Doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives
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An appointed officer of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1789 to 1995, the Doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives was chosen 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 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.
The office of Doorkeeper was abolished during the 104th Congress (Pub.L. 104-186). Thirty-three Doorkeepers served until the position was abolished by the 104th Congress and the office's duties were divided among the Sergeant at Arms, the Clerk of the House, and the newly created Chief Administrative Officer.
[edit] List of Doorkeepers
Two Doorkeepers also served as members of the United States House of Representatives (indicated below by asterisks) either prior to or after their service as a House officer.
| Congress (Years) | Doorkeepers, State or Territory<ref>A Doorkeeper's state or territory is listed when known.</ref> | Date Elected |
|---|---|---|
| 1st (1789-91) | Gifford Dalley<ref>Gifford Dalley's last name has been spelled "Dalley," "Dally," and "Dudley" in various editions of the Register of Debates.</ref> | April 4, 1789 |
| 2nd (1791-93) | October 24, 1791 | |
| 3rd (1793-95) | December 2, 1793 | |
| 4th (1795-97) | Thomas Claxton | December 7, 1795 |
| 5th (1797-99) | May 15, 1797 | |
| 6th (1799-1801) | December 2, 1799 | |
| 7th (1801-03) | December 7, 1801 | |
| 8th (1803-05) | October 17, 1803 | |
| 9th (1805-07) | December 2, 1805 | |
| 10th (1807-09) | October 27, 1807 | |
| 11th (1809-11) | May 22, 1809 | |
| 12th (1811-13) | November 4, 1811 | |
| 13th (1813-15) | May 24, 1813 | |
| 14th (1815-17) | December 4, 1815 | |
| 15th (1817-19) | December 1, 1817 | |
| 16th (1819-21) | December 6, 1819 | |
| 17th (1821-23) | Benjamin Birch, MD | December 4, 1821 |
| 18th (1823-25) | December 1, 1823 | |
| 19th (1825-27) | December 5, 1825 | |
| 20th (1827-29) | December 3, 1827 | |
| 21st (1829-31) | December 7, 1829 | |
| 22nd (1831-33) | Overton Carr, MD | December 7, 1831 |
| 23rd (1833-35) | December 3, 1833 | |
| 24th (1835-37) | December 15, 1835 | |
| 25th (1837-39) | September 4, 1837 | |
| 26th (1839-41) | Joseph Follansbee, MA | December 23, 1839 |
| 27th (1841-43) | June 9, 1841 | |
| 28th (1843-45) | Jesse E. Dow, CT | December 7, 1843 |
| 29th (1845-47) | Cornelius S. Whitney, DC | December 3, 1845 |
| 30th (1847-49) | Robert E. Horner, NJ | December 8, 1847 |
| 31st (1849-51) | N/A<ref>Election of Doorkeeper was postponed to March 1, 1851, when it was postponed indefinitely. Horner retained the duties of Doorkeeper from the 30th Congress until his removal on May 27, 1850. House Journal, 31st Cong., 1st sess., (May 27, 1850): 966; House Journal, 31st Cong., 2nd sess., (March 3, 1851): 406.</ref> | |
| 32nd (1851-53) | Zadock W. McKnew, MD | December 1, 1851 |
| 33rd (1853-55) | December 5, 1853 | |
| 34th (1855-57) | Nathan Darling, NY | February 5, 1856 |
| 35th (1857-59) | Robert B. Hackney, VA | December 7, 1857 |
| 36th (1859-61) | George Marston, NH | February 6, 1860 |
| 37th (1861-63) | Ira Goodnow, NY | July 5, 1861 |
| 38th (1863-65) | December 8, 1863 | |
| 39th (1865-67) | December 4, 1865 | |
| 40th (1867-69) | Charles E. Lippincott, IL | March 5, 1867 |
| 41st (1869-71) | Otis S. Buxton, NY | March 5, 1869 |
| 42nd (1871-73) | March 4, 1871 | |
| 43rd (1873-75) | December 1, 1873 | |
| 44th (1875-77) | Lafayette H. Fitzhugh, TX | December 6, 1875 |
