History of the Speaker

Duties

The role and duties of the Speaker are defined in two official documents, the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In addition, there is a section of the 1959 Emergency Succession Law which provides a contingency responsibility for the Speaker. The Speaker would exercise the duties of the governor if the lieutenant governor, or president pro tempore of the Senate cannot, making the Speaker fourth in line of succession to the top elected position in Pennsylvania. The 1959 provision would only come about after an unlikely combination of events that would render the lieutenant governor and Senate president pro tempore unable to execute their succession roles.

The Speakership is the only constitutional office provided for the House of Representatives in the state Constitution. The job carries with it many important duties; however, the Speaker has only one vote on legislation, no more than the newest member. The Rules of the House designate the specific responsibilities of the Speaker. They include convening and recessing the body each legislative day. The Speaker can appoint a substitute Speaker to carry out his functions if he cannot be on the rostrum himself, but the Rules limit such delegation of authority to a maximum of 10 consecutive legislative days.

The Rules also stipulate, among other responsibilities, that the Speaker is charged with preserving order and decorum when the House is in session, and calling upon the Sergeant at Arms or State Police to maintain that order if necessary. He also can maintain order in the Rotunda, and the corridors of the Capitol if he sees the need in order for the House to conduct its session.

The Speaker decides all questions of order, subject to an appeal by two members. He appoints all chairmen and vice chairmen of standing committees and sub-committees. The Speaker, with the floor leaders of the majority and minority parties, serves as an ex-officio member of all standing committees without the right to vote.

The Speaker directs the chief clerk in the supervision of all parts of the Capitol assigned to the House, approves expense accounts for House members for all legislative services when the House is not in session, and makes sure that all the rules and regulations for voting, quorums, and parliamentary procedures are followed.

One of the most important roles of the Speaker is to refer all bills to committees for consideration. This is a key liability, because it controls what comes to the floor for a vote, and what does not, and whether a bill will get early or delayed consideration, or any consideration at all. When the House is ready to vote, the Speaker unlocks the voting machine, calls for a vote, and then locks the machine following the vote, and instructs the clerk to record the vote.

Once a bill is passed, the Speaker must sign it before it is sent to the Senate for consideration or sent to the governor for signature.

The Speaker must be an impartial presiding officer, taking great pains to be fair to all members. His gavel must be neutral as he insists on order and moves through the day's calendar of bills, amendments and resolutions with a "knowing chant that often brings to mind a tobacco auctioneer."

When the first Provincial Assembly met in Pennsylvania, Penn apparently expected it to be an advisory group inasmuch as he had been granted the territory by the king himself, and Penn assumed that he would have the right to govern his "Penn's Woods." However, not only did the Assembly elect a Speaker, but in its earliest days the Assembly's Speakers made it clear that they saw the body as independent, powerful, and independent of the king, Penn and the delegates of either. In the 21st century, the Speaker remains independent and one of the most powerful elected officials in Pennsylvania

Speakers of the Provincial Assembly and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives 1682 - Present

