i}ⁿ^of^fⁱ^{ce, S}^e^pt^em^{ber 15, 1940.}
^m^.^Dⁱ^{ed i}ⁿ^of^fⁱ^{ce, N}^o^v^e^m^b^{er 16, 1961.}
ⁿ^.^R^e^sⁱ^gⁿ^e^{d t}^h^{e S}^p^eak^ers^hⁱ^p^{, Ju}ⁿ^e^{6, 1989;}^resⁱ^gⁿ^e^{d f}^r^om^t^h^{e H}^o^u^s^{e, Ju}ⁿ^e^{30, 1989.}

Party Floor Leader
At an organizational meeting prior to the beginning of a new Congress, each
party conference (or caucus) in the House selects its floor leader (also called majority
leader or minority leader, as appropriate) in a secret-ballot vote. The majority party
floor leader works closely with the Speaker and is largely responsible for the party’s
daily legislative operations, in consultation with other party leaders. Similarly, the
minority party floor leader directs the party’s ongoing legislative strategies and
operations and typically serves as the spokesperson for the party in the House. Each
party assigns additional responsibilities to its respective floor leader. For more
information on the majority party floor leader position, see CRS Report RL30665,
The Role of the House Majority Leader: An Overview, by Walter J. Oleszek.
Table 2. House Republican Floor Leaders, 1899-2009
Floor LeaderStateCongressDates
Sereno E. PayneNY 56^th-61^st1899-1911
James R. MannIL 62^nd-65^th1911-1919
Franklin W. MondellWY 66^th-67^th1919-1923
Nicholas LongworthOH 68^th1923-1925
John Q. TilsonCT 69^th-71^st1925-1931
Bertrand H. SnellNY 72^nd-75^th1931-1939
Joseph W. Martin, Jr.MA 76^th-79^th1939-1947
Charles HalleckIN 80^th1947-1949
Joseph W. Martin, Jr.MA 81^st-82^nd 1949-1953
Charles HalleckIN 83^rd1953-1955
Joseph W. Martin, Jr.MA 84^th- 85^th1955-1959
Charles HalleckIN 86^th-88^th1959-1965
Gerald R. FordMI 89^th-93^rd1965-Dec. 6, 1973^a
John J. RhodesAZ 93^rd-96^thDec. 7, 1973-1981
Robert H. MichelIL 97^th-103^rd1981-1995
Richard K. ArmeyTX104^th-107^th1995-2003
Tom DeLayTX108^th-109^th2003-Sept. 28, 2005^b
Roy BluntMO109^thSept. 28, 2005-Feb. 2, 2006^c
John BoehnerOH109^th, 110^th-Feb. 2, 2006-
^Sources^:^{See th}^{e “}^S^ou^{rce Notes}^an^{d B}ⁱ^bliog^r^aph^y^{” s}^ectioⁿ^{at th}^{e en}^d^o^f^th^{is r}^e^p^o^r^{t f}^o^r^a^d^e^scrⁱ^p^tioⁿ
^an^d^f^u^{ll citatio}ⁿ^o^f^{all so}^u^r^ces.
^No^te:^B^o^ld^ed^en^tr^{ies in}^dⁱ^{cate Co}ⁿ^g^r^{esses in}^w^h^ich^th^{e f}^l^{oor leader w}^a^s^als^o^m^a^j^o^rity^leader.

^a^.^R^e^sⁱ^gⁿ^e^{d f}^r^om^t^h^e^H^o^u^s^e^oⁿ^Decem^b^e^r^6,^1973,^a^f^t^e^r^h^a^vⁱⁿ^g^be^eⁿ^c^oⁿ^fⁱ^r^m^e^{d by}^t^h^e^S^eⁿ^a^t^e^t^o
^b^eco^m^e^{Vice P}^r^esid^en^{t to}^f^{ill th}^{e p}^o^s^{t v}^acated^b^y^th^{e resig}ⁿ^a^tioⁿ^o^f^Sp^iro^T^.^A^gⁿ^e^w^.
^{b. R}^e^sⁱ^gⁿ^e^{d f}^r^om^{leader pos}^ition^on^Septem^{ber 28, 2005.}
^{c. A}^ppoin^t^{ed actin}^g^R^e^pu^blican^f^l^o^o^r^l^e^ader^on^S^e^ptem^{ber 28, 2005, to replace T}^o^m^DeL^a^y
^tem^porarily^uⁿ^{til th}^{e con}^f^eren^{ce cou}^l^{d h}^o^{ld n}^e^w^el^ection^s^on^Febru^a^ry^{2, 2006.}^He^con^tin^u^e^d
^s^e^rvⁱⁿ^g^as^R^e^pu^blⁱ^can^Whⁱ^p^du^riⁿ^g^t^hⁱ^s^peri^od.
Table 3. House Democratic Floor Leaders, 1899-2009
Floor Leader StateCongressDates
James D. RichardsonTN 56^th-57^th1899-1903
John Sharp WilliamsMS 58^th-60^th1903-1908
James B. (Champ) ClarkMO 60^th-61^st1908-1911
Oscar W. UnderwoodAL 62^nd-63^rd1911-1915
Claude KitchinNC 64^th-65^th1915-1919
James B. (Champ) ClarkMO 66^th1919-1921
Claude KitchinNC 67^th1921-1923
Finis J. GarrettIN 68^th-70^th1923-1929
John N. GarnerTX 71^st1929-1931
Henry T. RaineyIL 72^nd1931-1933
Joseph W. ByrnsTN 73^rd1933-1935
William B. BankheadAL 74^th1935-June 4, 1936^a
Sam T. RayburnTX 75^th-76^th1937-Sept. 16, 1940^b
John W. McCormackMA 76^th-79^thSept. 16, 1940-1947^c
Sam T. RayburnTX 80^th 1947-1949
John W. McCormackMA 81^st-82^nd1949-1953
Sam T. RayburnTX 83^rd 1953-1955
John W. McCormackMA 84^th-87^th1955-Jan. 10, 1962^d
Carl AlbertOK 87^th-91^stJan. 10, 1962-1971^e
Thomas Hale BoggsLA 92^nd1971-1973^f
Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr.MA 93^rd-94^th1973-1977
James WrightTX 95^th-99^th1977-1987
Thomas S. FoleyWA100^th-101^st1987-June 6, 1989^g
Richard A. GephardtMO101^st-103^rd^th^thJune 14, 1989^h-2003
104-107
Nancy PelosiCA108^th-109^th2003-2007
Steny H. HoyerMD110^th-2007-
^Sources^:^{See th}^{e “}^S^ou^{rce Notes}^an^{d B}ⁱ^bliog^r^aph^y^”^s^ectioⁿ^{at th}^{e en}^d^o^f^th^{is r}^e^p^o^r^{t f}^o^r^{a d}^e^scrⁱ^p^tioⁿ
^an^d^f^u^{ll citatio}ⁿ^o^f^{all so}^u^r^ces.

^No^te:^B^o^ld^ed^en^tr^{ies in}^dⁱ^{cate Co}ⁿ^g^r^{esses in}^w^h^ich^th^{e f}^l^{oor leader w}^a^s^als^o^m^a^j^o^rity^leader.
^a.^Elected^Sp^eak^{er, f}^illin^g^th^{e v}^acan^cy^cau^sed^b^y^t^h^e^d^eath^o^f^Sp^eak^{er J}^o^sep^h^W^.^B^y^rn^{s. Reco}^rd^s
ⁱⁿ^{dicate th}^{at R}^e^pres^en^tativ^{e J}^o^hⁿ^J^.^O’^C^oⁿⁿ^o^{r of}^New^York^{, ch}^{air o}^f^th^{e Hou}^s^{e R}^u^les^th
^C^o^m^m^{ittee, s}^e^rv^{ed as}^actin^g^m^a^j^o^rity^{leader du}^rin^g^th^{e 14 rem}^aⁱⁿⁱⁿ^g^day^s^of^th^e⁷⁴^Co^ngr^e^ss.
^O^’^Co^nno^r^d^o^e^s^no^t^,^ho^w^e^ve^r^,^a^p^p^e^a^r^t^o^ha^ve^b^e^eⁿ^f^o^rm^ally^elected^m^a^j^o^rity^{leader at th}^{at tim}^e
^an^d^th^er^ef^o^r^{e is n}^o^{t in}^clu^d^edⁱⁿ^th^{is list.}
^b^.^E^l^e^c^t^e^d^Sp^e^a^k^e^r^fo^llo^wⁱ^{ng the}^d^e^a^t^{h o}^f^Sp^e^a^k^e^r^W^illia^m^B^.^B^a^nkhe^a^d^.
^c.^Elec^t^e^d^m^a^j^o^rⁱ^t^y^{leader on}^Septem^{ber 16, 1940, to f}^{ill pos}^{t m}^a^{de v}^acan^{t by}^th^{e election}^of^Sam
^R^a^y^b^u^rⁿ^as^Speak^er.^th^nd
^d.^{Elected Speak}^{er at th}^{e s}^t^{art of}^th^e⁸⁷^Co^ngr^e^ss,²^se^ssi^oⁿ^,^fo^l^l^o^wⁱ^{ng t}^h^e^d^e^a^t^h^o^f^Sa^m^Ra^y^b^ur^n.^th^nd
^e.^{Elected m}^a^j^o^rity^{leader at com}^m^eⁿ^cem^en^{t of}^th^e⁸⁷^Co^ngr^e^ss,²^s^e^s^sⁱ^on^{, w}^h^en^Maj^o^rity^L^eader
^J^o^hⁿ^McC^o^rm^ack^w^a^s^{elected Speak}^{er to s}^u^{cceed Speak}^{er R}^a^y^b^u^rⁿ^.
^f^.^Dⁱ^sa^p^p^e^a^r^e^d^on^{a f}^lⁱ^g^h^t^f^r^om^Aⁿ^ch^orag^{e t}^o^Juⁿ^eau^{, A}^l^as^k^a^{, O}^c^t^{ober 16, 1972. Pres}^u^m^{ed dead}^rd
^p^u^r^s^ua^nt^t^o^H^o^use^Re^so^l^u^tⁱ^o^{n 1}^,⁹³^Co^ngr^e^ss.
^g^.^El^ect^{ed S}^p^eak^{er on}^Juⁿ^e^{6, 1989, f}^o^l^l^o^wⁱⁿ^g^S^p^eak^{er Jam}^e^s^C^.^Wri^g^h^t^’^s^resⁱ^gⁿ^a^tⁱ^oⁿ^f^r^om^t^h^at^pos^t
^on^t^h^{e s}^a^m^e^dat^e^.
^h^.^{Elected m}^a^j^o^rity^{leader on}^J^uⁿ^e^{14, 1989, to f}^ill^th^{e pos}^{t m}^a^{de v}^acan^{t by}^th^{e election}^of^T^h^om^as
^S^.^F^o^l^e^y^t^o^{be S}^p^eak^{er on}^Juⁿ^e^{6, 1989.}
Party Whip
Each House party caucus currently elects its own party whip at organizational
meetings as a new Congress begins. House Republicans (or a representative group
of their conference) have always elected their party whips; Democrats in the House
appointed a chief whip until 1986. Chief deputy whips are currently appointed by the
party’s chief whip; additional members to serve in the whip team are either similarly
appointed or, instead, elected by subsets of the caucus. The whip organization is
responsible for assessing the passage prospects for upcoming measures, mobilizing
member support for leadership priorities, informing the party rank-and-file regarding
legislative scheduling and initiatives, and informing the top party leadership
regarding the sentiment of the rank-and-file. For more information, see CRS Report
RS20499, House Leadership: Whip Organization, by Judy Schneider.
Table 4. House Democratic Whips, 1901-2009
Whip State Congress Dates
Oscar W. Underwood^aAL56^th1901
James T. LloydMO57^th-60^th1901-1908^b
N/ A^c 61^st -62^nd 1909-1913
Thomas M. BellGA63^rd1913-1915
N/A^c64^th-65^th, 66^th1915-1921
William A. OldfieldAR67^th-70^th1921-Nov. 19, 1928^d
John McDuffieAL70^th-71^st^nd1928-1933
72
Arthur GreenwoodIN73^rd1933-1935
Patrick J. BolandPA74^th-77^th1935-May 18, 1942^e
Robert RamspeckGA77^th-79^th1942-Dec. 31, 1945^f

