The 68th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 1923, to March 4, 1925, during the last months of Warren G. Harding's presidency, and the first years of the administration of his successor, Calvin Coolidge. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1910 United States census.
Both chambers maintained a Republican majority—albeit greatly reduced from the previous Congress and with losing supermajority status in the House—and along with President Harding, the Republicans maintained an overall federal government trifecta.
Major events
August 2, 1923: President Warren G. Harding dies, and Vice President Calvin Coolidge becomes President of the United States December 3–5, 1923: The election for the House speakership takes 9 ballots
Major legislation
April 26, 1924: Seed and Feed Loan Act May 19, 1924: World War Adjusted Compensation Act (Bonus Bill), Sess. 1, ch. 157, May 24, 1924: Rogers Act May 26, 1924: Immigration Act of 1924 (Johnson–Reed Act), Sess. 1, ch. 190, May 29, 1924: Indian Oil Leasing Act of 1924 (Lenroot Act) June 2, 1924: Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 (Snyder Act), Sess. 1, ch. 233, June 2, 1924: Revenue Act of 1924 (Simmons–Longworth Act), Sess. 1, ch. 234, June 3, 1924: Inland Waterways Act of 1924 (Denison Act) June 7, 1924: Pueblo Lands Act of 1924 June 7, 1924: Oil Pollution Act of 1924, , ch. 316, June 7, 1924: Clarke–McNary Act, Sess. 1, ch. 348, January 30, 1925: Hoch–Smith Resolution January 31, 1925: Special Duties Act February 2, 1925: Air Mail Act of 1925 (Kelly Act) February 12, 1925: Federal Arbitration Act February 16, 1925: Home Port Act of 1925 February 24, 1925: Purnell Act February 27, 1925: Temple Act February 28, 1925: Classification Act of 1925 February 28, 1925: Federal Corrupt Practices Act (Gerry Act) March 2, 1925: Judiciary Act of 1925 March 3, 1925: River and Harbors Act of 1925 March 3, 1925: Helium Act of 1925 March 4, 1925: Establishment of the United States Navy Band March 4, 1925: Probation Act of 1925
Constitutional amendments June 2, 1924: Approved an amendment to the United States Constitution that would specifically authorize Congress to regulate "labor of persons under eighteen years of age", and submitted it to the state legislatures for ratification This amendment, commonly known as the Child Labor Amendment, has not been ratified and is still pending before the states.
Party summary The count below identifies party affiliations at the beginning of the first session of this Congress, and includes members from vacancies and newly admitted states, when they were first seated. Changes resulting from subsequent replacements are shown below.
Senate
House of Representatives
Leadership Calvin Coolidge (R)Albert B. Cummins (R)
Senate President: Calvin Coolidge (R), until August 3, 1923; vacant thereafter. President pro tempore: Albert B. Cummins (R)
Majority (Republican) leadership Majority leader: Charles Curtis Majority whip: Wesley L. Jones Republican Conference Secretary: James Wolcott Wadsworth Jr. National Senatorial Committee Chair: George H. Moses
Minority (Democratic) leadership Minority leader: Joseph T. Robinson Minority whip: Peter G. Gerry Democratic Caucus Secretary: William H. King
House of Representatives Speaker: Frederick H. Gillett (R) elected December 5, 1923, after 9 rounds of balloting
Majority (Republican) leadership Majority leader: Nicholas Longworth Majority Whip: Albert H. Vestal Republican Conference Chairman: Sydney Anderson Republican Campaign Committee Chairman: William R. Wood
Minority (Democratic) leadership Minority Leader: Finis J. Garrett Minority Whip: William Allan Oldfield Democratic Caucus Chairman: Henry Thomas Rainey Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Arthur B. Rouse
Members This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives are listed by district.
Skip to House of Representatives, below
Senate
Senators were elected every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election. In this Congress, Class 1 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring re-election in 1928; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring re-election in 1924; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring re-election in 1926.
