List of speakers of the United States House of Representatives facts for kids

The speaker of the United States House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The office was established in 1789 by Article I, Section 2, of the U.S. Constitution. The speaker is the political and parliamentary leader of the House, and is simultaneously the body's presiding officer, the de facto leader of the body's majority party, and the institution's administrative head. Speakers also perform various administrative and procedural functions, all in addition to representing their own congressional district. Given these several roles and responsibilities, the speaker usually does not personally preside over debates. That duty is instead delegated to members of the House from the majority party. Neither does the speaker regularly participate in floor debates. Additionally, the speaker is second in the presidential line of succession, after the vice president and ahead of the president pro tempore of the Senate.

The House elects a new speaker by roll call vote when it first convenes after a general election for its two-year term, or when a speaker dies, resigns or is removed from the position intra-term. A majority of votes cast (as opposed to a majority of the full membership of the House) is necessary to elect a speaker. If no candidate receives a majority vote, then the roll call is repeated until a speaker is elected. The Constitution does not require the speaker to be an incumbent member of the House, although every speaker thus far has been. Altogether, 56 individuals, from 24 states, have served as speaker of the House.

List of speakers

The House has elected a speaker 128 times since 1789: at the start of each of the 118 congresses, plus on 10 occasions when a vacancy arose during a Congress via death, resignation, or motion to vacate. Of the 56 people who have served as speaker of the House over the past 235 years, 32 served multiple terms; seven of them served nonconsecutive terms: Frederick Muhlenberg, Henry Clay, John W. Taylor, Thomas Brackett Reed, Joseph W. Martin Jr., Sam Rayburn, and Nancy Pelosi. Altogether, there have been 65 occasions on which a new speaker took office. Every speaker of the House has been a member of a political party or faction; the number affiliated with each is:

      Democratic – 22;       Republican – 18;       Democratic-Republican – 6;       Jacksonian – 3;       Whig – 3;       Federalist – 2;       Pro-Administration – 2;       National Republican – 1;       American – 1;       Anti-Administration – 1.