Whip State Congress Dates
John J. SparkmanAL79^th1946-1947
John W. McCormack^aMA80^th 1947-1949
J. Percy PriestTN81^st-82^nd 1949-1953
John W. McCormack^aMA83^rd 1953-1955
Carl Albert^aOK84^th-87^th1955-1962
Thomas Hale Boggs^aLA87^th-91^st1962-1971
Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr.^aMA92^nd1971-1973
John J. McFallCA93^rd-94^th1973-1977
John W. BrademasIN95^th-96^th1977-1981
Thomas S. Foley^aWA97^th-99^th1981-1987
Tony Coelho^gCA100^th-101^st1987-June 14, 1989
William H. Gray, IIIPA101^st-102^ndJune 14, 1989-Sept. 11, 1991^h
David E. BoniorMI102^nd-103^rd^th^thSept. 11, 1991-Jan. 15, 2002ⁱ
104-107
Nancy Pelosi^aCA107^th-108^thJan. 15, 2002-2003^j
Steny H. Hoyer^aMD108^th -109^th2003-2007
James E. ClyburnSC110^th-2007-
^Sources^:^{See th}^{e “}^S^ou^{rce Notes}^an^d^Bⁱ^bliog^r^aph^y^”^s^ectioⁿ^{at th}^{e en}^d^o^f^th^{is r}^e^p^o^r^{t f}^o^r^a^d^e^scrⁱ^p^tioⁿ
^an^d^f^u^{ll citatio}ⁿ^o^f^{all so}^u^r^ces.
^No^te:^B^o^ld^ed^en^tr^{ies in}^dⁱ^{cate Co}ⁿ^g^r^{esses in}^w^h^ich^th^{e Dem}^o^cr^{atic w}^h^ip^w^a^{s th}^{e m}^a^j^o^r^ity^w^h^ip^.
^{a. A}^s^cen^{ded (or re-}^a^s^cen^{ded) t}^o^part^y^f^l^{oor l}^eader.^th
^b.^R^e^sⁱ^gⁿ^e^{d f}^r^om^pos^ition^as^Dem^o^{cratic w}^h^{ip in}^{1908 at th}^{e con}^c^lu^sⁱ^on^of^th^{e 60}^Co^ngr^e^ss.
^{c. For th}^es^e^p^e^rⁱ^o^d^s^,^th^{ere is}ⁿ^o^of^fⁱ^{cial record}^{— in}^th^{e m}ⁱⁿ^u^t^es^of^th^{e Dem}^o^{cratic C}^a^u^c^u^s^or
^elsew^h^er^e^—^o^f^th^{e n}^a^m^e^o^f^th^{e Dem}^o^cr^{atic w}^h^ip^{. So}^m^e^sch^o^lar^s^b^e^liev^e^th^at^Rep^r^esen^tativ^e
^T^h^om^as^Bel^l^m^a^y^h^a^v^e^been^t^h^{e w}^hⁱ^p^f^r^om^{1909 t}^o^1919;^ot^h^e^rs^belⁱ^e^v^e^t^h^{e w}^hⁱ^p^f^o^{r t}^h^at^peri^od
^m^a^y^h^a^v^e^been^R^e^pres^en^tativ^{e J}^o^hⁿ^Nan^{ce Garn}^{er. See R}^aⁿ^d^{all B}^.^Rⁱ^pley^{, “}^T^h^e^P^a^rty^W^hⁱ^p
^Or^g^aⁿⁱ^zatioⁿ^sⁱⁿ^th^{e Un}^ited^S^t^a^t^{es Ho}^u^s^{e o}^f^Rep^r^esen^tativ^es,”^Americaⁿ^Po^litica^l^S^c^ien^c^e
^Review^{, v}^o^l^.^{58, S}^e^pt^{., 1964, p. 504.}
^d.^Dⁱ^{ed i}ⁿ^of^fⁱ^{ce, N}^o^v^e^m^b^{er 19, 1928.}
^e.^Dⁱ^{ed i}ⁿ^of^fⁱ^{ce, May}^{18, 1942.}
^f^.^R^e^sⁱ^gⁿ^e^{d f}^r^om^th^{e Hou}^s^{e of}^R^e^pres^en^tativ^es^{, Decem}^{ber 31, 1945.}
^g^.^R^e^pres^en^tativ^{e T}^oⁿ^y^C^o^elh^o^w^a^s^th^{e f}ⁱ^rs^{t elected Dem}^o^{cratic w}^h^ip.
^h^.^R^e^sⁱ^gⁿ^e^{d f}^r^om^t^h^{e H}^o^u^s^{e of}^R^e^pres^en^t^a^tⁱ^v^es^{, S}^e^pt^em^{ber 11, 1991.}
^{i. Elected J}^u^ly^{11, 1991, bu}^{t did n}^o^{t as}^s^u^m^e^th^e^Hou^s^{e Dem}^o^{cratic w}^h^{ip pos}^{t u}ⁿ^{til h}ⁱ^s^predeces^s^o^{r in}
^th^{e pos}^ition^,^W^illiam^{H. Gray}^{, III, res}ⁱ^gⁿ^e^{d f}^r^om^C^oⁿ^g^r^es^s^on^Septem^{ber 11, 1991.}
^j^.^E^l^e^c^t^{ed on}^{October 10, 2001, bu}^{t did n}^o^{t as}^s^u^m^e^th^{e pos}^ition^of^Hou^s^{e Dem}^o^{cratic w}^h^ip^untⁱ^l
^Jan^u^a^ry^{15, 2002, th}^{e date on}^w^h^ich^Bonⁱ^or’^s^resⁱ^gⁿ^a^tion^as^w^h^{ip becam}^{e ef}^f^ectiv^e.

Table 5. House Republican Whips, 1897-2009
Whip State Congress Dates
James A. TawneyMN55^th-58^th1897-1905
James E. WatsonIN59^th-60^th1905-1909
John W. DwightNY61^st^nd1909-1913
62
Charles H. BurkeSD63^rd1913-1915
Charles M. HamiltonWY64^th-65^th1915-1919
Harold KnutsonMN66^th-67^th1919-1923
Albert H. VestalIN68^th-71^st1923-1931
Carl G. BachmannWV72^nd1931-1933
Harry L. EnglebrightCA73^rd-78^th1933-May 13, 1943^a
Leslie C. ArendsIL78^th-79^th^th1943-1975

80^st^nd

81-82

83^rd^th^rd

84-93
Robert H. Michel^bIL94^th-96^th1975-1981
Trent LottMS97^th-100^th1981-1989
Dick CheneyWY101^st1989-Mar. 17, 1989^c
Newt GingrichGA101^st-103^rdMar. 22, 1989-1995^c
Tom DeLay^bTX104^th-107^th1995-2003
Roy D. Blunt^bMO108^th-109^th^th2003^d-2009
110
Eric CantorVA111^th-2009-
^Sources^:^{See th}^{e “}^S^ou^{rce Notes}^an^d^Bⁱ^bliog^r^aph^y^”^s^ectioⁿ^{at th}^{e en}^d^o^f^th^{is r}^e^p^o^r^{t f}^o^r^a^d^e^scrⁱ^p^tioⁿ
^an^d^f^u^{ll citatio}ⁿ^o^f^{all so}^u^r^ces.
^No^te:^B^o^ld^ed^en^tr^{ies in}^dⁱ^{cate Co}ⁿ^g^r^{esses in}^w^h^ich^th^{e Rep}^u^b^lican^w^h^ip^w^a^{s th}^{e m}^a^j^o^r^ity^w^h^ip^.
^a.^Dⁱ^{ed i}ⁿ^of^fⁱ^{ce, May}^{13, 1943.}
^{b. A}^s^cen^{ded t}^o^part^y^f^l^{oor l}^eader.
^c.^El^ect^{ed H}^o^u^s^{e R}^e^pu^blⁱ^can^w^hⁱ^p^on^March²²^,¹^{989, f}^o^l^l^o^wⁱⁿ^g^R^e^pres^en^t^a^tⁱ^v^{e D}ⁱ^ck^C^h^en^ey^’^s
^resⁱ^gⁿ^a^tⁱ^oⁿ^f^r^om^t^h^{e H}^o^u^s^{e on}^March^{17, 1989, t}^o^becom^e^S^ecret^ary^of^D^e^f^eⁿ^s^e.
^{d. S}^e^rv^{ed con}^c^u^rren^t^l^y^as^w^hⁱ^p^aⁿ^d^a^c^tⁱⁿ^g^R^e^pu^blⁱ^can^f^l^{oor l}^{eader f}^r^om^S^e^pt^em^{ber 28, 2005, t}^o
^F^e^bru^a^ry^{2, 2006.}
Conference or Caucus Chair
The Republican Conference and the Democratic Caucus are the organizations
of the members of the respective parties in the House. Each conference has an elected
chair, who presides over its meetings. Decisions made by the conference (and often

publicly promulgated by the chair) are generally regarded as the collective sentiment
of the respective House party contingent.
Table 6. House Republican Conference Chairs, 1863-2009
ChairStateCongressDates
Justin S. Morrill^aVT38^th-39^th1863-1867
N/ A^b 40^th 1867-1869
Robert C. Schenck^c^cOH41^st1869-1871
Nathaniel P. BanksMA
Austin BlairMI42^nd1871-1873
Horace MaynardTN43^rd1873-1875
George W. McCraryIA44^th1875-1877
Eugene HaleME45^th1877-1879
William P. FryeME46^th1879-1881
G.M. RobesonNJ47^th1881-1883
Joseph G. CannonIL48^th-50^th1883-1889
T.J. HendersonIL51^st^nd^rd1889-1895
52-53
Charles H. GrosvenorOH54^th-55^th1895-1899
Joseph G. CannonIL56^th-57^th1899-1903
William P. HepburnIA58^th-60^th1903-1909
F.D. CurrierNH61^st^nd1909-1913
62
William S. GreeneMA63^rd-65^th1913-1919
Horace M. TownerIA66^th-67^th1919-1923
Sydney AndersonMN68^th1923-1925
Willis C. HawleyOR69^th-71^st^nd1925-1933
72
Robert LuceMA73^rd1933-1935
Frederick R. LehlbachNJ74^th1935-1937
Roy WoodruffMI75^th-79^th ^th1937-1951

80^st

81
Clifford HopeKS82^nd^rd1951-1957

83^th

84
Charles HoevenIA85^th-87^th1957-1963
Gerald R. FordMI88^th1963-1965
Melvin LairdWI89^th-90^th1965-1969

ChairStateCongressDates
John B. AndersonIL91^st-95^th1969-1979
Samuel L. DevineOH96^th1979-1981
Jack KempNY97^th-99^th1981-June 4, 1987^d
Dick CheneyWY100^thJune 4, 1987-1989^d
Jerry LewisCA101^st-102^nd1989-1993
Richard K. ArmeyTX103^rd1993-1995
John A. BoehnerOH104^th-105^th1995-1999
J.C. WattsOK106^th-107^th1999-2003
Deborah PryceOH108^th-109^th2003-2007
Adam PutnamFL110^th2007-2009
Mike PenceIN111^th-2009-
^Sources^:^{See th}^{e “}^S^ou^{rce Notes}^an^{d B}ⁱ^bliog^r^aph^y^{” s}^ectioⁿ^{at th}^{e en}^d^o^f^th^{is r}^e^p^o^r^t^f^o^r^a^d^e^scrⁱ^p^tioⁿ
^an^d^f^u^{ll citatio}ⁿ^o^f^{all so}^u^r^ces.
^No^te:^B^o^ld^ed^en^tr^{ies in}^dⁱ^{cate Co}ⁿ^g^r^{esses in}^w^h^ich^th^{e Rep}^u^b^lican^P^a^r^t^y^w^a^{s in}^th^{e m}^a^j^o^r^ity^.
^a.^Rep^r^esen^tativ^{e J}^u^stin^{S. Mo}^r^r^{ill is th}^{e f}ⁱ^r^s^{t o}^f^fⁱ^cially^d^e^sⁱ^gⁿ^a^ted^Rep^u^b^lican^cau^cu^{s ch}^air^.^T^h^er^e
^ex^is^tsⁿ^o^{clear ev}^iden^{ce of}^f^o^rm^{al ch}^airs^of^R^e^pu^blican^org^aⁿⁱ^zation^sⁱⁿ^{earlier C}^oⁿ^g^r^es^s^e^s^.
^b.^C^a^u^c^u^s^mⁱⁿ^u^t^es^s^h^ow^th^{ree Mem}^b^ers^(R^epres^eⁿ^t^ativ^es^Nath^an^{iel B}^aⁿ^k^s^{, L}^u^k^e^P^o^lan^d^{, an}^{d Sam}^u^el
^H^{ooper) ch}^ai^riⁿ^g^t^h^{ree s}^e^parat^e^m^eetⁱⁿ^g^s^.
^c.^C^a^u^c^u^s^mⁱⁿ^u^t^es^s^h^ow^R^e^pres^en^tativ^{e R}^{obert C}^.^Sch^eⁿ^c^k^e^l^e^c^t^e^d^ch^{air, bu}^{t R}^e^pres^en^tativ^{e Nath}^an^iel
^P^.^B^a^{nks c}^h^aⁱ^rⁱ^{ng t}^w^o^e^a^r^l^y^m^e^e^tⁱ^ngs,^p^o^ssi^b^l^yⁱⁿ^Sc^he^nc^{k’s a}^b^se^nc^e^.
^d.^On^Juⁿ^e^{4, 1987, R}^e^pres^en^tativ^e^Dⁱ^c^k^C^h^en^ey^w^a^s^{elected con}^f^eren^{ce ch}^{air to s}^u^cceed
^R^e^pres^en^tativ^{e J}^ack^Kem^p^{, w}^h^{o res}ⁱ^gⁿ^e^{d f}^r^om^th^{e pos}^t.
Table 7. House Democratic Caucus Chairs, 1849-2009
ChairStateCongress Dates
James ThompsonPA31^st1849-1851
N/ A^a 32^nd 1851-1853
Edson B. OldsOH33^rd1853-1855
George W. JonesTN34^th1855-1857
N/ A^b 35^th 1857-1859
George S. HoustonAL36^th1859-1861
N/ A^c 37^th-4 0^th 1861-1869
William E. Niblack^d^dIN 41^st1869-1871
Samuel J. RandallPA
N/ A^e 42^nd 1871-1873

ChairStateCongress Dates
William E. NiblackIN43^rd1873-1875
Lucius Q.C. LamarMS44^th1875-1877
Hiester ClymerPA45^th1877-1879
John F. HouseTN46^th1879-1881
N/ A^f 47^th 1881-1883
George W. GeddesOH48^th1883-1885
J. Randolph TuckerVA49^th1885-1887
Samuel S. CoxNY50^th1887-1889^g
William S. HolmanIN51^st^nd^rd1889-1895
52-53
David B. CulbersonTX54^th1895-1897
James D. RichardsonTN55^th1897-1899
James HayVA56^th-58^th1899-1905
Robert L. HenryTX59^th1905-1907
Henry D. ClaytonAL60^th-61^st1907-1911^h
Albert S. BurlesonTX62^nd1911-1913^h
A. Mitchell PalmerPA63^rd1913-1915
E.W. SaundersVA64^th-65^th1915-1919
Arthur G. DewaltPA66^th1919-1921
Sam T. RayburnTX67^th1921-1923
Henry T. RaineyIL68^th1923-1925
Charles D. CarterOK69^th1925-1927
Arthur GreenwoodIN70^th1927-1929
David KincheloeKY71^st1929-1930ⁱ
William W. ArnoldIL72^nd1931-1933
Clarence F. LeaCA73^rd1933-1935
Edward T. TaylorCO74^th1935-1937
Robert L. DoughtonNC75^th1937-1939
John W. McCormackMA76^th1939-Sept. 16, 1940^j
Richard M. DuncanMO77^th1941-1943