Alphabetical List

1. Alter, George E. 1913-14
2. Ambler, Charles A. 1915-16
3. Anderson, Samuel 1832
4. Andrews, Hiram G. 1955-56 and 1959-62
5. Baldwin, Richard J. 1917-18
6. Bayard, John 1777, 1778-80, part of 1784
7. Biddle, Edward 1774
8. Biles II, William 1724
9. Bingham, William 1790-92
10. Bluett, Thomas 1925-27
11. Blunston, John 1697, 1699-1700
12. Boileau, Nathaniel B. 1808
13. Boyer, Henry K. 1887-90 and 1897
14. Cessna, John 1851 and 1863
15. Chase, E. (Ezra) B. 1854
16. Clark, John 1869
17. Clark, William 1692
18. Cook, Arthur 1689
19. Cooper, James 1847
20. Cox, John F. 1909-11
21. Crabb, William A. 1841
22. Davidson, William 1818
23. Davis, Elisha W. 1861 and 1868
24. Dewart, Lewis 1837
25. DeWeese, H. William 1993-94
26. Dickinson, Jonathan 1718
27. Elliot, William 1872-73
28. Engle, James 1809
29. Evans, Cadwalader 1799
30. Farr, John R. 1899-1900
31. Faunce, John E. 1883-84
32. Findley, James 1833
33. Fineman, Herbert 1969-72 and 1975-77
34. Fiss, Ira T. 1943-46
35. Fox, Joseph part of 1764, all of 1765, part of 1769.
36. Franklin, Benjamin 1764
37. Furman, Roy E. 1936-38
38. Galloway, Joseph 1766-73
39. Getz, James L. 1857
40. Gilmore, John 1821
41. Glass, John P. 1867
42. Goodnough, C. Jay 1923-24 and 1931-32
43. Graham, James L. 1885-86
44. Gray, George 1783-84
45. Growdon, Joseph 1690, 1693, 1701, 1705, 1713, 1715 and 1722 (maybe 1702)
46. Hamilton, Andrew 1729-32 and 1734-38
47. Hamilton, Robert K. 1965-66
48. Helm, W. Stuart 1957-58 and 1963-64
49. Hess, Aaron B. 1929-30
50. Hewit, Benjamin L. 1881-82
51. Hill, Richard 1710-11 and 1716
52. Hill, Rees 1816-17 and 1819
53. Holgate, Jacob 1815
54. Hopkins, William 1838-40
55. Irvis, K. Leroy 1977-78 and 1983-88
56. Jacobs, John 1776
57. Johnson, Henry C. 1864
58. Kelley, James R. 1866
59. Kilroy, Elmer 1941-42
60. Kinsey, John 1739-44 and 1746-49
61. Langhorne, Jeremiah 1721 and 1733
62. Laporte, John 1831
63. Latimer, George 1794-98
64. Lawrence, Joseph 1820 and 1822-24
65. Lawrence, William C. 1859-60
66. Lee, Kenneth B. 1967-68 and 1973-74
67. Leech, Thomas 1758
68. Lichtenwalter, Franklin H. 1947
69. Lloyd, David 1694, 1703-04, 1706-09, 1714, 1723 and 1725-28
70. Long, Henry M. 1879-80
71. Longaker, A. Brower 1858
72. Manderino, James J. 1989
73. Marshall, William T. 1901-02
74. McCalmont, John Swazy 1850
75. McClain, Frank B. 1907-08
76. McClure, James H. 1927-28
77. McCormick, Henry H. 1874
78. McLane, James 1777-78
79. Middleswarth, Ner 1828-29 and 1835-36
80. Mifflin, Thomas 1785-87
81. More, Nicholas 1684
82. Morton, John 1775
83. Muhlenberg, Frederick A. C. 1780-82
84. Myer, Elijah Reed 1877-78
85. Norris I, Issac 1712 and 1720
86. Norris II, Isaac 1749-57 and 1759-64
87. O'Brien, Dennis M. 2007-present
88. O'Donnell, Robert W. 1990-92
89. Olmsted, Arthur G. 1865
90. Packer, William F. 1848-49
91. Patterson, Findley 1845-46
92. Patterson, Samuel Findley 1875-76
93. Patterson, William 1833
94. Pemberton, Phineas 1698
95. Perzel, John M. 2003- 2006
96. Peters II, Richard 1788-89
97. Porter, Charles 1805-06
98. Rhey, John S. 1852
99. Ritner, Joseph 1826-27
100. Rowe, John 1862
101. Ryan, Matthew J. 1981-82 and 1995-2003
102. Sarig, Wilson G. 1935-36
103. Schell, William P. 1853
104. Seltzer, H. Jack 1979-80
105. Shippen, Edward 1695
106. Shreve, Milton W. 1911-12
107. Simcock, John 1696
108. Smith, Charles C. 1953-54
109. Smith, Frederick 1830
110. Smith, Robert 1812-13
111. Snowden, James Ross 1842 and 1844
112. Snyder, Simon 1803-04 and 1807
113. Sorg, Herbert P. 1947-52
114. Spangler, Robert S. 1919-21
115. St. Clair, John 1813-14
116. Strang, Butler B. 1870
117. Strong, Henry K. 1855
118. Sutherland, Joel Barlow 1825
119. Talbot, Grover C. 1933-34
120. Thompson, Caleb C. 1891-94
121. Thompson, James 1834
122. Tod, John 1812
123. Trent, William 1717 and 1719
124. Turner, Ellwood J. 1939-40
125. Walton, Henry F. 1895-96 and 1903-06
126. Weaver, Jr., Isaac 1800-03
127. Webb, James H. 1871
128. Weber, John 1810-11
129. Whitaker, Samuel A. 1921-22
130. White, John 1685-88
131. Wright, Hendrick B. 1843
132. Wright, John 1745
133. Wright, Richardson L. 1856
134. Wynkoop II, Geradus 1793
135. Wynne, Thomas 1683