List of speakers of the United States House of Representatives

Congress	Term	Portrait	Name	Party		District
001 1st	April 1, 1789 – March 4, 1791		Muhlenberg, FrederickFrederick Muhlenberg		Pro-Administration	Pennsylvania at-large
002 2nd	October 24, 1791 – March 4, 1793		Trumbull Jr., JonathanJonathan Trumbull Jr.			Connecticut at-large
003 3rd	December 2, 1793 – March 4, 1795		Muhlenberg, FrederickFrederick Muhlenberg		Anti-Administration	Pennsylvania at-large
004 4th	December 7, 1795 – March 4, 1797		Dayton, JonathanJonathan Dayton		Federalist	New Jersey at-large
005 5th	May 15, 1797 – March 4, 1799
006 6th	December 2, 1799 – March 4, 1801		Sedgwick, TheodoreTheodore Sedgwick			Massachusetts 1
007 7th	December 7, 1801 – March 4, 1803		Macon, NathanielNathaniel Macon		Democratic- Republican	North Carolina 5
008 8th	October 17, 1803 – March 4, 1805					North Carolina 6
009 9th	December 2, 1805 – March 4, 1807
010 10th	October 26, 1807 – March 4, 1809		Varnum, Joseph BradleyJoseph Bradley Varnum			Massachusetts 4
011 11th	May 22, 1809 – March 4, 1811
012 12th	November 4, 1811 – March 4, 1813		Clay, HenryHenry Clay			Kentucky 5
013 13th	May 24, 1813 – January 19, 1814					Kentucky 2
	January 19, 1814 – March 4, 1815		Cheves, LangdonLangdon Cheves			South Carolina 1
015 14th	December 4, 1815 – March 4, 1817		Clay, HenryHenry Clay			Kentucky 2
016 15th	December 1, 1817 – March 4, 1819
017 16th	December 6, 1819 – October 28, 1820
	November 15, 1820 – March 4, 1821		Taylor, John W.John W. Taylor			New York 11
019 17th	December 4, 1821 – March 4, 1823		Barbour, Philip P.Philip P. Barbour			Virginia 11
020 18th	December 1, 1823 – March 6, 1825		Clay, HenryHenry Clay			Kentucky 3
021 19th	December 5, 1825 – March 4, 1827		Taylor, John W.John W. Taylor		National Republican (Pro-Adams)	New York 17
022 20th	December 3, 1827 – March 4, 1829		Stevenson, AndrewAndrew Stevenson		Jacksonian	Virginia 9
023 21st	December 7, 1829 – March 4, 1831
024 22nd	December 5, 1831 – March 4, 1833
025 23rd	December 2, 1833 – June 2, 1834					Virginia 11
	June 2, 1834 – March 4, 1835		Bell, JohnJohn Bell			Tennessee 7
027 24th	December 7, 1835 – March 4, 1837		Polk, James K.James K. Polk			Tennessee 9
028 25th	September 4, 1837 – March 4, 1839				Democratic
029 26th	December 16, 1839 – March 4, 1841		Hunter, Robert M. T.Robert M. T. Hunter		Whig	Virginia 9
030 27th	May 31, 1841 – March 4, 1843		White, JohnJohn White			Kentucky 9
031 28th	December 4, 1843 – March 4, 1845		Jones, John WinstonJohn Winston Jones		Democratic	Virginia 6
032 29th	December 1, 1845 – March 4, 1847		Davis, John WesleyJohn Wesley Davis			Indiana 6
033 30th	December 6, 1847 – March 4, 1849		Winthrop, Robert CharlesRobert Charles Winthrop		Whig	Massachusetts 1
034 31st	December 22, 1849 – March 4, 1851		Cobb, HowellHowell Cobb		Democratic	Georgia 6
035 32nd	December 1, 1851 – March 4, 1853		Boyd, LinnLinn Boyd			Kentucky 1
036 33rd	December 5, 1853 – March 4, 1855
037 34th	February 2, 1856 – March 4, 1857		Banks, Nathaniel P.Nathaniel P. Banks		American	Massachusetts 7
038 35th	December 7, 1857 – March 4, 1859		Orr, James LawrenceJames Lawrence Orr		Democratic	South Carolina 5
039 36th	February 1, 1860 – March 4, 1861		Pennington, WilliamWilliam Pennington		Republican	New Jersey 5
040 37th	July 4, 1861 – March 4, 1863		Grow, Galusha A.Galusha A. Grow			Pennsylvania 14
041 38th	December 7, 1863 – March 4, 1865		Colfax, SchuylerSchuyler Colfax			Indiana 9
042 39th	December 4, 1865 – March 4, 1867
043 40th	March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1869
	March 3, 1869 – March 4, 1869		Pomeroy, Theodore M.Theodore M. Pomeroy			New York 24
045 41st	March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1871		Blaine, James G.James G. Blaine			Maine 3
046 42nd	March 4, 1871 – March 4, 1873
047 43rd	March 4, 1873 – March 4, 1875
048 44th	December 6, 1875 – August 19, 1876		Kerr, Michael C.Michael C. Kerr		Democratic	Indiana 3
	December 4, 1876 – March 4, 1877		Randall, Samuel J.Samuel J. Randall			Pennsylvania 3
050 45th	October 15, 1877 – March 4, 1879
051 46th	March 18, 1879 – March 4, 1881
052 47th	December 5, 1881 – March 4, 1883		Keifer, J. WarrenJ. Warren Keifer		Republican	Ohio 8
053 48th	December 3, 1883 – March 4, 1885		Carlisle, John G.John G. Carlisle		Democratic	Kentucky 6
054 49th	December 7, 1885 – March 4, 1887
055 50th	December 5, 1887 – March 4, 1889
056 51st	December 2, 1889 – March 4, 1891		Reed, Thomas BrackettThomas Brackett Reed		Republican	Maine 1
057 52nd	December 8, 1891 – March 4, 1893		Crisp, Charles FrederickCharles Frederick Crisp		Democratic	Georgia 3
058 53rd	August 7, 1893 – March 4, 1895
059 54th	December 2, 1895 – March 4, 1897		Reed, Thomas BrackettThomas Brackett Reed		Republican	Maine 1
060 55th	March 15, 1897 – March 4, 1899
061 56th	December 4, 1899 – March 4, 1901		Henderson, David B.David B. Henderson			Iowa 3
062 57th	December 2, 1901 – March 4, 1903
063 58th	November 9, 1903 – March 4, 1905		Cannon, Joseph GurneyJoseph Gurney Cannon			Illinois 18
064 59th	December 4, 1905 – March 4, 1907
065 60th	December 2, 1907 – March 4, 1909
066 61st	March 15, 1909 – March 4, 1911
067 62nd	April 4, 1911 – March 4, 1913		Clark, ChampChamp Clark		Democratic	Missouri 9
068 63rd	April 7, 1913 – March 4, 1915
069 64th	December 6, 1915 – March 4, 1917
070 65th	April 2, 1917 – March 4, 1919