ChairStateCongress Dates
Harry SheppardCA78^th1943-1945
Jere CooperTN79^th1945-1947
Aime ForandRI80^th1947-1949
Francis E. WalterPA81^st1949-1951
Jere CooperTN82^nd1951-1953
Wilbur MillsAR83^rd1953-1955
John J. RooneyNY84^th1955-1957
Melvin PriceIL85^th-86^th1957-1961
Francis E. WalterPA87^th-88^th1961-May 31, 1963^k
Albert ThomasTX88^th1964-1965
Eugene KeoghNY89^th1965-1967
Dan RostenkowskiIL90^th-91^st1967-1971
Olin TeagueTX92^nd-93^rd1971-1975
Philip BurtonCA94^th1975-1977
Thomas S. FoleyWA95^th-96^th1977-1981
Gillis W. LongLA97^th-98^th1981-1985
Richard GephardtMO99^th-100^th1985-1989
William H. Gray, IIIPA101^stJan. 4-June 14, 1989^l
Steny H. HoyerMD101^st-103^rdJune 21, 1989-1995^m
Vic FazioCA104^th-105^th1995-1999
Martin FrostTX106^th-107^th1999-2003
Robert MenendezNJ108^th-109^th 2003-Dec. 16, 2005ⁿ
James E. ClyburnSC109^thDec. 16, 2005ⁿ-2007
Rahm EmanuelIL110^th2007-2009
John B. LarsonCT111^th-2009-
^Sources^:^{See th}^{e “}^S^ou^{rce Notes}^an^{d B}ⁱ^bliog^r^aph^y^{” s}^ectioⁿ^at^th^{e en}^d^o^f^th^{is r}^e^p^o^r^{t f}^o^r^a^d^e^scrⁱ^p^tioⁿ
^an^d^f^u^{ll citatio}ⁿ^o^f^{all so}^u^r^ces.
^No^te:^B^o^ld^ed^en^tr^{ies in}^dⁱ^{cate Co}ⁿ^g^r^{esses in}^w^h^ich^th^{e Dem}^o^cr^{atic P}^a^r^t^y^w^a^{s in}^th^{e m}^a^j^o^r^ity^.
^a.^{No clear records}^rem^aⁱⁿ^f^o^{r th}^is^C^oⁿ^g^r^es^s^.^In^early^{practice, th}^{e ca}^uc^us^c^h^aⁱ^r^of^ten^of^f^e^{red th}^e
^va^rⁱ^o^u^{s o}^r^gaⁿⁱ^z^a^tⁱ^oⁿ^a^l^r^e^so^l^u^tⁱ^o^{ns a}^t^t^h^e^b^e^giⁿⁿⁱ^{ng o}^f^a^Co^ngr^e^{ss (}^e^.^g^.^,^t^h^e^no^mⁱ^na^tⁱ^o^{n o}^f^hi^s
^party^’^s^can^{didate f}^o^{r Speak}^{er, or}^th^e^m^o^tion^to^{elect th}^{e Speak}^{er); ex}^amⁱⁿ^ation^of^th^es^{e m}^o^tion^s

^can^of^ten^h^e^{lp in}^{a determ}ⁱⁿ^ation^of^w^h^{o w}^a^s^cau^cu^s^ch^{air. How}^e^v^e^{r, s}^e^v^e^{ral dif}^f^e^ren^t^st
^Dem^o^cr^{atic Mem}^b^er^{s o}^f^f^e^r^e^d^th^{e o}^r^g^aⁿⁱ^zin^g^r^e^so^lu^tioⁿ^s^f^o^r^th^{e 3}¹^Co^ngr^e^ss.
^b^.^No^clear^d^a^{ta f}^o^r^th^{is p}^e^rⁱ^o^d^ex^ist.
^c.^{No clear data f}^o^{r th}^is^period^ex^is^t.^R^e^pres^en^tativ^e^J^o^hⁿ^Hick^m^aⁿⁿ^o^mⁱⁿ^a^{ted R}^e^pres^en^tativ^{e F.P}^.
^Bl^ai^{r as}^S^p^eak^{er i}ⁿ^{1861, bu}^tⁿ^o^records^s^h^ow^w^h^et^h^e^{r H}ⁱ^ck^m^aⁿ^w^a^s^cau^cu^s^ch^ai^r.
^d.^R^e^pres^en^tativ^{e S}^a^m^u^{el J}^.^R^aⁿ^d^{all n}^o^mⁱⁿ^a^{ted th}^{e party}^’^s^can^{didate f}^o^{r Speak}^{er. C}^a^u^c^u^s^records^,
^h^o^w^e^v^e^r^,^sh^o^w^b^o^t^h^Rep^r^esen^tativ^es^W^illiam^B^.^Nib^l^ack^an^d^Ran^d^{all as h}^a^vⁱⁿ^g^ser^v^ed^{as ch}^air
^du^rin^g^th^{e C}^oⁿ^g^r^es^s^.^T^h^{e cau}^cu^s^records^s^p^ecif^yⁿ^o^dates^of^s^e^rv^ice.
^e.^R^e^pres^en^t^a^tⁱ^v^{e F}^e^rn^an^{do Wood n}^o^mⁱⁿ^a^t^e^d^t^h^{e D}^e^m^o^cratⁱ^c^l^eaders^hⁱ^p^s^l^at^{e i}ⁿ^t^h^{e H}^o^u^s^{e, bu}^t^t^h^ere
^isⁿ^o^oth^e^{r ev}^iden^{ce to s}^h^ow^h^e^w^a^s^{elected cau}^cu^s^ch^air.
^f^.^A^v^ailab^l^{e d}^a^{ta sh}^o^w^th^{at Rep}^r^esen^tativ^{e J}^o^hⁿ^{F. Ho}^u^s^{e o}^f^f^e^r^e^d^th^{e Dem}^o^c^r^a^t^s’ⁿ^o^mⁱⁿ^a^tioⁿ^f^o^r^th
^Speak^{er in}^th^{e 47}^Coⁿ^g^r^{ess. Ho}^w^e^v^e^r^,^later^d^a^ta^sh^o^w^R^e^pres^en^tativ^{e W}^.^{S. R}^o^s^ecran^s^is^s^uⁱⁿ^g
^t^h^e^ne^xt^c^a^l^l^fo^r^a^D^e^m^o^c^r^a^tⁱ^c^Ca^uc^us^m^e^e^tⁱ^ng;^t^h^e^r^eⁱ^s^no^e^vⁱ^d^eⁿ^c^e^t^o^sugge^st^t^h^a^t^Ro^se^c^r^aⁿ^s
^w^a^s^actu^a^lly^{elected cau}^cu^s^ch^air.
^g^.^Form^er^P^a^rliam^eⁿ^t^arian^C^l^aren^{ce C}^aⁿⁿ^oⁿ^’^sⁿ^o^tes^s^t^{ate th}^{at “}^[^R^e^pres^en^tativ^{e Sam}^u^el^J^.^]^C^o^x^died
^du^rin^g^th^is^C^oⁿ^g^r^es^s^an^{d [R}^epres^eⁿ^t^ativ^{e J}^a^m^e^s^B^.^{] McC}^r^eary^ev^iden^tly^s^u^{cceeded or}^{acted f}^o^r
^hⁱ^m^.^{” R}^e^pres^en^t^a^tⁱ^v^{e Co}^x^dⁱ^e^d^on^S^e^pt^em^{ber 10, 1889, s}ⁱ^x^m^oⁿ^t^h^s^af^t^e^{r t}^h^{e s}ⁱⁿ^e^di^e^th^st
^adj^o^u^rⁿ^m^en^{t of}^th^{e 50}^Co^ngr^e^{ss a}ⁿ^d^t^h^e^c^o^nveⁿⁱ^{ng o}^f^t^h^e⁵¹^Co^ngr^e^ss.
^h^.^C^a^u^c^u^s^records^{are con}^t^radictory^f^o^{r th}^is^period.^T^h^ey^s^h^ow^th^{e election}^of^R^e^pres^en^tativ^e^J^a^m^e^s
^H^a^y^as^ch^ai^{r on}^Jan^u^a^ry^{19, 1911, bu}^t^{do n}^o^t^m^eⁿ^tⁱ^oⁿ^{a res}ⁱ^gⁿ^a^tⁱ^oⁿ^byⁱⁿ^cu^m^b^en^t^ch^ai^{r H}^eⁿ^r^y
^P^.^C^l^ay^ton^,^no^r^d^o^t^h^e^y^s^p^ecif^y^th^{at Hay}^w^a^s^{elected ch}^{air f}^o^{r th}^{e n}^e^w^C^oⁿ^g^r^es^s^.^L^a^{ter, th}^ey
^s^h^ow^t^h^{e el}^ectⁱ^oⁿ^of^R^e^pres^en^t^a^tⁱ^v^{e A}^l^bert^S^.^Bu^rl^es^on^on^A^p^ri^l^{11, 1911.}
^i.^R^e^sⁱ^gⁿ^e^{d f}^r^om^th^{e Hou}^s^{e, October 5, 1930; th}^{ere is}ⁿ^o^{record of}^an^election^{to f}^{ill th}^{e v}^acan^cy^as
^cau^cu^s^ch^air.
^j^.^R^e^sⁱ^gⁿ^e^d^f^o^l^l^o^wⁱⁿ^g^el^ectⁱ^oⁿ^as^m^a^j^o^ri^t^y^f^l^{oor l}^{eader, S}^e^pt^em^{ber 16, 1940;}^records^doⁿ^o^tⁱⁿ^di^cat^e
^th^{at a s}^u^cces^s^o^{r w}^a^s^ch^os^en^du^rin^g^th^{e rem}^aⁱⁿ^{der of}^th^{e C}^oⁿ^g^r^es^s^.
^k^.^{Died in}^of^fⁱ^{ce, May}^{31, 1963. C}^a^u^c^u^s^ch^{air pos}^{t v}^acan^{t u}ⁿ^{til J}^aⁿ^u^a^ry^{21, 1964.}
^l.^Rep^r^esen^tativ^{e W}^illiam^{H. Gray}^,^III,^v^acated^th^e^cau^cu^{s ch}^{air p}^o^s^{t w}^h^en^h^e^w^a^{s elected}^Dem^o^cratic
^w^hⁱ^p^on^Juⁿ^e^{14, 1989.}
^m^.^R^e^pres^en^t^a^tⁱ^v^{e S}^t^en^y^H^.^H^o^y^e^{r w}^a^s^el^ect^{ed cau}^cu^s^ch^ai^{r on}^Juⁿ^e^21,^1989,^f^o^l^l^o^wⁱⁿ^g^t^h^e^Juⁿ^e^14,
^{1989 election}^of^R^e^pres^en^tativ^{e W}^illiam^{H. Gray}^as^Dem^o^{cratic w}^h^ip.
ⁿ^.^R^e^pres^en^t^a^tⁱ^v^{e R}^obert^Men^eⁿ^d^{ez res}ⁱ^gⁿ^e^{d fr}^o^m^t^h^{e H}^o^u^s^{e on}^Jan^u^a^ry^{16, 2006, af}^t^e^{r bei}ⁿ^g
^apppoin^t^{ed to th}^{e S}^eⁿ^a^{te s}^{eat f}^o^{r New}^Jers^ey^{vacated by}^Jon^C^o^rzin^{e w}^h^en^h^e^w^a^s^elected
^g^o^v^e^rⁿ^o^r^{. Rep}^r^esen^tativ^{e Men}^eⁿ^d^{ez h}^a^d^p^r^ev^io^u^s^ly^r^e^sigⁿ^e^d^f^r^o^m^th^{e c}^a^u^c^u^s^ch^air^p^o^s^itioⁿ^,
^{to w}^h^ich^R^e^pres^en^tativ^{e Jam}^e^s^{E. C}^l^y^b^u^rⁿ^w^a^s^{elected on}^Decem^{ber 16, 2005.}

Senate Positions:
Descriptions and Historical Tables
President Pro Tempore of the Senate
Pursuant to Article 1, Section 3, of the U.S. Constitution, the President pro
tempore of the Senate is the chamber’s presiding officer in the absence of the
President of the Senate (the Vice President of the United States). The President pro
tempore is elected by the full Senate as the formal institutional leader, and in current⁸
practice, is the longest serving member of the majority party. Until 1890, the Senate
elected a President pro tempore whenever the Vice President was not in attendance,
whether for a day, or permanently, as in the case of the Vice President’s death or
resignation. When the Vice President returned, the President pro tempore lost his
place. When the Vice President was again absent, the Senate again elected a
President pro tempore — in many cases the same Senator who had been chosen
before. By the standing order agreed to on March 12, 1890, the Senate declared that
the President pro tempore shall hold the office during “the pleasure of the Senate and
until another is elected, and shall execute the duties thereof during all future absences
of the Vice President until the Senate does otherwise order.”⁹
The Senate’s President pro tempore is, pursuant to statute, currently third in the
line of presidential succession (behind the Vice President and the Speaker of the
House). In the Succession Act of 1792, the position was initially designated to serve¹⁰
in line after the Vice President. An 1886 act altered the succession line by replacing
congressional leaders with cabinet secretaries, but the President pro tempore post was¹¹
reinstated in the line (in the current position) in 1947.
As presiding officer, the President pro tempore has the power to decide points
of order and enforce decorum on the floor. The President pro tempore has other
formal powers (e.g., appointing conferees; appointing certain Senate officers; and
serving on, or appointing others to, working groups, commissions and advisory
boards); however, because the direction of Senate business has fallen in modern
times to the majority leader, almost all of these powers are actually exercised by the
majority leader in practice.
As explained in the notes to Table 9 and Table 10 below, the Senate has also
had past occasion to select a Deputy President pro tempore and a Permanent Acting
President pro tempore. For more information on the President pro tempore (and the

⁸ Electing the longest-serving majority party Senator has generally been the practice since
1890, with some exceptions. The only exception since 1945 has been the election of
Senator Arthur Vandenberg in 1947.
⁹ U.S. Congress, Senate Journal, 50^th Cong., 2^nd sess., p. 165. See also “President Pro
Tempore of the Senate,” Congressional Record, vol. 21 (March 12, 1890), pp. 2144-2150.
¹⁰ 1 Stat. 240.
¹¹ 24 Stat 1; 61 Stat. 380.

deputy and acting posts), consult CRS Report RL30960, The President Pro Tempore
of the Senate: History and Authority of the Office, by Christopher M. Davis.
Table 8. Presidents Pro Tempore of the Senate, 1789-2009
NamePartyStateCongressDate Elected
John LangdonPro-AdminNH1^stApr. 6, 1789
Richard Henry LeeAnti-AdminVA2^ndApr. 18, 1792
John LangdonPro-AdminNH2^nd Nov. 5, 1792
Mar. 1, 1793
Ralph IzardPro-AdminSC3^rdMay 31, 1794
Henry TazewellAnti-Admin^aVA3^rd^thFeb. 20, 1795
R(DR)4Dec. 7, 1795
Samuel LivermoreFNH4^thMay 6, 1796
William Bingham FPA4^thFeb. 16, 1797
William BradfordFRI5^thJuly 6, 1797
Jacob ReadFSC5^thNov. 22, 1797
Theodore SedgwickFMA5^thJune 27, 1798
John LauranceFNY5^thDec. 6, 1798
James RossFPA5^thMar. 1, 1799
Samuel LivermoreFNH6^thDec. 22, 1799
Uriah TracyFCT6^thMay 14, 1800
John E. HowardFMD6^thNov. 21, 1800
James HillhouseFCT6^thFeb. 28, 1801
Abraham BaldwinRGA7^thDec. 7, 1801
Stephen R. BradleyR(DR)^aVT7^thDec. 14, 1802
Feb. 25, 1803
Mar. 2, 1803
John BrownAnti-AdminKY8^thOct. 17, 1803
Jan. 23, 1804
Jesse FranklinR(DR)^aNC8^thMar. 10, 1804
Joseph AndersonR(DR)^aTN8^thJan. 15, 1805
Feb. 28, 1805
Mar. 2, 1805
Samuel SmithR(DR)^aMD9^thDec. 2, 1805
Mar. 18, 1806
Mar. 2, 1807
10^thApr. 16, 1808
Stephen R. BradleyR(DR)^aVT10^th Dec. 28, 1808
John MilledgeR(DR)^aGA10^th Jan. 30, 1809

