Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
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The speakership is the oldest elected state-wide office in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania[1]. Since its first session under the Frame of Government in 1682, presided over by William Penn, over 130 house members have been elevated to the speaker's chair. The house cannot hold an official session in the absence of the speaker or his designated speaker pro tempore.
Speaker K. Leroy Irvis was the first African-American elected speaker of any state legislature in the United States since Reconstruction. Pennsylvania has never had a female speaker.
[edit] List of speakers of the Provincial Assembly
Speakers of the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly (1682–1775) and the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (following the 1776 Constitution).
| Name | Date elected |
|---|---|
| unknown (probably Winn or More, below) | 1682 |
| Thomas Winn | 1682/1683 |
| Nicholas More | 1684 |
| John White | 1685 |
| Arthur Cook | 1689 |
| Joseph Growdon | 1690 |
| unknown | 1691 |
| William Clark | 1692 |
| Joseph Growdon | 1693 |
| David Lloyd | 1694 |
| Edward Shippen | 1695 |
| John Simcock | 1696 |
| John Blunston | 1697 |
| Phineas Pemberton | 1698 |
| John Blunston | 1699 |
| Joseph Growdon | 1700 |
| David Lloyd | 1703 |
| Joseph Growden | 1705 |
| David Lloyd | 1706 |
| Richard Hill | 1710 |
| Isaac Norris | 1712 |
| Joseph Growdon | 1713 |
| David Lloyd | 1714 |
| Joseph Growdon | 1715 |
| Richard Hill | 1716 |
| William Trent | 1717 |
| Jonathan Dickinson | 1718 |
| William Trent | 1719 |
| Isaac Norris | 1720 |
| Jeremiah Langhorne | 1721 |
| Joseph Growdon | 1722 |
| David Lloyd | 1723 |
| William Biles | 1724 |
| David Lloyd | 1725 |
| Andrew Hamilton | 1729 |
| Jeremiah Langhorne | 1733 |
| Andrew Hamilton | 1734 |
| John Kinsey | 1739 |
| John Wright | 1745 |
| John Kinsey | 1745/1746 |
| Isaac Norris (II) | 1750 |
| Thomas Leech | 1758 |
| Isaac Norris (II) | 1758 |
| Thomas Leech | 1759 |
| Isaac Norris (II) | 1759 |
| Benjamin Franklin | 1764 |
| Isaac Norris (II) | 1764 |
| Joseph Fox | 1764 |
| Joseph Galloway | 1766 |
| Joseph Fox | 1769 |
| Joseph Galloway | 1769 |
| Edward Biddle | 1774 |
| John Morton | 1775 |
| John Jacobs (under the 1776 Constitution) | 1776 |
| John Bayard | 1777 |
| Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg | 1780 |
| George Gray | 1783 |
| John Bayard | 1784 |
| Thomas Mifflin | 1785 |
| Richard Peters | 1788 |
| William Bingham (under the 1790 constitution) | 1790 |
[edit] List of speakers of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
| Name | County | Tenure | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Bingham | Philadelphia | 1791 | ||
| Geradus Wynkoop II | Philadelphia | 1793 | ||
| George Latimer | Philadelphia | 1794 | ||
| Cadwalader Evans | Montgomery | 1799 | ||
| Isaac Weaver Jr. | Greene | 1800 | ||
| Simon Snyder | Northumberland | 1804 | ||
| Charles Porter | Fayette | 1806 | ||
| Simon Snyder | Northumberland | 1807 | ||
| Nathaniel Boileau | Montgomery | 1808 | ||
