An appointed officer of the United States House of Representatives from 1789 until 1995, the doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives was chosen by a resolution at the opening of each United States 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 doorkeeper's most visible job was introducing American presidents and foreign dignitaries to Congress. For 18 years, before the State of the Union address, Doorkeeper James T. Molloy announced, "Mister Speaker, the president of the United States."

The Office of the Doorkeeper was abolished during the 104th Congress () in an effort to save money. Thirty-three doorkeepers served until the position was abolished and the office's duties were divided among the sergeant at arms, the clerk of the House, and the newly created chief administrative officer.

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 territoryA doorkeeper's state or territory is listed when known. Date elected 1st (1789–91) Gifford Dalley,Gifford Dalley's last name has been spelled "Dalley," "Dally," and "Dudley" in various editions of the Register of Debates. 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,Died on March 21, 1838. See "Carr, Overton", History, Art & Archives, United States House of Representatives. Retrieved November 20, 2024. 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, 1838Elected on sixth ballot to fill the unexpired term of Overton Carr, who died in office. See "House of Representatives, Thursday, April 5, 1838", Congressional Globe. Vol. 6, no. 18. April 9, 1838. pp. 281–282. Retrieved November 20, 2024. 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/AElection 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. 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, VADismissed from office May 11, 1858. December 7, 1857 Joseph L. Wright, NJElected on May 18, 1858, to fill the unexpired term of Robert B. Hackney, who was removed from office on May 17, 1858. See, House Journal, 35th Cong., 1st sess., (May 17, 1858): 832-33; and House Journal, 35th Cong., 1st sess., (May 18, 1848): 842-843. 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, TXDismissed from office May 22, 1876. December 6, 1875 John H. Patterson, NJElected on May 26, 1876, to fill the unexpired term of L.H. Fitzhugh, who was removed from office on May 22, 1876. See, House Journal, 44th Cong., 1st sess., (May 22, 1876): 998; and House Journal, 44th Cong., 1st sess., (May 26, 1876): Addenda. May 26, 1876 45th (1877–79) John W. Polk, MODismissed from office April 8, 1878. October 17, 1877 Charles W. Field, GAElected on April 8, 1878, to fill the unexpired term of John W. Polk, who was removed from office on April 4, 1878. See, House Journal, 45th Cong., 2nd sess., (April 8, 1876): 808-813. 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, TNHurt 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. 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, 1901Died on March 12, 1902. See, Congressional Record, 57th Cong., 1st sess., (March 12, 1902): 2706. 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, VADied on January 27, 1943. See, House Journal, 78th Cong., 1st sess. (January 28, 1943): 72. 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, INElected on February 5, 1943. See, House Journal, 78th Cong., 1st sess. (February 5, 1943): 86. 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, MSResigned effective December 31, 1974. See, Congressional Record, 93rd Cong., 2nd sess. (December 19, 1974): 2549. 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, NYAppointed "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. 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

Notes

References Clerk of the House: House Journal, various editions; Congressional Record, various editions; Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (2005); Congressional Pictorial Directory, various editions; Congressional Directory, various editions; Donald Bacon, et al., Encyclopedia of the U.S. Congress, vol. 1 (NY: Simon and Schuster, 1995): 659–661.