NamePartyStateCongressDate Elected
Andrew GreggR(DR)^aPA11^th June 26, 1809
John GaillardR(DR)^aSC11^th Feb. 28, 1810
Apr. 17, 1810
John PopeR(DR)^aKY11^th Feb. 23, 1811
William H. CrawfordR(DR)^aGA12^th Mar. 24, 1812
Joseph B. VarnumR(DR)^aMA13^thDec. 6, 1813
John GaillardR(DR)^aSC13^thApr. 18, 1814^b
Nov. 25, 1814

14^th^th[no election]

15Mar. 6, 1817
Mar. 31, 1918
James BarbourR(DR)^aVA15^th^thFeb. 15, 1819

16[no election]

John GaillardR(DR)^aSC16^th^thJan. 25, 1820
17Feb. 1, 1822
Feb. 19, 1823
CRR18^th^thMay 21, 1824
J19Mar. 9, 1825
Nathaniel MaconJNC19^thMay 20, 1826
Jan. 2, 1827
Mar. 2, 1827
Samuel SmithJMD20^th^stMay 15, 1828
21Mar. 13, 1829
May 29, 1830
Mar. 1, 1831
Littleton TazewellJVA22^ndJuly 9, 1832
Hugh L. WhiteJTN22^nd^rdDec. 3, 1832

23[no election]

George PoindexterAJMS23^rdJune 28, 1834
John TylerAJVA23^rdMar. 3, 1835
William R. KingJAL24^thJuly 1, 1836
Jan. 28, 1837
D25^thMar. 7, 1837
Oct. 13, 1837
July 2, 1838
Feb. 25, 1839
26^th July 3, 1840
Mar. 3, 1841
27^thMar. 4, 1841
Samuel Southard WNJ27^thMar. 11, 1841
Willie P. MangumWNC27^th^thMay 31, 1842

28[no election]

Ambrose H. SevierDAR29^thDec. 27, 1845^c

NamePartyStateCongressDate Elected
David R. AtchisonDMO29^thAug. 8, 1846
Jan. 11, 1847
Mar. 3, 1847
30^thFeb. 2, 1848
June 1, 1848
June 26, 1848
July 29, 1848
Dec. 26, 1848
Mar. 2, 1849
31^stMar. 5, 1849
Mar. 16, 1849
William R. KingDAL31^stMay 6, 1850
July 11, 1850

32^nd[no election]

David R. AtchisonDMO32^nd^rdDec. 20, 1852
33Mar. 4, 1853
Lewis CassDMI33^rdDec. 4, 1854
Jesse D. BrightDIN33^rd^thDec. 5, 1854
34June 11, 1856
Charles E. StuartDMI34^thJune 9, 1856
James M. MasonDVA34^th^thJan. 6, 1857
35Mar. 4, 1857
Thomas J. RuskDTX35^thMar. 14, 1857
Benjamin FitzpatrickDAL35^thDec. 7, 1857
Mar. 29, 1858
June 14, 1858
Jan. 25, 1858
36^thMar. 9, 1859
Dec. 19, 1859
Feb. 20, 1860
Jesse D. BrightDIN36^thJune 12, 1860
Benjamin FitzpatrickDAL36^thJune 26, 1860
Solomon FootRVT36^th^thFeb. 16, 1861
37Mar. 23, 1861
July 18, 1861
Jan. 15, 1862
Mar. 31, 1862
June 19, 1862
Feb. 18, 1863
38^thMar. 4, 1863
Dec. 18, 1863
Feb. 23, 1864
Apr. 11, 1864
Daniel ClarkRNH38^thApr. 26, 1864
Feb. 9, 1865

NamePartyStateCongressDate Elected
Lafayette S. FosterRCT39^thMar. 7, 1865
Benjamin F. WadeROH39^th^thMar. 2, 1867

40[no election]

Henry B. AnthonyRRI41^stMar. 23, 1869
Apr. 9, 1869
May 28, 1870
July 1, 1870
July 14, 1870
42^ndMar. 10, 1871
Apr. 17, 1871
May 23, 1871
Dec. 21, 1871
Feb. 23, 1872
June 8, 1872
Dec. 4, 1872
Dec. 13, 1872
Dec. 20, 1872
Jan. 24, 1873
Matthew H. CarpenterRWI43^rdMar. 12, 1873
Mar. 26, 1873
Dec. 11, 1873
Dec. 23, 1874
Henry B. AnthonyRRI43^rdJan. 25, 1875
Feb. 15, 1875
Thomas W. FerryRMI44^thMar. 9, 1875
Mar. 19, 1875
Dec. 20, 1875
45^thMar. 5, 1877
Feb. 26, 1878
Apr. 17, 1878
Mar. 3, 1879
Allen G. ThurmanDOH46^thApr. 15, 1879
Apr. 7, 1880
May 6, 1880
Thomas F. Bayard, Sr.DDE47^thOct. 10, 1881
David DavisIIL47^thOct. 13, 1881
George F. EdmondsRVT47^th^thMar. 3, 1883
48Jan. 14, 1884
John ShermanROH49^thDec. 7, 1885
John J. IngallsRKS49^th^thFeb. 25, 1887

50^st[no election]

51Mar. 7, 1889
Apr. 2, 1889
Feb. 28, 1890^d
Apr. 3, 1890
Charles F. MandersonRNE51^st-53^rdMar. 2, 1891

NamePartyStateCongressDate Elected
Isham G. HarrisDTN53^rdMar. 22, 1893
Matt W. RansomDNC53^rdJan. 7, 1895
Isham G. HarrisDTN53^rdJan. 10, 1895
William P. FryeRME54^th-56^th^th^thFeb. 7, 1896
57-59^th^ndMar. 7, 1901
60-62Dec. 5, 1907
Charles CurtisRKS62^nd Dec. 4, 1911
Augustus O. BaconDGA62^nd Jan. 15, 1912
Jacob H. GallingerRNH62^nd Feb. 12, 1912
Henry Cabot Lodge, Sr.RMA62^nd Mar. 25, 1912
Frank B. BrandegeeRCT62^nd May 25, 1912
James P. ClarkeDAR63^rd^thMar. 13, 1913
64Dec. 6, 1915
Willard Saulsbury, Jr.DDE64^th-65^thDec. 14, 1916
Albert B. CumminsRIA66^th^th^thMay 19, 1919
67-69Mar. 7, 1921
George H. MosesRNH69^th^th^ndMar. 6, 1925
70-72Dec. 15, 1927
Key PittmanDNV73^rd^th^thMar. 9, 1933
74-76Jan. 7, 1935
William H. KingDUT76^thNov. 19, 1940
Pat HarrisonDMS77^thJan. 6, 1941
Carter GlassDVA77^th^thJuly 10, 1941
78Jan. 5, 1943
Kenneth D. McKellarDTN79^thJan. 6, 1945
Arthur VandenbergRMI80^thJan. 4, 1947
Kenneth D. McKellarDTN81^st-82^ndJan. 3, 1949
Styles BridgesRNH83^rdJan. 3, 1953
Walter F. GeorgeDGA84^thJan. 5, 1955
Carl T. HaydenDAZ85^th-90^thJan. 3, 1957
Richard B. Russell, Jr.DGA91^st-92^ndJan. 3, 1969
Allen J. EllenderDLA92^nd Jan. 22, 1971
James O. EastlandDMS92^nd-95^thJuly 28, 1972
Warren G. MagnusonDWA96^thJan. 15, 1979
Milton R. YoungRND96^thDec. 4, 1980
Strom ThurmondRSC97^th-99^thJan. 5, 1981
John C. StennisDMS100^thJan. 6, 1987

NamePartyStateCongressDate Elected
Robert C. ByrdDWV101^st-103^rdJan. 3, 1989
Strom ThurmondRSC104^th-106^thJan. 4, 1995
Robert C. ByrdDWV107^thJan. 3, 2001^e
Strom ThurmondRSC107^thJan. 3, 2001^e
Robert C. Byrd^fDWV107^thJune 6, 2001
Ted StevensRAK108^th-109^thJan. 7, 2003
Robert C. ByrdDWV110^th-Jan. 4, 2007
^Sources^:^T^h^{e p}^rⁱⁿ^cip^a^{l so}^u^r^{ce f}^o^r^th^is^t^a^b^l^{e is B}^y^r^d^’^s^Histo^r^ica^l^S^t^a^tistics^{, pp. 647-}^{653. S}^{ee t}^h^e
^“^S^o^u^r^{ce No}^{tes an}^d^Bⁱ^b^lio^g^r^ap^h^y^{” sectio}ⁿ^{at th}^{e en}^d^o^f^th^{is r}^e^p^o^r^{t f}^o^r^{a d}^e^scrⁱ^p^tioⁿ^an^d^f^u^{ll citatio}ⁿ
^of^{all s}^o^u^r^ces^.
^No^tes:^A^k^e^y^t^o^p^a^r^t^y^ab^b^r^ev^iatioⁿ^s^can^b^e^f^o^uⁿ^dⁱⁿ^th^{e A}^p^p^eⁿ^d^ix^o^f^th^{is r}^e^p^o^r^{t. No}^{te th}^{at sev}^e^r^a^l
^Sen^a^to^r^s^h^o^ldⁱⁿ^g^th^{e P}^r^esid^en^{t p}^r^o^tem^p^o^r^e^p^o^sⁱ^tⁱ^oⁿ^w^e^r^e^m^e^m^b^er^{s o}^f⁽^o^r^id^en^tif^ied^w^ith⁾^dⁱ^f^f^e^r^eⁿ^t
^p^o^{litical p}^a^{rties d}^u^rin^g^th^{eir co}ⁿ^g^r^essioⁿ^{al careers.}^T^h^{is tab}^l^{e lists}^t^h^e^p^a^r^t^y^w^ith^w^h^ich^each
ⁱⁿ^dⁱ^vⁱ^d^u^{al w}^a^{s af}^f^iliate^d^a^t^th^{e tim}^{e o}^f^hⁱ^{s ser}^v^{ice as P}^r^esid^en^{t p}^r^o^tem^p^o^r^{e. I}ⁿ^{cases in}^w^h^ich^th^e
^hⁱ^s^t^orical^s^o^u^r^cesⁱⁿ^{dicate a party}^“^s^w^itch^”ⁱⁿ^th^e^mⁱ^ds^t^of^a^calen^{dar y}^{ear (w}^ith^ou^{t a s}^p^ecifⁱ^{c date),}
^{it is p}^r^esu^m^ed^th^{at th}^{e p}^a^r^t^y^sw^itch^coⁱⁿ^cid^e^d^w^ith^th^{e b}^e^gⁱⁿⁿⁱⁿ^g^o^f^{a n}^e^w^Coⁿ^g^r^ess.
^a^.^A^l^t^h^o^{ugh t}^h^e^Bi^ogr^aphi^cal^Dⁱ^r^ect^or^{y of}^t^h^{e Am}^erⁱ^c^{an C}^ongr^es^s^,^1774-1996^id^en^tif^{ies th}^ese
^Presⁱ^d^en^t^s^{pro t}^e^m^{pore as}^R^e^pu^blⁱ^can^s^,^t^h^e^part^y^desⁱ^gⁿ^a^tⁱ^oⁿ^“^D^em^ocratⁱ^c^R^e^pu^blⁱ^can^s^”ⁱ^s^m^o^re
^wⁱ^d^e^ly^u^s^ed^an^d^f^a^m^iliar^to^r^ead^er^s.^T^h^is^d^e^sigⁿ^a^tioⁿ^,^R(^DR)^,^sh^o^u^ldⁿ^o^{t b}^e^tak^eⁿ^to^r^e^f^e^r^to
^th^{e con}^t^em^porary^R^e^pu^blican^P^a^rty^,^w^h^ich^{did n}^o^{t em}^erg^e^uⁿ^{til th}^{e 1850s}^.
^b^.^Sen^a^to^r^J^o^hⁿ^Gaillar^d^w^a^{s elected}^af^ter^th^{e d}^eath^o^f^{Vice P}^r^esid^en^t^Elb^r^id^g^e^Ger^r^y^oⁿ^No^v^e^m^b^er^th
^{23, 1814, an}^{d con}^tⁱⁿ^u^e^{d t}^o^s^e^rv^{e t}^h^ro^ugho^ut^t^h^e¹⁴^C^oⁿ^g^r^es^s^,^as^th^{ere w}^a^sⁿ^o^{Vice P}^r^es^iden^t.
^c.^T^h^er^{e w}^a^{s n}^o^actu^a^l^electioⁿ^.^Sen^a^to^r^A^m^b^r^o^s^{e H. Sev}ⁱ^er^w^a^{s “}^p^er^m^itted^to^o^ccu^p^y^th^{e ch}^air^f^o^r
^th^{e day}^.^{” In}^th^{eir table of}^P^r^es^iden^ts^pro^tem^{pore, Gerald Gam}^m^an^{d Stev}^en^{S. Sm}^ith^{do n}^o^t
ⁱⁿ^clu^d^{e Sev}ⁱ^er’^s^s^e^rv^{ice. See Gerald Gam}^m^an^d^Stev^en^{S. Sm}^ith^,^“^L^{ast A}^m^oⁿ^g^Eq^u^a^{ls,” “}^T^ab^le
^1:^Presⁱ^d^en^t^s^{Pro T}^e^m^{pore of}^t^h^{e S}^eⁿ^a^t^e^{,” p.13.}
^d.^A^sⁿ^o^t^e^{d abov}^{e, i}ⁿ^March^{1890, t}^h^{e S}^eⁿ^a^t^e^adopt^ed^a^res^o^l^u^tⁱ^oⁿ^s^t^atⁱⁿ^g^t^h^at^Presⁱ^d^en^t^s^{pro t}^e^m^pore
^w^o^u^l^d^h^o^ld^o^f^fⁱ^{ce co}ⁿ^tin^u^o^u^s^ly^uⁿ^{til th}^{e electio}ⁿ^o^f^an^o^t^h^e^r^P^r^esid^en^{t p}^r^o^tem^p^o^r^e,^r^a^th^er^th^an
^bein^g^{elected on}^ly^fo^r^t^h^e^{period in}^w^h^ich^th^{e Vice P}^r^es^iden^{t w}^a^s^abs^eⁿ^t^{. T}^h^{at s}^y^s^t^em^h^a^s
^con^tin^u^e^{d to th}^{e pres}^en^t.^th
^e.^W^h^en^th^{e 107}^C^oⁿ^g^r^es^s^con^v^eⁿ^e^{d on}^Jan^u^a^ry^{3, 2001, R}^e^pu^blⁱ^can^G^e^org^e^{W. Bu}^s^h^h^a^{d been}
^elected^P^r^esid^en^{t. Rich}^ar^d^B^.^Ch^en^ey^{, Vice P}^r^esid^en^t-^{elect, w}^o^u^l^dⁿ^o^{t b}^e^sw^o^rⁿⁱⁿ^uⁿ^{til J}^aⁿ^u^a^r^y
^{20, 2001. A}^s^{a con}^s^equ^eⁿ^{ce, t}^h^{e S}^eⁿ^a^t^e^w^a^s^ev^en^l^y^di^vⁱ^ded,⁵⁰^D^e^m^o^crat^s^an^d⁵⁰^R^e^pu^blⁱ^can^s^.
^Wh^en^C^oⁿ^g^r^es^s^con^v^eⁿ^e^{d on}^Jan^u^a^ry^{3, 2001,}^Vⁱ^ce^Presⁱ^d^en^t^A^l^G^o^re,^a^D^e^m^o^crat^{, rem}^aⁱⁿ^ed
^as^P^r^esid^en^t^o^f^th^{e Sen}^a^{te, p}^r^o^v^idⁱⁿ^g^Sen^a^{te Dem}^o^cr^{ats w}^ith^an^ef^f^ectiv^{e m}^a^j^o^r^ity^o^f^oⁿ^{e. On}
^Jan^u^a^ry^{3, 2001, t}^h^{e S}^eⁿ^a^t^e^adopt^{ed S}^.^R^e^s^.^{3, w}^hⁱ^c^h^provⁱ^d^{ed f}^o^{r t}^h^{e el}^ectⁱ^oⁿ^of^S^eⁿ^a^t^o^r^R^obert
^{C. B}^y^r^d^{, Dem}^o^cr^{at o}^f^W^e^{st Vir}^gⁱⁿ^{ia, to}^ser^v^e^as^P^r^esid^en^t^p^r^o^tem^p^o^r^{e f}^r^o^m^J^aⁿ^u^a^r^y³^uⁿ^{til th}^e
ⁱⁿ^a^ugur^a^tⁱ^oⁿ^o^f^P^r^e^sⁱ^d^eⁿ^t^B^u^{sh a}ⁿ^d^Vⁱ^c^e^P^r^e^sⁱ^d^eⁿ^t^Cheⁿ^e^y^a^t^no^oⁿ^oⁿ^J^a^nua^r^y²⁰^,^a^t^w^hⁱ^c^h^tⁱ^m^e
^Se^na^t^o^r^St^r^o^m^T^hur^m^o^nd^,^Re^p^u^b^lⁱ^c^aⁿ^o^f^So^ut^{h Ca}^rolin^a,^w^o^u^l^{d as}^s^u^m^e^th^{e of}^fⁱ^{ce of}^P^r^es^iden^t
^{pro tem}^p^o^r^e^.^S^e^{e “}^E^lection^of^th^{e Hon}^o^{rable R}^{obert C}^.^B^y^{rd as}^P^r^es^iden^{t P}^r^{o T}^e^m^{pore an}^d
^Election^of^th^{e Hon}^o^{rable Strom}^T^h^u^r^m^oⁿ^d^as^P^r^es^iden^{t P}^r^{o T}^e^m^pore,”^C^ongr^es^sⁱ^onal^Recor^d^,
^v^o^l^.^{147, Jan}^u^a^ry^{3, 2001, p. 7.}
^f^.^Part^y^con^t^rolⁱⁿ^t^h^{e S}^eⁿ^a^t^e^s^hⁱ^f^t^e^{d w}ⁱ^t^h^t^h^e^deci^sⁱ^onⁱⁿ^May^,^{2001, of}^S^eⁿ^a^t^o^{r Ji}^m^Jef^f^o^rds^t^o^l^eav^e
^th^{e R}^e^pu^blican^p^a^r^t^y^aⁿ^{d to becom}^e^an^In^depeⁿ^d^en^{t, cau}^cu^sⁱⁿ^g^w^ith^Sen^a^{te Dem}^o^crats^.^On
^Juⁿ^e^{6, t}^h^{e S}^eⁿ^a^t^e^ag^{reed t}^o^S^.^R^e^s^.^{100 el}^ectⁱⁿ^g^S^eⁿ^a^t^o^{r By}^{rd Pres}ⁱ^d^en^t^{pro t}^e^m^{pore on}^ce
^ag^ain^.