| 45th (1877-79) | John W. Polk, MO | October 17, 1877 |
| 46th (1879-81) | Charles W. Field, GA | March 18, 1879 |
| 47th (1881-83) | Walter P. Brownlow, TN* | December 5, 1881 |
| 48th (1883-85) | James G. Wintersmith, TX | December 4, 1883 |
| 49th (1885-87) | Samuel Donelson, TN | December 7, 1885 |
| 50th (1887-89) | Alvin B. Hurt, MS | December 5, 1887 |
| 51st (1889-91) | Charles E. Adams, MD | December 2, 1889 |
| 52nd (1891-93) | Charles H. Turner, NY* | December 8, 1891 |
| 53rd (1893-95) | Alvin B. Hurt, TN<ref>Hurt 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.</ref> | August 7, 1893 |
| 54th (1895-97) | William J. Glenn, NY | December 2, 1895 |
| 55th (1897-99) | March 15, 1897 | |
| 56th (1899-1901) | December 4, 1899 | |
| 57th (1901-03) | December 2, 1901 | |
| 58th (1903-05) | Frank B. Lyon, NY | November 9, 1903 |
| 59th (1905-07) | December 4, 1905 | |
| 60th (1907-09) | December 2, 1907 | |
| 61st (1909-11) | March 15, 1909 | |
| 62nd (1911-13) | Joseph J. Sinnott, VA | April 4, 1911 |
| 63rd (1913-15) | April 7, 1913 | |
| 64th (1915-17) | December 6, 1915 | |
| 65th (1917-19) | April 2, 1917 | |
| 66th (1919-21) | Bert W. Kennedy, MI | May 19, 1919 |
| 67th (1921-23) | April 11, 1921 | |
| 68th (1923-25) | December 5, 1923 | |
| 69th (1925-27) | December 7, 1925 | |
| 70th (1927-29) | December 5, 1927 | |
| 71st (1929-31) | April 15, 1929 | |
| 72nd (1931-33) | Joseph J. Sinnott, VA<ref>Died on January 27, 1943. See, House Journal, 78th Cong., 1st sess. (January 28, 1943): 72.</ref> | December 7, 1931 |
| 73rd (1933-35) | March 9, 1933 | |
| 74th (1935-37) | January 31935 | |
| 75th (1937-39) | January 51937 | |
| 76th (1939-41) | January 31939 | |
| 77th (1941-43) | January 31941 | |
| 78th (1943-45) | January 61943 | |
| Robert R. Roberts, IN<ref>Elected on February 5, 1943. See, House Journal, 78th Cong., 1st sess. (February 5, 1943): 86.</ref> | February 5, 1943 | |
| 79th (1945-47) | January 31945 | |
| 80th (1947-49) | M.L. Meletio, MO | January 31947 |
| 81st (1949-51) | William M. Miller, MS | January 31949 |
| 82nd (1951-53) | January 31951 | |
| 83rd (1953-55) | Tom J. Kennamer, MO | January 31953 |
| 84th (1955-57) | William M. Miller, MS<ref>Resigned effective December 31, 1974. See, Congressional Record, 93rd Cong., 2nd sess. (December 19, 1974): 2549.</ref> | January 51955 |
| 85th (1957-59) | January 31957 | |
| 86th (1959-61) | January 71959 | |
| 87th (1961-63) | January 31961 | |
| 88th (1963-65) | January 91963 | |
| 89th (1965-67) | January 41965 | |
| 90th (1967-69) | January 101967 | |
| 91st (1969-71) | January 31969 | |
| 92nd (1971-73) | January 211971 | |
| 93rd (1973-75) | January 3,1973 | |
| James T. Molloy, NY<ref>Appointed “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.</ref> | December 31, 1974 | |
| 94th (1975-77) | January 141975 | |
| 95th (1977-79) | January 41977 | |
| 96th (1979-81) | January 151979 | |
| 97th (1981-83) | January 51981 | |
| 98th (1983-85) | January 31983 | |
| 99th (1985-87) | January 31985 | |
| 100th (1987-89) | January 61987 | |
| 101st (1989-91) | January 31989 | |
| 102nd (1991-93) | January 31991 | |
| 103rd (1993-95) | January 51993 |
[edit] Notes
<references/>
[edit] Sources
- Clerk of the House:
- House Journal, various editions; Congressional Record, various editions;
- Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (2005);
- Congressional Directory, various editions;
- Donald Bacon, et al., Encyclopedia of the U.S. Congress, vol. 1 (NY: Simon and Schuster, 1995): 659-661.