Alabama 2. J. Thomas Heflin (D) 3. Oscar Underwood (D)
Arizona 1. Henry F. Ashurst (D) 3. Ralph H. Cameron (R)
Arkansas 2. Joseph Taylor Robinson (D) 3. Thaddeus H. Caraway (D)
California 1. Hiram W. Johnson (R) 3. Samuel M. Shortridge (R)
Colorado 2. Lawrence C. Phipps (R) 3. Samuel D. Nicholson (R), until March 24, 1923 Alva B. Adams (D), from May 17, 1923, until November 30, 1924 Rice W. Means (R), from December 1, 1924
Connecticut 1. George P. McLean (R) 3. Frank B. Brandegee (R), until October 14, 1924 Hiram Bingham III (R), from December 17, 1924
Delaware 1. Thomas F. Bayard Jr. (D) 2. L. Heisler Ball (R)
Florida 1. Park Trammell (D) 3. Duncan U. Fletcher (D)
Georgia 2. William J. Harris (D) 3. Walter F. George (D)
Idaho 2. William E. Borah (R) 3. Frank R. Gooding (R)
Illinois 2. J. Medill McCormick (R), until February 25, 1925 Charles S. Deneen (R), from February 26, 1925 3. William B. McKinley (R)
Indiana 1. Samuel M. Ralston (D) 3. James E. Watson (R)
Iowa 2. Smith W. Brookhart (R) 3. Albert B. Cummins (R)
Kansas 2. Arthur Capper (R) 3. Charles Curtis (R)
Kentucky 2. Augustus O. Stanley (D) 3. Richard P. Ernst (R)
Louisiana 2. Joseph E. Ransdell (D) 3. Edwin S. Broussard (D)
Maine 1. Frederick Hale (R) 2. Bert M. Fernald (R)
Maryland 1. William Cabell Bruce (D) 3. Ovington E. Weller (R)
Massachusetts 1. Henry Cabot Lodge (R), until November 9, 1924 William M. Butler (R), from November 13, 1924 2. David I. Walsh (D)
Michigan 1. Woodbridge N. Ferris (D) 2. James J. Couzens (R)
Minnesota 1. Henrik Shipstead (FL) 2. Knute Nelson (R), until April 28, 1923 Magnus Johnson (FL), from July 16, 1923
Mississippi 1. Hubert D. Stephens (D) 2. Pat Harrison (D)
Missouri 1. James A. Reed (D) 3. Selden P. Spencer (R)
Montana 1. Burton K. Wheeler (D) 2. Thomas J. Walsh (D)
Nebraska 1. Robert B. Howell (R) 2. George W. Norris (R)
Nevada 1. Key Pittman (D) 3. Tasker Oddie (R)
New Hampshire 2. Henry W. Keyes (R) 3. George H. Moses (R)
New Jersey 1. Edward I. Edwards (D) 2. Walter E. Edge (R)
New Mexico 1. Andrieus A. Jones (D) 2. Holm O. Bursum (R)
New York 1. Royal S. Copeland (D) 3. James W. Wadsworth Jr. (R)
North Carolina 3. Lee S. Overman (D) 2. Furnifold M. Simmons (D)
North Dakota 1. Lynn Frazier (R-NPL) 3. Edwin F. Ladd (R)
Ohio 1. Simeon D. Fess (R) 3. Frank B. Willis (R)
Oklahoma 2. Robert L. Owen (D) 3. John W. Harreld (R)
Oregon 2. Charles L. McNary (R) 3. Robert N. Stanfield (R)
Pennsylvania 1. David A. Reed (R) 3. George Wharton Pepper (R)
Rhode Island 1. Peter G. Gerry (D) 2. LeBaron B. Colt (R), until August 18, 1924 Jesse H. Metcalf (R), from November 5, 1924
South Carolina 2. Nathaniel B. Dial (D) 3. Ellison D. Smith (D)
South Dakota 2. Thomas Sterling (R) 3. Peter Norbeck (R)
Tennessee 1. Kenneth D. McKellar (D) 2. John K. Shields (D)
Texas 1. Earle B. Mayfield (D) 2. Morris Sheppard (D)
Utah 1. William H. King (D) 3. Reed Smoot (R)
Vermont 1. Frank L. Greene (R) 3. William P. Dillingham (R), until July 12, 1923 Porter H. Dale (R), from November 7, 1923
Virginia 1. Claude A. Swanson (D) 2. Carter Glass (D)
Washington 1. Clarence Cleveland Dill (D) 3. Wesley L. Jones (R)
West Virginia 1. Matthew M. Neely (D) 2. Davis Elkins (R)
Wisconsin 1. Robert M. La Follette Sr. (R) 3. Irvine L. Lenroot (R)
Wyoming 1. John B. Kendrick (D) 2. Francis E. Warren (R)
House of Representatives
The names of representatives elected statewide on the general ticket or otherwise at-large, are preceded by their district numbers.