The Senate has, on occasion, created special offices connected to the position
of President pro tempore. These two positions — detailed below — were created
for specific individuals under narrow circumstances and are not currently in use.
Deputy Presidents Pro Tempore. Pursuant to S. Res. 17 (95^th Congress),
agreed to January 10, 1977, the Senate established (effective January 5, 1977) the
post of Deputy President pro tempore of the Senate to be held by “any Member of
the Senate who has held the Office of President of the United States or Vice
President of the United States.” Senator Hubert H. Humphrey was Deputy President
pro tempore until his death on January 13, 1978. In the 100^th Congress, due to
concerns over the health of the President pro tempore, Senate John S. Stennis, the
Senate agreed on January 28, 1987, to S. Res. 90, authorizing the Senate to
designate a Senator to serve as Deputy President pro tempore during that Congress,
in addition to Senators who hold such office under the authority of S. Res. 17 (95^th^th
Congress). Accordingly, on the same date the Senate agreed to S. Res. 91 (100
Congress), designating Senator George H. Mitchell Deputy President pro tempore.
Table 9. Deputy Presidents Pro Tempore of the Senate,
1977-2009
Deputy PresidentPartyStateCongressDates
Pro Tempore
Hubert H. HumphreyDMN95^thJan. 5, 1977-Jan. 13, 1978
George J. MitchellDME100^thJan. 28, 1987-Nov. 29, 1988^a
^a.^Sen^a^to^r^Mitch^e^{ll ser}^v^ed^{as Dep}^u^ty^P^r^esid^en^{t p}^r^o^tem^p^o^r^{e u}ⁿ^til^h^e^w^a^{s elected}^m^a^j^o^r^ity^lead^er^f^o^r^st
^t^h^{e 101}^C^oⁿ^g^r^es^s^on^N^o^v^e^m^b^{er 29, 1988.}
Permanent Acting President Pro Tempore. This post was initially
established in 1963 after Senate Majority Leader Michael J. Mansfield became
concerned that the stamina of then-President pro tempore, Senator Carl T. Hayden,
would be overly taxed by presiding over the prolonged debate on civil rights
legislation. In response, the Senate adopted S. Res. 232 and S. Res. 238 (88^th
Congress) making Senator Lee Metcalf Acting President pro tempore from
December 9, 1963, until the meeting of the second session of the 88^th Congress.
Continuing concerns over the presiding officer’s responsibilities led the Senate, on
February 7, 1964, to authorize Senator Metcalf “to perform the duties of the Chair
as Acting President pro tempore until otherwise ordered by the Senate” via S. Res.
296 (88^th Congress). Senator Metcalf held the post throughout his remaining 14
years in the Senate.
Table 10. Permanent Acting President Pro Tempore
of the Senate, 1964-2009
Permanent Acting PartyStateCongressDates
President Pro Tempore
Lee Metcalf DMT88^th-95^thFeb. 7, 1964-Jan. 12, 1978

Party Floor Leader
Each Senate party conference selects its floor leader (also called majority leader
or minority leader, as appropriate) in a secret-ballot vote at its organizational
meeting prior to the beginning of a new Congress. While these positions developed
later than (and arose from) the post of conference chair, they now represent the top
post in each party. The majority leader is the lead spokesperson for the party in the
chamber and is also responsible for scheduling the legislative activity of the Senate.
By precedent established in 1937, the majority leader is afforded priority recognition
on the floor. The minority leader leads and speaks for the minority party and is
consulted by the majority leader in scheduling Senate floor activity; he also has
preferential floor recognition, after the majority leader. The rules of each party
conference assign additional responsibilities to each floor leader, as well. In current
practice, the floor leader for Senate Democrats also serves as the party’s conference
chair. (See next section for description of conference chair positions.)
Table 11. Senate Republican Floor Leaders, 1919-2009
Floor Leader StateCongressDates
Henry Cabot Lodge, Sr.^a,^b^,^cMA66^th-68^th1919-Nov. 9, 1924^d
Charles Curtis^a,^eKS68^th-70^thNov. 28, 1924-1929
James E. Watson^aIN71^st-72^nd1929-1933
Charles L. McNary^aOR73^rd-78^th1933-Feb. 25, 1944^f
Wallace H. White, Jr.ME79^th1945-1949

80^th

Kenneth S. WherryNE81^st-82^nd1949-Nov. 29, 1951^g
Styles BridgesNH82^nd1952-1953
Robert A. TaftOH83^rd1953-July 31, 1953^h
William F. KnowlandCA83^rd^th^thAug. 4, 1953-1959
84-85
Everett DirksenIL86^th-91^st1959-Sept. 7, 1969ⁱ
Hugh ScottPA91^st-94^thSept. 24, 1969-1977
Howard H. BakerTN95^th-96^th^th^th1977-1985
97-98
Robert H. DoleKS99^th^th^rd1985-June 11, 1996^j

100 -103^th

104
Trent LottMS104^th-106^th^thJune 12, 1996- Dec. 20, 2002^k
107
William H. FristTN108^th-109^thDec. 23, 2002^l-2007
Mitch McConnellKY110^th-2007-
^Sources^:^T^h^e^p^rⁱⁿ^cip^a^{l so}^u^r^{ce f}^o^r^th^{is tab}^l^{e is B}^y^r^d^’^s^Histo^r^ica^l^S^t^a^tistics^{, p. 505, w}ⁱ^t^h^s^o^m^e^det^aⁱ^l^s
^provⁱ^d^{ed by}^Rⁱ^ddi^ck^,^M^a^j^o^rⁱ^t^y^{and M}ⁱ^norⁱ^t^y^L^e^ader^s^of^t^h^{e Senat}^e^{, pp. 1-}^{11. S}^ee^t^h^e^“^S^ou^rce^N^o^t^e^s
^an^d^Bⁱ^b^lio^g^r^ap^h^y^{” sectio}ⁿ^{at th}^{e en}^d^o^f^th^{is r}^e^p^o^r^{t f}^o^r^{a d}^e^scrⁱ^p^tioⁿ^an^d^f^u^{ll citatio}ⁿ^o^f^all^so^u^r^ces.