| James Engle | Philadelphia | 1809 | ||
| John Weber | Montgomery | 1810 | ||
| John Todd | Bedford | 1812 | ||
| Robert Smith | Franklin | 1813 | resigned 2/14 | |
| John St. Clair | Fayette | 1814 | ||
| Jacob Holgate | Philadelphia | 1815 | ||
| Rees Hill | Greene | 1816 | ||
| William Davidson | Fayette | 1818 | ||
| Rees Hill | Greene | 1819 | ||
| Joseph Lawrence | Washington | 1820 | ||
| John Gilmore | Allegheny, Butler | 1821 | ||
| Joseph Lawrence | Washington | 1822 | ||
| Joel B. Sutherland | Philadelphia | 1825 | ||
| Joseph Ritner | Washington | 1826 | ||
| Ner Middleswarth | Union | 1828 | ||
| Frederick Smith | Franklin | 1830 | ||
| John LaPorte | Bradford, Tioga | 1832 | ||
| James Findley | Westmoreland | 1833 | ||
| Samuel Anderson | Delaware | 1833 | ||
| William Patterson | Washington | 1834 | ||
| James Thompson | Venango, Warren | 1835 | ||
| Ner Middleswarth | Union | 1836 | ||
| Lewis Dewart | Northumberland | 1837 | ||
| William Hopkins | Washington | 1839 | ||
| William A. Crabb | Philadelphia | 1841 | ||
| J. Ross Snowden | Venango, Clarion | 1842 | ||
| H.B. Wright | Luzerne, Wyoming | 1843 | ||
| J. Ross Snowden | Venango, Clarion | 1844 | ||
| Findley Patterson | Washington | 1845 | ||
| Findley Patterson | Washington | 1846 | ||
| James Cooper | Adams | 1847 | ||
| William F. Packer | Lycoming, Clinton | 1848 | ||
| William F. Packer | Potter, Sullivan | 1849 | ||
| John S. McCalmont | Venango | 1850 | ||
| John Cessna | Bedford | 1851 | ||
| John S. Rhey | Armstrong, Cambria | 1852 | ||
| William P. Schell | Bedford | 1853 | ||
| E.B. Chase | Susquehanna, Wyoming | 1854 | ||
| Henry K. Strong | Philadelphia | 1855 | ||
| Richard L. Wright | Philadelphia | 1856 | ||
| J. Lawrence Getz | Berks | 1857 | ||
| A.B. Longaker | Montgomery | 1858 | ||
| W.C.A. Lawrence | Dauphin | 1859 | ||
| W.C.A. Lawrence | Dauphin | 1860 | ||
| Elisha W. Davis | Mercer, Venango | 1861 | ||
| John Rowe | Franklin | 1862 | ||
| John Cessna | Bedford | 1863 | ||
| Henry C. Johnson | Crawford | 1864 | ||
| Arthur G. Olmsted | Potter | 1865 | ||
| James R. Kelley | Fulton | 1866 | ||
| John P. Glass | Allegheny | 1867 | ||
| Elisha W. Davis | Philadelphia | 1868 | ||
| John Clark | Washington | 1869 | ||
| Butler B. Strang | Tioga | 1870 | ||
| James H. Webb | Bradford | 1871 | ||
| William Elliott | Philadelphia | 1872 | ||
| H.H. McCormick | Allegheny | 1874 | ||
| Samuel F. Patterson | Allegheny | 1875 | ||
| E. Reed Myer | Bradford | 1877 | ||
| Henry M. Long | Allegheny | 1879 | ||
| Benjamin L. Hewit | Blair | 1881 | ||
| John E. Faunce | Philadelphia | 1883 | ||
| James L. Graham | Allegheny | 1885 | ||
| Henry K. Boyer | Philadelphia | 1887 | ||
| Henry K. Boyer | Philadelphia | 1889 | ||
| Caleb C. Thompson | Warren | 1891 | ||
| Caleb C. Thompson | Warren | 1893 | ||
| Henry F. Walton | Philadelphia | 1895 | ||
| Henry K. Boyer | Philadelphia | 1897 | resigned 1/17/98 | |
| John R. Farr | Lackawanna | 1899 | ||
| William T. Marshall | Allegheny | 1901 | ||
| Henry F. Walton | Philadelphia | 1903 | ||
| Henry F. Walton | Philadelphia | 1905 | ||