071 66th	May 19, 1919 – March 4, 1921		Gillett, Frederick H.Frederick H. Gillett		Republican	Massachusetts 2
072 67th	April 11, 1921 – March 4, 1923
073 68th	December 5, 1923 – March 4, 1925
074 69th	December 7, 1925 – March 4, 1927		Longworth, NicholasNicholas Longworth			Ohio 1
075 70th	December 5, 1927 – March 4, 1929
076 71st	April 15, 1929 – March 4, 1931
077 72nd	December 7, 1931 – March 4, 1933		Garner, John NanceJohn Nance Garner		Democratic	Texas 15
078 73rd	March 9, 1933 – August 19, 1934		Rainey, Henry ThomasHenry Thomas Rainey			Illinois 20
079 74th	January 3, 1935 – June 4, 1936		Byrns, JoJo Byrns			Tennessee 5
	June 4, 1936 – January 3, 1937		Bankhead, William B.William B. Bankhead			Alabama 7
081 75th	January 5, 1937 – January 3, 1939
082 76th	January 3, 1939 – September 15, 1940
	September 16, 1940 – January 3, 1941		Rayburn, SamSam Rayburn			Texas 4
084 77th	January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1943
085 78th	January 6, 1943 – January 3, 1945
086 79th	January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1947
087 80th	January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949		Martin Jr., Joseph W.Joseph W. Martin Jr.		Republican	Massachusetts 14
088 81st	January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1951		Rayburn, SamSam Rayburn		Democratic	Texas 4
089 82nd	January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1953
090 83rd	January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1955		Martin Jr., Joseph W.Joseph W. Martin Jr.		Republican	Massachusetts 14
091 84th	January 3, 1955 – January 3, 1957		Rayburn, SamSam Rayburn		Democratic	Texas 4
092 85th	January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1959
093 86th	January 7, 1959 – January 3, 1961
094 87th	January 3, 1961 – November 16, 1961
	January 10, 1962 – January 3, 1963		McCormack, John W.John W. McCormack			Massachusetts 12
096 88th	January 9, 1963 – January 3, 1965					Massachusetts 9
097 89th	January 4, 1965 – January 3, 1967
098 90th	January 10, 1967 – January 3, 1969
099 91st	January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1971
100 92nd	January 21, 1971 – January 3, 1973		Albert, CarlCarl Albert			Oklahoma 3
101 93rd	January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1975
102 94th	January 14, 1975 – January 3, 1977
103 95th	January 4, 1977 – January 3, 1979		O'Neill, TipTip O'Neill			Massachusetts 8
104 96th	January 15, 1979 – January 3, 1981
105 97th	January 5, 1981 – January 3, 1983
106 98th	January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1985
107 99th	January 3, 1985 – January 3, 1987
108 100th	January 6, 1987 – January 3, 1989		Wright, JimJim Wright			Texas 12
109 101st	January 3, 1989 – June 6, 1989
	June 6, 1989 – January 3, 1991		Foley, TomTom Foley			Washington 5
111 102nd	January 3, 1991 – January 3, 1993
112 103rd	January 5, 1993 – January 3, 1995
113 104th	January 4, 1995 – January 3, 1997		Gingrich, NewtNewt Gingrich		Republican	Georgia 6
114 105th	January 7, 1997 – January 3, 1999
115 106th	January 6, 1999 – January 3, 2001		Hastert, DennisDennis Hastert			Illinois 14
116 107th	January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2003
117 108th	January 7, 2003 – January 3, 2005
118 109th	January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2007
119 110th	January 4, 2007 – January 3, 2009		Pelosi, NancyNancy Pelosi		Democratic	California 8
120 111th	January 6, 2009 – January 3, 2011
121 112th	January 5, 2011 – January 3, 2013		Boehner, JohnJohn Boehner		Republican	Ohio 8
122 113th	January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2015
123 114th	January 6, 2015 – October 29, 2015
	October 29, 2015 – January 3, 2017		Ryan, PaulPaul Ryan			Wisconsin 1
125 115th	January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2019
126 116th	January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2021		Pelosi, NancyNancy Pelosi		Democratic	California 12
127 117th	January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023
128 118th	January 7, 2023 – October 3, 2023		McCarthy, KevinKevin McCarthy		Republican	California 20
	October 25, 2023 – Incumbent		Johnson, MikeMike Johnson			Louisiana 4
References:

Speakers by time in office

The durations mentioned below are calculated based on date differences; if one were to count by the number of calendar days, all the values would be one day longer.

Additionally, since many speakers held office for multiple terms, often with non-consecutive periods, the time listed for each speaker represents the total length of their time as speaker. It is important to note that the period between the adjournment of one Congress and the convening of the next Congress is not included in the calculations. For instance, Nathaniel Macon served as speaker during both the 8th and 9th Congresses, but the eight-month gap between the two Congresses is not included in his service duration. The exact dates of service for each individual speaker is shown in the Term of service column of the above table.

Official seal of the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives

Sam Rayburn, longest serving speaker of the House, 17 years, 53 days (cumulative)

Tip O'Neill, longest uninterrupted tenure of office, 9 years, 350 days

Theodore M. Pomeroy, shortest tenure of office, 1 day

Timeline

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Presidentes de la Cámara de Representantes de los Estados Unidos para niños