^No^tes:^B^o^ld^ed^en^tr^{ies in}^dⁱ^{cate Co}ⁿ^g^r^{esses in}^w^h^ich^th^e^f^l^oor^{leader w}^a^s^als^o^m^a^j^o^rity^leader^f^o^r^at
^leas^{t h}^a^lf^o^f^t^h^{e C}^oⁿ^g^r^es^s^.^{For ex}^am^{ple, w}^h^{ile th}^{e R}^e^pu^blican^s^beg^aⁿ^th^{e 107}^th^Co^ngr^e^{ss w}ⁱ^t^h^a
^coⁿ^t^r^o^llin^g^m^a^j^o^r^ity^{, p}^a^r^t^y^coⁿ^t^r^o^{l sw}^itch^e^d^to^th^{e Dem}^o^cr^{ats in}^J^uⁿ^e^o^f^th^{e f}ⁱ^r^s^{t sessio}ⁿ^{; th}^e^th
¹⁰⁷^C^oⁿ^g^r^es^s^is^th^eref^{ore treated as}^bein^g^uⁿ^d^{er Dem}^o^{cratic party}^c^o^nt^r^o^lⁱⁿ^th^es^{e tables}^{, w}^h^ere
^applicable.
^a.^In^di^cat^es^{a l}^{eader w}^h^{o w}^a^s^al^s^o^con^f^eren^{ce ch}^ai^r.^Pri^o^r^t^o^1945,^t^h^e^R^e^pu^blⁱ^can^con^f^eren^ce^ch^ai^r
^an^d^f^l^o^o^r^lead^er^p^o^s^itioⁿ^s^w^e^r^e^h^e^ld^b^y^th^{e sam}^eⁱⁿ^dⁱ^vⁱ^d^u^al.
^b^.^W^h^{ile B}^y^r^d^’^s^v^o^lu^m^e^p^r^o^v^isioⁿ^a^lly^{lists Rep}^u^b^lican^Coⁿ^f^er^en^{ce Ch}^air^Hen^r^y^Cab^o^t^L^o^d^g^e,^Sr^{, as}
^th^{e f}ⁱ^rs^{t R}^e^pu^blican^f^l^{oor leader in}^practice,^s^o^m^e^s^o^u^r^ces^{treat tw}^{o prev}^iou^s^con^f^eren^{ce ch}^airs
^as^f^l^{oor l}^eadersⁱⁿ^practⁱ^ce.^F^o^r^ex^am^pl^e,^Rⁱ^ddi^ckⁱⁿ^cl^u^d^es⁽ⁱⁿ^T^a^bl^e^{III, “}^S^enⁱ^o^ri^t^y^of^Maj^o^ri^t^y
^an^{d Mi}ⁿ^o^ri^t^y^L^eaders^of^t^h^e^Seⁿ^a^t^e^{,” p.11)}^con^f^eren^{ce ch}^airs^Sen^a^{tor Sh}^elby^{M. C}^u^llom^as
^m^a^j^o^rity^{leader f}^r^om^1911-^{1913 an}^{d Sen}^a^{tor J}^{acob H.}^Gallin^g^e^r^as^mⁱⁿ^o^rity^{leader f}^r^om¹⁹¹³
^{until his d}^e^a^t^{h o}ⁿ^A^{ugust 1}⁷^,^1918.^th
^{c. Elected con}^f^eren^{ce ch}^{air in}^th^{e 65}^Co^ngr^e^{ss o}ⁿ^A^ugust²⁴^,^{1918, to replace Sen}^a^{tor Gallin}^g^e^r.
^Sen^a^{tor L}^odg^{e w}^a^sⁿ^o^{t of}^fⁱ^cially^{a f}^l^{oor leader;}^h^e^w^a^s^sⁱ^m^p^ly^{reelected to th}^{e con}^f^eren^{ce ch}^air
^pos^tⁱⁿ¹⁹¹⁹^,^a^{nd t}^h^{e part}^y^h^a^{d n}^o^t^y^e^t^em^pl^oy^{ed t}^h^{e des}ⁱ^gⁿ^a^tⁱ^oⁿ^f^l^{oor l}^{eader. S}^c^h^o^l^a^rl^y^th^th
^o^pⁱⁿⁱ^oⁿ^{is th}^{at h}ⁱ^{s r}^o^{le in}^th^{e 6}⁶^to⁶⁸^Co^ngr^e^sse^s,^fo^r^a^ll^inte^{nts a}ⁿ^d^p^u^r^p^o^s^e^s^,^w^a^{s tha}^t^o^f
^th^{e f}^l^o^o^r^lead^er^,^h^o^w^e^v^e^r^.^B^y^r^d^’^s^v^o^lu^m^e^p^r^o^v^isioⁿ^a^lly^{lists h}ⁱ^m^{as th}^{e f}ⁱ^r^s^{t m}^a^j^o^r^ity^lead^er
^(T^abl^e^4-^6,^p.^506);^Rⁱ^ddi^ckⁱⁿ^cl^u^d^es^hⁱ^mⁱⁿ^T^a^bl^{e III, p.11. A}^l^s^o^s^{ee Wi}^den^o^{r, “}^H^en^ry^C^a^bot
^L^odg^{e: T}^h^{e A}^s^tu^{te P}^a^rliam^eⁿ^t^arian^,^{” f}^o^{r addition}^a^{l s}^u^pportin^g^details^.
^{d. D}ⁱ^{ed i}ⁿ^of^fⁱ^{ce, N}^o^v^e^m^b^{er 9, 1924.}
^e.^S^eⁿ^a^{tor C}^h^arles^C^u^rtis^w^a^s^{elected con}^f^eren^ce^ch^air^oⁿ^N^o^v^e^m^b^{er 28, 1924, to replace S}^eⁿ^a^tor
^H^eⁿ^r^y^C^a^b^o^t^L^o^d^g^e^,^S^r^.^,^w^h^o^dⁱ^e^d^oⁿ^N^o^v^e^m^b^e^r⁹^.^Oⁿ^M^a^r^c^h^5,^1925,^t^h^e^R^e^p^u^b^lⁱ^c^aⁿ
^coⁿ^f^er^en^{ce also}^d^e^sigⁿ^a^ted^hⁱ^m^{as f}^l^o^o^r^lead^er^{, th}^{e f}ⁱ^r^s^{t Sen}^a^to^r^to^h^o^ld^th^{e title.}
^f^.^S^eⁿ^a^t^o^r^C^h^a^r^l^e^s^L^.^M^c^N^a^r^y^dⁱ^e^d^oⁿ^F^e^b^r^u^a^r^y^25,^1944.^Th^e^r^eⁱ^sⁿ^o^r^e^f^e^r^eⁿ^c^eⁱⁿ^c^oⁿ^g^r^e^s^sⁱ^oⁿ^a^l^th
^s^o^u^r^ces^{to th}^{e f}^o^rm^{al s}^e^lection^of^{a n}^e^w^R^e^pu^blican^f^l^{oor leader du}^rin^g^th^{e 78}^C^oⁿ^g^r^e^s^s^.^Iⁿ
^hi^{s a}^r^tⁱ^c^l^e^sum^m^a^rⁱ^zⁱ^{ng “T}^he^Se^c^o^nd^Se^ssi^oⁿ^o^f^t^h^e^Se^ve^nt^y-^Eⁱ^ght^{h Co}^ngr^e^{ss (}^J^a^nua^r^y¹⁰^-
^Decem^{ber 18, 1944),”}^Americaⁿ^Po^litica^l^S^c^ien^{ce Review}^{, v}^o^l^.^{39, A}^p^ri^l^{1945, pp. 317-}^336,
^F^l^oy^{d R}ⁱ^ddi^ck^m^a^k^e^sⁿ^o^m^eⁿ^tⁱ^oⁿ^of^McN^a^ry^’^s^deat^h^{or t}^h^{e s}^e^l^ectⁱ^oⁿ^of^{a s}^u^cces^s^o^r.
^g^.^Dⁱ^{ed i}ⁿ^of^fⁱ^{ce, N}^o^v^e^m^b^{er 29, 1951.}
^h^.^Dⁱ^{ed i}ⁿ^of^fⁱ^{ce, Ju}^l^y^{31, 1953.}
ⁱ^.^Dⁱ^{ed i}ⁿ^of^fⁱ^{ce, S}^e^pt^em^{ber 7, 1969.}
^j^.^R^e^sⁱ^gⁿ^e^{d f}^r^om^S^eⁿ^a^t^e^{, Ju}ⁿ^e^{11, 1996.}
^k^.^{Elected Ju}ⁿ^e^{12, 1996, to replace}^S^eⁿ^a^{tor R}^{obert H. Dole, an}^{d res}ⁱ^gⁿ^e^{d f}^r^om^m^a^j^o^rity^{leader pos}^t,
^Decem^{ber 20, 2002.}
^{l. Elected Decem}^{ber 23, 2002, to replace S}^eⁿ^a^{tor T}^r^en^{t L}^o^tt.
Table 12. Senate Democratic Floor Leaders
and Conference Chairs, 1893-2009
Floor LeaderStateCongressDates
Arthur P. Gorman^a,^bMD53^rd^th^th1893-1898
54-55
N/ A^c 55^th-5 6^th 1898-1901
John T. Morgan^bAL57^th1901-1902
James K. Jones^bAR57^th1902-1903
Arthur P. Gorman^dMD 58^th-59^th1903-June 4, 1906^e
Joseph C.S. Blackburn^fKY 59^thJune 9, 1906-1907^g
Charles A. CulbersonTX 60^th1907-1909
Hernando D. MoneyMS 61^st1909-1911
Thomas S. Martin^fVA 62^nd1911-1913

Floor LeaderStateCongressDates
John Worth Kern^fIN 63^rd-64^th1913-1917
Thomas S. MartinVA 65^th^th1917-Nov. 12, 1919^h
66
Oscar W. Underwood^fAL 66^th-67^thApr. 27, 1920-1923ⁱ
Joseph T. RobinsonAR 68^th-75^th ^rd^th1923-July 14, 1937^j
73-75
Alben W. BarkleyKY 75^th-79^th^thJuly 22, 1937-1949^k
80
Scott W. LucasIL 81^st1949-1951
Ernest W. McFarlandAZ 82^nd1951-1953
Lyndon B. JohnsonTX 83^rd^th^th1953-1961
84-86
Mike MansfieldMT 87^th-94^th1961-1977
Robert C. ByrdWV 95^th-96^th1977-1989

97^th-9 9^th^th

100
George J. MitchellME 101^st-103^rd1989-1995
Tom Daschle^lSD 104^th-106^th^th1995-2005

107^th

108
Harry ReidNV109^th^th2005-

110-

^Sources^:^{See th}^{e “}^S^ou^{rce Notes}^an^{d B}ⁱ^bliog^r^aph^y^{” s}^ectioⁿ^{at th}^{e en}^d^o^f^th^{is r}^e^p^o^r^{t f}^o^r^{a d}^e^scrⁱ^p^tioⁿ
^an^d^f^u^{ll citatio}ⁿ^o^f^{all so}^u^r^ces.^T^h^e^p^rⁱⁿ^cip^a^l^so^u^r^ce^f^o^r^th^{is tab}^l^{e is B}^y^r^d^’^s^Histo^r^ica^l^S^t^a^tistics,^p.
^503.^Som^e^addition^a^l^details^{are f}^r^om^Rⁱ^ddick^’^s^M^a^j^o^rⁱ^t^y^{and M}ⁱ^norⁱ^t^y^L^e^ader^s^of^t^h^{e Senat}^e^{, p. 1-}
¹¹^.^Iⁿ^itially^th^{e Sen}^a^{te Dem}^o^c^r^a^tⁱ^c^Cau^c^u^s^{, th}^{e n}^a^m^e^w^a^{s o}^f^fⁱ^cially^ch^an^g^e^d^to^th^{e Dem}^o^cr^atic
^C^oⁿ^f^eren^{ce i}ⁿ^1925.
^No^tes:^B^o^ld^ed^en^tr^{ies in}^dⁱ^{cate Co}ⁿ^g^r^{esses in}^w^h^ich^th^e^f^l^{oor leader w}^a^s^als^o^m^a^j^o^rity^{leader f}^o^{r at}^th
^{least h}^a^lf^o^f^th^{e Co}ⁿ^g^r^{ess. Fo}^r^ex^am^p^l^{e, w}^h^{ile th}^{e Rep}^u^b^licaⁿ^s^b^e^g^aⁿ^th^{e 1}⁰⁷^Co^ngr^e^{ss w}ⁱ^t^h^a^th
^coⁿ^t^r^o^llin^g^m^a^j^o^r^ity^,^p^a^r^t^y^coⁿ^t^r^o^{l sw}^itch^e^d^to^th^{e Dem}^o^cr^{ats in}^J^uⁿ^e^o^f^th^{e f}ⁱ^r^s^{t sessio}ⁿ^{; th}^{e 1}⁰⁷
^C^oⁿ^g^r^es^s^is^th^eref^{ore treated as}^bein^g^uⁿ^d^{er De}^m^o^c^r^a^tⁱ^c^party^con^t^{rol in}^th^es^{e tables}^{, w}^h^ere
^applicable.
^{a. B}^y^r^d^’^s^id^en^tif^icatioⁿ^o^f^th^{e f}ⁱ^r^s^{t Dem}^o^cr^{atic co}ⁿ^f^eren^{ce ch}^{air beg}ⁱⁿ^s^w^ith^Sen^a^{tor Gorm}^anⁱⁿ^th^e^th
⁵⁸^Coⁿ^g^r^{ess. Oth}^e^r^so^u^r^ces,^h^o^w^e^v^e^r^,^r^e^ly^oⁿ^uⁿ^o^f^fⁱ^{cial r}^eco^r^d^{s to}^gⁱ^v^e^Go^r^m^an^th^{at title in}^rd
^th^{e 5}³^Co^ngr^e^ss,^wⁱ^t^h^Se^na^t^o^r^s^M^o^r^g^aⁿ^aⁿ^d^J^o^ne^s^id^en^tif^ied^as^su^chⁱⁿ^later^Coⁿ^g^r^{esses (}^a^f^t^er
^{a period}ⁱⁿ^w^h^ich^{reliable s}^o^u^r^ces^{do n}^o^{t ex}^is^{t); s}^{ee, f}^o^{r ex}^am^{ple, R}ⁱ^ddick^,^Ma^jo^{rity a}ⁿ^d
^Mⁱ^norⁱ^t^y^L^e^ader^s^of^t^h^{e Senat}^e^{, T}^a^bl^{e I, p. 7.}
^{b. R}ⁱ^ddi^ckⁱ^d^en^tⁱ^fⁱ^e^s^S^eⁿ^a^t^o^r^G^o^rm^an^as^t^h^{e f}ⁱ^rs^t^D^e^m^o^cratⁱ^c^con^f^eren^{ce ch}^ai^{r i}ⁿ^{1893, t}^h^o^{ugh B}^y^r^d^th
^d^o^e^{s n}^o^{t d}^e^sigⁿ^a^{te h}ⁱ^m^{as su}^ch^uⁿ^{til th}^{e 5}⁸^Coⁿ^g^r^{ess. T}^h^{is is also}^th^{e case w}^ith^th^e
^desⁱ^gⁿ^a^tⁱ^oⁿ^s^of^S^eⁿ^a^t^o^rs^Morg^anⁱⁿ^{1901 an}^{d Jon}^e^sⁱⁿ^1902.
^{c. No reliable records}^f^r^om^th^{e cau}^cu^s^ex^is^{t f}^o^{r th}^is^period.^th
^d.^Sen^a^{tor Gorm}^an^’^s^desⁱ^gⁿ^a^tion^as^con^f^eren^{ce ch}^{air in}^th^{e 58}^Coⁿ^g^r^{ess is th}^e^fⁱ^r^s^{t th}^{at can}^b^e
^con^f^irm^e^{d f}^r^om^of^fⁱ^{cial cau}^cu^s^mⁱⁿ^u^t^es^.
^{e. D}ⁱ^{ed Ju}ⁿ^e^{4, 1906.}

^f^.^S^e^c^oⁿ^d^ar^y^so^u^r^{ces g}^eⁿ^e^r^a^lly^id^en^tif^y^Sen^a^to^r^Kerⁿ^{as th}^{e f}ⁱ^r^s^{t Dem}^o^cr^{atic f}^l^o^o^r^lead^erⁱⁿ^t^h^e
^m^odern^s^eⁿ^s^{e of}^th^{e term}^{. See, f}^o^r^ex^am^ple,^O^l^e^s^z^e^k^,^“J^o^{hn W}^o^r^t^{h K}^e^rⁿ^,^”^p^.¹⁰^.^O^t^he^r^s^ha^ve
^m^a^{de a ca}^s^e^fo^r^d^e^sⁱ^gⁿ^a^tin^g^Sen^a^{tor B}^l^ack^bu^rn^as^th^{e f}ⁱ^rs^{t, s}ⁱⁿ^{ce h}^e^w^a^s^ref^e^{rred to as}^th^e
^Dem^o^cr^ats’^“^c^h^o^sen^o^f^fⁱ^{cial lead}^er^{” in}^a^coⁿ^g^r^atu^l^ato^r^y^r^e^so^lu^tioⁿ^.^{See Rid}^dⁱ^ck^{, p}^.³^.^Still
^oth^e^rs^con^s^{ider Sen}^a^{tor Martin}^an^early^f^l^oor^{leader; s}^{ee Oles}^zek^{, “}^J^ohⁿ^W^o^rth^Kern^{,” n}^o^{te 13.}
^S^eⁿ^a^t^o^r^Uⁿ^derw^oodⁱ^s^t^h^e^fⁱ^rs^t^pers^on^t^o^{be of}^fⁱ^ci^al^l^y^cal^l^e^{d f}^l^{oor l}^{eader i}ⁿ^mⁱⁿ^u^t^es^of^t^h^e^part^y
^con^f^eren^{ce, s}^o^s^o^m^e^s^o^u^r^ces^(e.g^{., B}^y^{rd) treat}^hⁱ^m^as^th^{e f}ⁱ^rs^{t Dem}^o^{cratic f}^l^{oor leader.}
^g^.^El^ect^{ed Ju}ⁿ^e^{9, 1906.}
^h^.^Dⁱ^e^d^N^o^v^e^m^b^e^r^12,^1919.^Aⁿⁱⁿ^{itial cau}^cu^{s v}^o^{te to}^rep^l^{ace Sen}^a^to^{r Martin}^resu^ltedⁱⁿ^{a tie}
^bet^w^een^S^eⁿ^a^t^o^{r G}ⁱ^l^b^ert^{M. H}ⁱ^t^c^h^c^ock^an^{d S}^eⁿ^a^t^o^r^Uⁿ^derw^ood.^Hⁱ^t^c^h^c^ock^bri^e^f^l^y^w^a^s^actⁱⁿ^g
^{leader u}ⁿ^{til Un}^derw^{ood w}^a^s^{elected in}^A^p^r^{il of}^{1920. See R}ⁱ^ddick^{, p. 9, n}^o^{te 2.}
ⁱ^.^El^ect^{ed A}^p^ri^l^{27, 1920.}
^j^.^Dⁱ^{ed Ju}^l^y^{14, 1937.}
^k^.^El^ect^{ed Ju}^l^y^{22, 1937.}^th
^l.^Iⁿ^th^{e 1}⁰⁷^C^oⁿ^g^r^e^s^s^,^S^eⁿ^a^t^o^r^D^a^s^c^hle^b^ecam^e^m^a^jorⁱ^t^y^l^e^a^d^e^r^on^Juⁿ^e^6,^2001,^f^o^l^l^o^wⁱⁿ^g^a
^ch^an^g^eⁱⁿ^p^a^r^t^y^coⁿ^t^r^o^{l o}^f^th^{e Sen}^a^{te f}^r^o^m^Rep^u^b^lican^to^Dem^o^cr^atic.
Conference Chair
Each party has a conference organization consisting of all the elected Senators
from that party; it is the main body through which the party contingent at large
decides and communicates its legislative priorities. While each party’s conference
chair posts were the first formal party leadership positions in the Senate, eventually
floor leader positions were established as uppermost in each party’s leadership
hierarchy. Since 1945, Republicans have elected their conference chair separately
from other leadership posts, but the elected Democratic floor leader also serves as
chair of the Democratic Conference. (See Table 12 for the list of Democratic floor
leaders / conference chairs.)
Table 13. Senate Republican Conference Chairs, 1893-2009
Chair State Congress Dates
John Sherman^aOH53^rd1893-1897

