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An appointed officer of theUnited States House of Representatives from 1789 until 1995, thedoorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives was chosen by aresolution at the opening of eachUnited States Congress. The Office of the Doorkeeper was based on precedent from theContinental Congresses. Without debate, thefirst 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 doorkeeper's most visible job was introducing American presidents and foreign dignitaries to Congress. For 18 years, before theState of the Union address, DoorkeeperJames T. Molloy announced, "Mister Speaker, the president of the United States."[1]
The Office of the Doorkeeper was abolished during the104th Congress (Pub. L. 104–186 (text)(PDF)) in an effort to save money.[2][3] Thirty-three doorkeepers served until the position was abolished and the office's duties were divided among thesergeant at arms, theclerk of the House, and the newly createdchief administrative officer.
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[4] | Date elected |
|---|---|---|
| 1st (1789–91) | Gifford Dalley,[5]NY | April 4, 1789 |
| 2nd (1791–93) | October 24, 1791 | |
| 3rd (1793–95) | December 2, 1793 | |
| 4th (1795–97) | Thomas Claxton,CT | 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,[6]MD | December 7, 1831 |
| 23rd (1833–35) | December 3, 1833 | |
| 24th (1835–37) | December 15, 1835 | |
| 25th (1837–39) | September 4, 1837 | |
| Joseph Follansbee,MA | April 5, 1838[7] | |
| 26th (1839–41) | 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[8] | |
| 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[9] | December 7, 1857 |
| Joseph L. Wright,NJ[10] | May 18, 1858 | |
| 36th (1859–61) | December 5, 1859 | |
| 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[11] | December 6, 1875 |
| John H. Patterson,NJ[12] | May 26, 1876 | |
| 45th (1877–79) | John W. Polk,MO[13] | October 17, 1877 |
| Charles W. Field,GA[14] | April 8, 1878 | |
| 46th (1879–81) | 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[15] | 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[16] | |
| Frank B. Lyon,NY | March 18, 1902 | |
| 58th (1903–05) | 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[17] | December 7, 1931 |
| 73rd (1933–35) | March 9, 1933 | |
| 74th (1935–37) | January 3, 1935 | |
| 75th (1937–39) | January 5, 1937 | |
| 76th (1939–41) | January 3, 1939 | |
| 77th (1941–43) | January 3, 1941 | |
| 78th (1943–45) | January 6, 1943 | |
| Ralph R. Roberts,IN[18] | February 5, 1943 | |
| 79th (1945–47) | January 3, 1945 | |
| 80th (1947–49) | M.L. Meletio,MO | January 3, 1947 |
| 81st (1949–51) | William M. Miller,MS | January 3, 1949 |
| 82nd (1951–53) | January 3, 1951 | |
| 83rd (1953–55) | Tom J. Kennamer,MO | January 3, 1953 |
| 84th (1955–57) | William M. Miller,MS[19] | January 5, 1955 |
| 85th (1957–59) | January 3, 1957 | |
| 86th (1959–61) | January 7, 1959 | |
| 87th (1961–63) | January 3, 1961 | |
| 88th (1963–65) | January 9, 1963 | |
| 89th (1965–67) | January 4, 1965 | |
| 90th (1967–69) | January 10, 1967 | |
| 91st (1969–71) | January 3, 1969 | |
| 92nd (1971–73) | January 21, 1971 | |
| 93rd (1973–75) | January 3, 1973 | |
| James T. Molloy,NY[20] | December 31, 1974 | |
| 94th (1975–77) | January 14, 1975 | |
| 95th (1977–79) | January 4, 1977 | |
| 96th (1979–81) | January 15, 1979 | |
| 97th (1981–83) | January 5, 1981 | |
| 98th (1983–85) | January 3, 1983 | |
| 99th (1985–87) | January 3, 1985 | |
| 100th (1987–89) | January 6, 1987 | |
| 101st (1989–91) | January 3, 1989 | |
| 102nd (1991–93) | January 3, 1991 | |
| 103rd (1993–95) | January 5, 1993 |