Alabama . John McDuffie (D) . John R. Tyson (D), until March 27, 1923 J. Lister Hill (D), from August 14, 1923 . Henry B. Steagall (D) . Lamar Jeffers (D) . William B. Bowling (D) . William B. Oliver (D) . Miles C. Allgood (D) . Edward B. Almon (D) . George Huddleston (D) . William B. Bankhead (D)
Arizona . Carl Hayden (D)
Arkansas . William J. Driver (D) . William A. Oldfield (D) . John N. Tillman (D) . Otis Wingo (D) . Heartsill Ragon (D) . Lewis E. Sawyer (D), until May 5, 1923 James B. Reed (D), from October 6, 1923 . Tilman B. Parks (D)
California . Clarence F. Lea (D) . John E. Raker (D) . Charles F. Curry (R) . Julius Kahn (R), until December 18, 1924 . Mae E. Nolan (R) . James H. MacLafferty (R) . Henry E. Barbour (R) . Arthur M. Free (R) . Walter F. Lineberger (R) . John D. Fredericks (R), from May 1, 1923 . Philip D. Swing (R)
Colorado . William N. Vaile (R) . Charles Bateman Timberlake (R) . Guy U. Hardy (R) . Edward T. Taylor (D)
Connecticut . E. Hart Fenn (R) . Richard P. Freeman (R) . John Q. Tilson (R) . Schuyler Merritt (R) . Patrick B. O'Sullivan (D)
Delaware . William H. Boyce (D)
Florida . Herbert J. Drane (D) . Frank Clark (D) . John H. Smithwick (D) . William J. Sears (D)
Georgia . R. Lee Moore (D) . Frank Park (D) . Charles R. Crisp (D) . William C. Wright (D) . William D. Upshaw (D) . James W. Wise (D) . Gordon Lee (D) . Charles H. Brand (D) . Thomas Montgomery Bell (D) . Carl Vinson (D) . William C. Lankford (D) . William W. Larsen (D)
Idaho . Burton L. French (R) . Addison T. Smith (R)
Illinois . Martin B. Madden (R) . Morton D. Hull (R), from April 3, 1923 . Elliott W. Sproul (R) . John W. Rainey (D), until May 4, 1923 Thomas A. Doyle (D), from November 6, 1923 . Adolph J. Sabath (D) . James R. Buckley (D) . M. Alfred Michaelson (R) . Stanley H. Kunz (D) . Frederick A. Britten (R) . Carl R. Chindblom (R) . Frank R. Reid (R) . Charles Eugene Fuller (R) . John C. McKenzie (R) . William J. Graham (R), until June 7, 1924 . Edward John King (R) . William E. Hull (R) . Frank H. Funk (R) . William P. Holaday (R) . Allen F. Moore (R) . Henry T. Rainey (D) . J. Earl Major (D) . Edward E. Miller (R) . William W. Arnold (D) . Thomas S. Williams (R) . Edward E. Denison (R) . Henry R. Rathbone (R) . Richard Yates Jr. (R)
Indiana . William E. Wilson (D) . Arthur H. Greenwood (D) . Frank Gardner (D) . Harry C. Canfield (D) . Everett Sanders (R) . Richard N. Elliott (R) . Merrill Moores (R) . Albert H. Vestal (R) . Fred S. Purnell (R) . William R. Wood (R) . Samuel E. Cook (D) . Louis W. Fairfield (R) . Andrew J. Hickey (R)
Iowa . William F. Kopp (R) . Harry E. Hull (R) . Thomas J. B. Robinson (R) . Gilbert N. Haugen (R) . Cyrenus Cole (R) . C. William Ramseyer (R) . Cassius C. Dowell (R) . Horace M. Towner (R), until April 1, 1923 Hiram K. Evans (R), from June 4, 1923 . William R. Green (R) . Lester J. Dickinson (R) . William D. Boies (R)
Kansas . Daniel Read Anthony Jr. (R) . Edward C. Little (R), until June 27, 1924 Ulysses S. Guyer (R), from November 4, 1924 . William H. Sproul (R) . Homer Hoch (R) . James G. Strong (R) . Hays B. White (R) . Jasper N. Tincher (R) . William A. Ayres (D)
Kentucky . Alben Barkley (D) . David Hayes Kincheloe (D) . Robert Y. Thomas Jr. (D) . Ben Johnson (D) . Maurice H. Thatcher (R) . Arthur B. Rouse (D) . J. Campbell Cantrill (D), until September 2, 1923 Joseph W. Morris (D), from November 30, 1923