54^th

William B. AllisonIA55^th-56^th 1897-1901^b
Eugene HaleME57^th1901-1902
Orville PlattCT57^th1902-1903^c
Eugene HaleME58^th1903-1904
William B. AllisonIA58^th-59^th1904-1906
Eugene HaleME59^th1906-1907
William B. Allison^dIA59^th1907-1908
Nelson W. AldrichRI60^th1908-1909
Eugene HaleME60^th-61^st1909-1910
Shelby M. CullomIL61^st-62^nd1910-1913
Jacob H. GallingerNH63^rd-65^th1913-1918
Henry Cabot Lodge, Sr.^eMA65^th^th^th1918-1924

66-68

Chair State Congress Dates
Charles Curtis^eKS68^th-70^th1924-1929
James E. Watson^eIN71^st-72^nd1929-1932
Charles L. McNary^eOR73^rd-78^th1933-1944
Arthur H. VandenbergMI79^th1945-1946
Eugene D. MillikinCO80^th-82^nd^rd1947-1956

83^th

84
Leverett SaltonstallMA85^th-89^th1957-1966
Margaret Chase SmithME90^th-92^nd1967-1972
Norris CottonNH93^rd1973-1974
Carl T. CurtisNE94^th-95^th1975-1978
Robert PackwoodOR96^th1979-1980
James A. McClureID97^th-98^th1981-1984
John ChafeeRI99^th^st1985-1990
101
Thad CochranMS102^nd-103^rd1991-1996

104^th

Connie MackFL105^th-106^th 1997-2000
Richard J. SantorumPA107^th2001-2006

108^th -109^th

Jon L. KylAZ110^th2007-Dec. 6, 2007^f
Lamar AlexanderTN110^th-Dec. 6, 2007^f-
^Sources^:^{See th}^{e “}^S^ou^{rce Notes}^an^{d B}ⁱ^bliog^r^aph^y^{” s}^ectioⁿ^{at th}^{e en}^d^o^f^th^{is r}^e^p^o^r^{t f}^o^r^{a d}^e^scrⁱ^p^tioⁿ
^an^d^f^u^{ll citatio}ⁿ^o^f^{all so}^u^r^{ces. T}^h^{e p}^rⁱⁿ^cip^a^{l so}^u^r^{ce f}^o^r^th^{is tab}^l^{e is}^B^y^r^d^’^s^Histo^r^ica^l^S^t^a^tistics,^p.
^{502. A}^ddition^a^{l detail is}^f^r^om^Rⁱ^ddick^,^M^a^j^o^rⁱ^t^y^{and M}ⁱ^norⁱ^t^y^L^e^ader^s^of^t^h^e^S^eⁿ^a^t^e^{, pp. 7-}^9).
^R^ecords^of^t^h^e^R^e^pu^blⁱ^can^C^oⁿ^f^eren^{ce are ex}^t^aⁿ^t^on^l^y^f^r^om^{1911. S}^econ^d^ary^s^o^u^r^ces^(s^ee^Rⁱ^ddi^ck^,
^{pp. 7-}^{9) prov}ⁱ^d^eⁱⁿ^f^o^rm^atⁱ^oⁿ^f^o^{r y}^ears^pri^o^{r t}^o^{1893. R}^o^t^h^m^aⁿ^,ⁱⁿ^hⁱ^s^w^o^rk^{, cl}^ai^m^s^t^h^at^S^eⁿ^a^t^o^r
^Hen^r^y^B^.^Aⁿ^th^on^y^s^e^rv^{ed as}^R^e^pu^blican^cau^cu^s^ch^{air f}^o^r^an^uⁿ^d^etermⁱⁿ^e^{d n}^u^m^{ber of}^y^ears^begⁱⁿⁿⁱⁿ^g
ⁱⁿ^{1869 an}^{d t}^h^at^S^eⁿ^a^t^o^{r G}^e^org^e^F^r^an^k^lⁱⁿ^Edm^uⁿ^d^s^s^e^rv^ed^as^ch^ai^r^f^r^om^{1885 t}^o^{1891. S}^{ee D}^a^vⁱ^d
^J.^R^o^t^h^m^aⁿ^,^Politics^{and Pow}^e^r^:^{The Unite}^{d States}^{Senate, 1869-1901}^{, C}^a^m^b^ri^dg^{e, MA}^:^Harv^ard
^Uⁿⁱ^v^ersⁱ^t^y^Pres^s^,^{1966, pp. 6, 28-}^30.
^No^tes:^B^o^ld^ed^en^tr^{ies in}^dⁱ^{cate Co}ⁿ^g^r^{esses in}^w^h^ich^th^e^Rep^u^b^lican^p^a^r^t^y^w^a^sⁱⁿ^th^{e m}^a^j^o^r^ity^f^o^r^at^th
^leas^{t h}^a^lf^of^th^{e C}^oⁿ^g^r^es^s^.^{For ex}^am^{ple, w}^h^{ile th}^{e R}^e^pu^blican^s^beg^aⁿ^th^{e 1}⁰⁷^Co^ngr^e^{ss w}ⁱ^t^h^a^th
^coⁿ^t^r^o^llin^g^m^a^j^o^r^ity^,^p^a^r^t^y^coⁿ^t^r^o^{l sw}^itch^e^d^to^th^{e Dem}^o^cr^{ats in}^J^uⁿ^e^o^f^th^{e f}ⁱ^r^s^{t sessio}ⁿ^{; th}^e¹⁰⁷
^C^oⁿ^g^r^es^s^is^th^eref^{ore treated as}^bein^g^uⁿ^d^{er De}^m^o^cr^{atic p}^a^r^t^y^coⁿ^t^r^o^{l in}^th^{ese ta}^b^l^e^s^,^w^h^er^e
^applicable.^Ex^{cept f}^o^{r th}^os^{e in}^divⁱ^du^als^w^h^o^als^o^s^e^rv^{ed as}^f^l^{oor leader (as}^desⁱ^gⁿ^a^{ted in}ⁿ^e^x^tⁿ^o^te),
^s^o^u^r^ces^{do n}^o^{t prov}^{ide s}^p^ecifⁱ^{c dates}^of^con^f^eren^{ce ch}^{air s}^e^r^vⁱ^c^e⁽^e^.^g^.^,^w^h^en^th^{ere w}^a^s^{a death}^or
^resⁱ^gⁿ^a^tion^an^{d, as}^{a r}^e^s^u^l^t^,^{a m}ⁱ^d-^s^e^s^sⁱ^on^election^w^a^{s h}^e^ld⁾^.^T^h^er^ef^o^r^{e, th}^{is tab}^l^{e p}^r^o^v^id^{es o}ⁿ^ly
^y^e^a^r^s^o^f^s^e^r^vⁱ^ce^f^o^r^each^c^oⁿ^f^e^r^eⁿ^c^e^c^h^aⁱ^r^aⁿ^d^gⁱ^v^e^sⁿ^o^s^p^e^cⁱ^fⁱ^c^d^a^t^e^s^f^o^r^t^r^aⁿ^s^itioⁿ^s^th^{at o}^ccu^r^r^ed
^w^ithⁱⁿ^{a sessio}ⁿ^.
^a.^Rⁱ^ddickⁱⁿ^dicates^th^{at s}^econ^d^ary^s^o^u^r^ces^con^f^ir^m^Sh^erm^aⁿ^as^th^{e f}ⁱ^rs^{t R}^e^pu^blican^con^f^eren^ce^ch^air^th
^(T^able^{I, p.7); B}^y^{rd s}^t^arts^hⁱ^s^lis^{t (T}^{able 4-}^{1, p.502) w}^ith^A^llis^on^’^s^ten^u^r^eⁱⁿ^th^e⁵⁵^Co^ngr^e^ss,
^b^u^{t n}^o^{tes Sh}^er^m^aⁿ^’^{s p}^r^ev^io^u^s^ten^u^r^{e in}^{a f}^o^o^tⁿ^o^te.

^{b. B}^y^{rd lis}^ts^S^e^na^{tor A}^llis^on^’^s^ten^u^r^{e in}^th^{e pos}^ition^as^1897-^{1901, bu}^{t R}ⁱ^ddick^m^aⁱⁿ^tain^s^th^at
^relⁱ^a^bl^{e records}^{do n}^o^t^exⁱ^s^t^f^o^{r 1898 t}^o^1901.
^{c. Us}ⁱⁿ^g^uⁿ^o^f^fⁱ^{cial s}^o^u^r^ces^{, R}ⁱ^ddick^(T^{able I, p. 7)}ⁱⁿ^dicates^th^{at Sen}^a^{tor Georg}^e^{H. Hoar w}^a^s^brief^l^y
^con^f^eren^{ce ch}^ai^{r i}ⁿ^{1903. By}^{rd does}ⁿ^o^tⁱⁿ^cl^u^d^{e h}ⁱ^m^.
^d^.^Usin^g^uⁿ^o^f^fⁱ^{cial so}^u^r^{ces, Rid}^dⁱ^ck⁽^T^ab^le^I^,^p^.⁷⁾ⁱⁿ^dⁱ^{cates Sen}^a^to^r^A^llisoⁿ^w^a^{s ch}^air^;^B^y^r^d^d^o^e^s
^no^tⁱⁿ^c^l^ud^e^hi^m^.
^{e. In}^di^cat^esⁱⁿ^di^vⁱ^du^al^s^w^h^{o w}^e^{re s}ⁱ^m^u^l^t^aⁿ^e^ou^s^l^yⁱ^d^en^tif^ied^as^th^{e f}^l^{oor leader. See T}^a^{ble 11 of}^th^is
^report^.
^f^.^S^eⁿ^a^{tor Joh}ⁿ^L^.^Ky^{l w}^a^s^{elected party}^w^h^ip^on^Decem^ber^{6, 2007; S}^eⁿ^a^{tor L}^a^m^a^{r A}^l^ex^an^{der w}^a^s
^{elected on}^th^{at day}^{to s}^e^rv^{e as}^con^f^eren^{ce ch}^air.
Party Whip
Senate Democrats first selected a party whip in 1913; Republicans followed in
1915. Some accounts of these early selections imply that the individuals were
initially appointed, but other contemporary accounts refer to conference elections
for the posts. (Republicans first formally codified their conference procedures in

1944, making it clear that the whip post was elected by the conference.) Today,

each party conference elects a party whip, who is also known in the Senate as the
assistant majority leader or assistant minority leader, depending on the party.
Typically, deputy whips are also appointed to assist the whip operation. The whips
communicate leadership priorities to the party rank-and-file (and vice versa),
provide leaders an assessment of member support for (or opposition to) pending
legislative matters, and mobilize support for leadership-supported measures under
consideration. For more information, see CRS Report RS20887, Senate Leadership:
Whip Organization, by Judy Schneider.
Table 14. Senate Democratic Whips, 1913-2009
Whip State Congress Dates
James Hamilton Lewis^aIL63^rd-65^th1913-1919
Peter G. GerryRI66^th-70^th1919-1929
Morris SheppardTX71^st-72^nd1929-1933
James Hamilton LewisIL73^rd-75^th1933-1939
Sherman MintonIN76^th1939-1941
J. Lister HillAL77^th-79^th1941-1947
Scott W. Lucas^bIL80^th1947-1949
Francis J. MyersPA81^st1949-1951
Lyndon B. Johnson^bTX82^nd1951-1953
Earle C. ClementKY83^rd1953-1957

84^th

Mike Mansfield^bMT85^th-86^th1957-1961
Hubert H. HumphreyMN87^th-88^th1961-1965
Russell B. LongLA89^th-90^th1965-1969
Edward M. KennedyMA91^st1969-1971

Whip State Congress Dates
Robert C. Byrd^bWV92^nd-94^th1971-1977
Alan CranstonCA95^th-96^th^th^th1977-1991

97 -9 9^th^st

100-101
Wendell H. FordKY102^nd-103^rd ^th^th1991-1999
104-105
Harry Reid^bNV106^th,^th1999-2005