| Frank B. McClain | Lancaster | 1907 | ||
| John F. Cox | Allegheny | 1909 | ||
| John F. Cox | Allegheny | 1911 | dec. 11/6/1911 | |
| Milton W. Shreve | Erie | 1911 | ||
| George E. Alter | Allegheny | 1913 | ||
| Charles A. Ambler | Montgomery | 1915 | dec. 8/29/40 | |
| Richard J. Baldwin | Delaware | 1917 | ||
| Robert S. Spangler | York | 1919 | ||
| Robert S. Spangler | York | 1921 | unseated 4/26/21 | |
| Samuel A. Whitaker | Chester | 1921 | elected 4/26/21 | |
| C.J. Goodnough | Cameron | 1923 | ||
| Thomas Bluett | Philadelphia | 1925 | ||
| Thomas Bluett | Philadelphia | 1927 | ||
| James H. McClure | Allegheny | 1927 | ||
| Aaron B. Hess | Lancaster | 1929 | ||
| C.J. Goodnough | Cameron | 1931 | ||
| Grover C. Talbot | Delaware | 1933 | ||
| Wilson G. Sarig | Berks | 1935 | dec. 3/14/36 | |
| Roy E. Furman | Greene | 1936 | ||
| Roy E. Furman | Greene | 1937 | ||
| Ellwood J. Turner | Delaware | 1939 | ||
| Elmer Kilroy | Philadelphia | 1941 | ||
| Ira T. Fiss | Snyder | 1943 | ||
| Ira T. Fiss | Snyder | 1945 | ||
| Franklin H. Lichtenwalter | Lehigh | 1947 | ||
| Herbert P. Sorg | Elk | 1949 | ||
| Herbert P. Sorg | Elk | 1951 | ||
| Charles C. Smith | Philadelphia | 1953 | ||
| Hiram G. Andrews | Cambria | 1955 | ||
| W. Stuart Helm | Armstrong | 1957 | ||
| Hiram G. Andrews | Cambria | 1959 | ||
| Hiram G. Andrews | Cambria | 1961 | ||
| W. Stuart Helm | Armstrong | 1963 | ||
| Robert K. Hamilton | Beaver | 1965 | ||
| Kenneth B. Lee | Sullivan | 1967 | ||
| Herbert Fineman | Philadelphia | 1969 | ||
| Herbert Fineman | Philadelphia | 1971 | ||
| Kenneth B. Lee | Sullivan | 1973 | ||
| Herbert Fineman | Philadelphia | 1975, 1977 | ||
| K. Leroy Irvis | Allegheny | 1977 | elected 5/23/77 | |
| H. Jack Seltzer | Lebanon | 1979 | ||
| Matthew J. Ryan | Delaware | 1981 | ||
| K. Leroy Irvis | Allegheny | 1983 | ||
| K. Leroy Irvis | Allegheny | 1985 | ||
| K. Leroy Irvis | Allegheny | 1987 | ||
| James J. Manderino | Westmoreland | 1989 | dec. 12/26/89 | |
| Robert W. O'Donnell | Philadelphia | 1990, 1991 | ||
| H. William DeWeese | Greene | 1993 – 1994 | ||
| Matthew J. Ryan | Delaware | 1995 – 2003 | died in office March 29, 2003 | |
| John M. Perzel | Philadelphia | 2003 – 2006 | elected to fill unexpired term April 15, 2003 | |
| Dennis M. O'Brien | Philadelphia | 2007 – | ||
|
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[edit] References
- Schmedlen, Jeanne Hearn (1998). Wisdom, Vision and Diplomacy: Speakers of the Pennsylvania House (A Biographical History of the Speakers of the Provincial Assembly and the House of Representatives, 1682-1998). Harrisburg, PA: Pennsylvania House of Representatives. ISBN 9-9667794-0-1.
- Speakers of the Provincial Assembly (1682-1790). The Pennsylvania Manual, Volume 117 (2005-2006 General Assembly). Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Bureau of Publications. Retrieved on 2007-03-01.
- Speakers of the House of Representatives since 1791. The Pennsylvania Manual, Volume 117 (2005-2006 General Assembly). Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Bureau of Publications. Retrieved on 2007-03-01.