107^th

108
Richard DurbinIL109^th^th2005-

110-

^Sources^:^{See th}^{e “}^S^ou^{rce Notes}^an^{d B}ⁱ^bliog^r^aph^y^{” s}^ectioⁿ^{at th}^{e en}^d^o^f^th^is^r^e^p^o^r^{t f}^o^r^{a d}^e^scrⁱ^p^tioⁿ
^an^d^f^u^{ll citatio}ⁿ^o^f^{all so}^u^r^{ces. T}^h^e^p^rⁱⁿ^cip^a^l^so^u^r^ce^f^o^r^th^{is tab}^l^{e is B}^y^r^d^’^s^Histo^r^ica^l^S^t^a^tistics^{, p.}
^{509, w}^ith^addition^a^{l detail draw}ⁿ^f^r^om^Oles^zek^,^M^a^j^o^rⁱ^t^y^{and M}ⁱ^norⁱ^t^y^W^hⁱ^p^s^of^t^h^{e Senat}^e^.
^No^tes:^B^o^ld^ed^en^tr^{ies in}^dⁱ^{cate Co}ⁿ^g^r^{esses in}^w^h^ich^th^{e Dem}^o^cr^{atic w}^h^ip^w^a^{s also}^th^{e m}^a^j^o^r^ity^w^h^ip^th
^f^o^{r at leas}^{t h}^a^lf^of^th^e^C^oⁿ^g^r^es^s^.^For^ex^am^ple,^w^h^{ile th}^{e R}^e^pu^blican^s^beg^aⁿ^th^{e 107}^Co^ngr^e^{ss w}ⁱ^t^h
^{a c}^oⁿ^t^r^o^llin^g^m^a^j^o^r^ity^{, p}^a^r^t^y^coⁿ^t^r^o^{l sw}^itch^e^d^to^th^{e Dem}^o^cr^{ats in}^J^uⁿ^e^o^f^th^{e f}ⁱ^r^s^{t sessio}ⁿ^{; th}^e^th
¹⁰⁷^C^o^ngr^es^s^is^th^eref^{ore treated as}^bein^g^uⁿ^d^{er De}^m^o^{cratic party}^con^t^{rol in}^th^es^{e tables}^{, w}^h^er^e
^applicable.
^a.^Sen^a^{tor J}^a^m^e^s^Ham^ilton^L^e^wⁱ^s^becam^{e th}^{e f}ⁱ^rs^{t Dem}^o^{cratic P}^a^rty^w^hⁱ^pⁱⁿ^{1913. In}^th^e
^C^ongr^es^sⁱ^onal^Recor^d^{, L}^e^wⁱ^s^hⁱ^m^s^elf^ref^e^{rred to h}ⁱ^s^“^a^ppoin^t^m^eⁿ^t^,”^bu^t^{a pres}^s^accouⁿ^t^th^e
ⁿ^e^x^t^y^{ear s}^a^id^h^e^w^a^s^{elected. See Oles}^zek^,^M^a^j^o^rⁱ^t^y^{and M}ⁱ^norⁱ^t^y^W^hⁱ^p^s^of^t^h^{e Senat}^e^{, p. 4.}
^{b. In}^di^cat^esⁱⁿ^di^vⁱ^du^al^s^w^h^{o l}^a^{ter adv}^aⁿ^{ced to f}^l^{oor leader.}
Table 15. Senate Republican Whips, 1915-2009
Whip State Congress Dates
James W. Wadsworth, Jr.^aNY64^th1915
Charles Curtis^bKS64^th-65^th1915-1924

66^th -68^th

Wesley L. JonesWA68^th-70^th1924-1929
Simeon D. FessOH71^st-72^nd1929-1933
Felix HebertRI73^rd1933-1935
N/ A^c 74^th-7 7^th 1936-1943
Kenneth S. Wherry^bNE78^th-79^th^th1944-1949
80
Leverett SaltonstallMA81^st-82^nd^rd1949-1957

83^th

84
Everett M. Dirksen^bIL85^th1957-1959
Thomas H. KuchelCA86^th-90^th1959-1969

Whip State Congress Dates
Hugh D. Scott^bPA91^st1969
Robert P. GriffinMI91^st-94^th1969-1977
Ted StevensAK95^th-96^th^th^th1977-1985
97-98
Alan K. SimpsonWY99^th ^th^rd1985-1995
100-103
Trent Lott^bMS104^th1995-June 12, 1996^d
Don NicklesOK104^th-106^th ^thJune 12, 1996-2003^e
107
Mitch McConnell^bKY108^th-109^th2003-2007
Trent LottMS110^th2007-Dec. 6, 2007^f
Jon L. KylAZ110^th-Dec. 6, 2007^f-
^Sources^:^{See th}^{e “}^S^ou^{rce Notes}^an^{d B}ⁱ^bliog^r^aph^y^{” s}^ectioⁿ^{at th}^{e en}^d^o^f^th^{is r}^e^p^o^r^t^f^o^r^{a d}^e^scrⁱ^p^tioⁿ
^an^d^f^u^{ll citatio}ⁿ^o^f^all^so^u^r^ces.^T^h^{e p}^rⁱⁿ^cip^a^{l so}^u^r^{ce f}^o^r^th^{is tab}^l^{e is B}^y^r^d^’^s^Histo^r^ica^l^S^t^a^tistics^{, p.}
^{509, w}^ith^addition^a^{l details}^prov^{ided by}^Oles^zek^,^M^a^j^o^rⁱ^t^y^{and M}ⁱ^norⁱ^t^y^W^hⁱ^p^s^of^t^h^{e Senat}^e^.
^No^tes:^B^o^ld^ed^en^tr^{ies in}^dⁱ^{cate Co}ⁿ^g^r^{esses in}^w^h^ich^th^{e Rep}^u^b^lican^w^h^ip^w^a^{s also}^m^a^j^o^r^ity^w^h^ip^f^o^r^th
^at^leas^t^h^a^lf^of^th^{e C}^oⁿ^g^r^es^s^.^{For ex}^am^{ple, w}^h^{ile th}^{e R}^e^pu^blican^s^beg^aⁿ^th^{e 107}^Co^ngr^e^{ss w}ⁱ^t^h^a
^coⁿ^t^r^o^llin^g^m^a^j^o^r^ity^{, p}^a^r^t^y^coⁿ^t^r^o^{l sw}ⁱ^t^ch^ed^to^th^{e Dem}^o^cr^{ats in}^J^uⁿ^e^o^f^th^{e f}ⁱ^r^s^{t sessio}ⁿ^{; th}^e^th
¹⁰⁷^C^oⁿ^g^r^es^s^is^treated^as^bein^g^uⁿ^d^{er Dem}^o^{cratic pa}^rty^con^t^{rol in}^th^es^{e tables}^{, w}^h^{ere applicable.}
^{a. Wads}^w^o^rt^h^w^a^s^t^h^{e f}ⁱ^rs^t^R^e^pu^blⁱ^can^w^hⁱ^p^{, bu}^t^s^e^rv^{ed on}^l^y^on^{e w}^eek^bef^o^re^Se^na^t^o^r^Curtⁱ^s^w^a^s
ⁿ^a^m^e^{d h}ⁱ^s^s^u^cces^s^o^{r. S}^o^m^e^s^o^u^r^ces^des^c^ri^{be t}^h^{e s}^e^l^e^c^tⁱ^o^ns^a^s^appoiⁿ^t^m^eⁿ^t^s^,^bu^t^cl^earl^y^t^h^e
^party^ev^en^tu^ally^{elected in}^divⁱ^du^als^{to th}^{e pos}^{t. T}^h^{e con}^f^eren^{ce ru}^les^f^o^r^s^u^ch^s^e^lection^w^e^re
^f^o^r^m^a^l^l^y^codi^fⁱ^{ed on}^l^yⁱⁿ^{1944, bu}^t^t^h^{e el}^ectⁱ^oⁿ^practⁱ^{ce s}^eem^s^t^o^h^a^v^e^been^occu^rriⁿ^g^pri^o^r
^{to th}^is^{. See Oles}^zek^,^M^a^j^o^rⁱ^t^y^{and M}ⁱ^norⁱ^t^y^W^hⁱ^p^s^of^t^h^{e Senat}^e^{, p. 5.}
^{b. In}^di^cat^esⁱⁿ^di^vⁱ^du^al^s^w^h^{o l}^a^{ter adv}^aⁿ^{ced to f}^l^{oor leader.}
^{c. B}^e^tw^een^{1936 an}^{d 1943, th}^{e R}^e^pu^blican^w^h^{ip pos}^{t w}^a^s^f^illed^byⁱⁿ^f^o^rm^{al, irreg}^u^l^{ar appoin}^t^m^eⁿ^t
^by^th^{e R}^e^pu^blican^L^eader.
^d.^El^ect^{ed m}^a^j^o^ri^t^y^l^{eader, Ju}ⁿ^e^{12, 1996.}
^e.^{Elected to replace S}^eⁿ^a^{tor T}^r^en^{t L}^o^{tt as}^w^h^{ip, Ju}ⁿ^e^{12, 1996.}
^f^.^Sen^a^tor^J^oⁿ^L^.^Ky^{l w}^a^s^{elected to th}^{e pos}^itioⁿ^on^Decem^{ber 6, 2007, replacin}^g^Sen^a^{tor T}^r^en^{t L}^o^tt,
^w^h^{o res}ⁱ^gⁿ^e^{d f}^r^om^th^{e S}^eⁿ^a^{te s}^oon^th^ereaf^{ter (on}^Decem^{ber 18, 2007).}

Appendix: Political Party Abbreviations
AdamsAdams
Adams-Clay FAdams-Clay Federalist
Adams-Clay RAdams-Clay Republican
AJAnti-Jackson
AmAmerican (Know-Nothing)
Anti-Admin Anti-Administration
CConservative
CRRCrawford Republican
DDemocrat
FFederalist
FLFarmer-Labor
FSFree Soil
IIndependent
IDIndependent Democrat
IRIndependent Republican
JJacksonian
JRJacksonian Republican
LLiberty
LRLiberal Republican
NNullifier
N/AParty Unknown or No Party Affiliation
NRNational Republican
OPOpposition
POPopulist
PRProgressive
Pro-Admin Pro-Administration
RRepublican
R(DR)^aJeffersonian, Jeffersonian Republican, or
Democratic Republican
RAReadjuster
SSilver
SRSilver Republican
UUnionist
UUUnconditional Unionist
WWhig
^Source:^T^hⁱ^s^t^a^bl^{e i}^s^deri^v^e^{d f}^r^om^By^rd,^Histo^r^ica^l^S^t^a^tistics^{, p. x}^vⁱ^.
^a^.^Wh^ile^th^e^Bi^ogr^aphi^cal^Dⁱ^r^ect^or^{y of}^t^h^{e Am}^erⁱ^c^{an C}^ongr^es^s^,^1774-1996^id^en^tif^{ies th}^{e p}^a^r^t^y
^af^f^iliatioⁿ^o^f^cer^tain^Rep^r^esen^tativ^{es in}^ear^ly^Coⁿ^g^r^{esses as Rep}^u^b^lican^{s, th}^{e d}^e^sⁱ^gⁿ^a^tⁱ^oⁿ
^“^D^em^o^c^r^a^{tic Rep}^u^b^lican^{” is m}^o^r^e^f^a^m^iliar^to^r^ead^er^s.^T^h^{is d}^e^sigⁿ^a^tioⁿ^,^R(^DR)^,^sh^o^u^ldⁿ^o^{t b}^e
^tak^eⁿ^{to ref}^e^{r to th}^{e con}^t^em^porary^R^e^pu^blican^P^a^rty^,^w^h^ich^{did n}^o^{t em}^erg^e^uⁿ^{til th}^{e 1850s}^.

Source Notes and Bibliography
This report relies heavily on primary congressional sources and authoritative
documents such as the privately printed Biographical Directory of the American
Congress, 1774 to 1996, and a similar online adaptation, the Biographical Directory
of the United States Congress, 1774 to the Present. In addition, over the years,
individual Members of Congress, legislative aides, and scholars have gained limited
access to party conference journals. Reliable leadership lists have been compiled
from these sources. Where these have been published, they have been used as a
source in this report. This report also relies on secondary sources developed by
scholars. The Congressional Research Service made no attempt to gain access to
caucus or conference minutes in collecting data for this report.
Inevitably, conflicting interpretations occur in these data, even among sources
generally accepted as reliable. For example, there are disparities on the dates of
elections and tenure of Senate Presidents pro tempore between Byrd’s history, the
1911 Senate document, and Gamm and Smith’s research. The report attempts to
footnote these divergences where they occur.
Unless otherwise noted, the following sources were used to compile the tables
in this report:
Berdahl, Clarence. “Some Notes on Party Membership in Congress.” American
Political Science Review, vol. 43 (April 1949), pp. 309-332; (June 1949), pp.

492-508; and (August 1949), pp. 721-734.

Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-1996. Washington: CQ
Staff Directories Inc., 1997.
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774 to the Present.
Available online at [http://bioguide.congress.gov/biosearch/biosearch.asp].
Byrd, Robert C. The Senate, 1789-1989. 4 vols., 100^th Congress, 1^st session. S.
Doc. 100-20. Washington: GPO, 1988-1993.
Cannon, Clarence. “Party History.” Remarks in the appendix, Congressional
Record, vol. 89 (January 22, 1941), pp. A383-A384.
Congressional Directory. Washington: GPO, various years.
Congressional Globe. Washington, 1833-1873.
Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report. Washington: Congressional Quarterly,
Inc., various dates.
Congressional Record. Washington: GPO, 1873-present.
CRS Report RL30960. The President Pro Tempore of the U.S. Senate: History and
Authority of the Office, by Christopher M. Davis.

Deschler, Lewis. Deschler-Brown Precedents of the United States House of
Representatives. 16 vols. Washington: GPO, 1977-2000.
Galloway, George B. “Leadership in the House of Representatives.” The Western
Political Quarterly, vol. 12, no. 2, (June 1959), pp. 417-441.
Gamm, Gerald and Steven S. Smith. “Last Among Equals: The Senate’s Presiding
Officer.” In Burdett A. Loomis, ed., Esteemed Colleagues: Civility and
Deliberation in the U.S. Senate, pp. 105-134. Washington: Brookings
Institution Press, 2000.
Martis, Kenneth C. The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States
Congress, 1789-1989. New York: Macmillan, 1989.
Oleszek, Walter J. Majority and Minority Whips in the Senate: History and
Development of the Party Whip System in the U.S. Senate. 99^th Congress, 1^st
session. S. Doc. 99-23. Washington: GPO, 1985.
——. “John Worth Kern: Portrait of Floor Leader.” In Richard A. Baker and Roger
H. Davidson, eds., First Among Equals: Outstanding Senate Leaders of the
Twentieth Century, pp. 7-37. Washington: CQ Press, 1991.
Ripley, Randall B. Party Leaders in the House of Representatives. Washington:
Brookings Institution Press, 1967.
——. “The Party Whip Organizations in the United States House of
Representatives.” American Political Science Review, vol. 58 (September

1964), pp. 561-576.

Rothman, David J. Politics and Power. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press,

1966.

U.S. Congress. Hinds’ and Cannon’s Precedents of the House of Representatives
of the United States. 11 vols. Washington: GPO, 1907-1908, 1935-1941.
——. House. Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States, 1789-
present, various publishers.
——. Senate. Journal of the Senate of the United States, 1789-present, various
publishers.
——. Majority and Minority Leaders of the Senate: History and Development of
the Offices of the Floor Leaders. Prepared by Floyd M. Riddick. 99^th
Congress, 1^st session. S. Doc. 99-3. Washington: GPO, 1985.
——. President of the Senate Pro Tempore. 62^nd Congress, 2^nd session. S.Doc. 62-

101. Washington: GPO, 1911.

Widenor, William C. “Henry Cabot Lodge: The Astute Parliamentarian,” In Richard
A. Baker and Roger H. Davidson, eds., First Among Equals: Outstanding

1991.