Chronological List with Counties Represented

1682 Unknown (probably Thomas Wynne)
1. 1683 Thomas Wynne Philadelphia
2. 1684 Nicholas More Philadelphia
(Francis Fincher was elected but declined to serve.)
3. 1685-88 John White New Castle
4. 1689 Arthur Cook Bucks
5. 1690 Joseph Growdon Bucks
1691 Unknown
6. 1692 William Clark Sussex, Delaware
1693 Joseph Growdon (see 1690)
7. 1694 David Lloyd Chester
8. 1695 Edward Shippen Philadelphia
9. 1696 John Simcock Chester
10. 1697 John Blunston Chester
11. 1698 Phineas Pemberton Bucks
      1699-1700 John Blunston (see 1697)
      1701 Joseph Growdon (see 1693)
      1702 Unknown (Assembly met for only nine days, probably with Joseph Growdon as Speaker.)
      1703-04 David Lloyd now Philadelphia
      1705 Joseph wdon (see 1690)
      1706-09 David Lloyd now Philadelphia/> 12. 1710-11 Richard Hill Philadelphia
13. 1712 Isaac Norris I Philadelphia
       1713 Joseph Growdon (see 1690)
       1714 David Lloyd now Chester
       1715 Joseph Growdon (see 1690)
       1716 Richard Hill (see 1710)
14. 1717 William Trent Philadelphia
15. 1718 Jonathan Dickinson Philadelphia
       1719 William Trent (see 1717)
        1720 Isaac Norris I (see 1712)
16. 1721 Jeremiah Langhorne Bucks
       1722 Joseph Growden (see 1693)
       1723 David Lloyd now Chester
17. 1724 William Biles II Bucks 1725-28 David Lloyd now Chester
18. 1729-32 Andrew Hamilton Bucks 1733 Jeremiah Langhorne (see 1721)
       1734-38 Andrew Hamilton (see 1729)
19. 1739-44 John Kinsey Philadelphia
20. 1745 John Wright Lancaster (Isreal Pemberton, of Philadelphia, elected but declined because of illness; John Kinsey, Speaker in 1739-44 and 1946-49,also elected this year but “indisposed and unable to attend the service of the House.)
       1746-49 John Kinsey (see 1739)
21. 1749-57 Isaac Norris II Philadelphia
22. 1758 Thomas Leech Philadelphia
       1759-64 Isaac Norris II (see 1749)
23. 1764 Benjamin Franklin Philadelphia
24. Joseph Fox (replaced Franklin, who was not reelected to the House in fall of 1764.)
       1764-65 Joseph Fox Philadelphia
25. 1766-73 Joseph Galloway Philadelphia Joseph Fox (served part of 1769 due to Galloway's illness.)
26. 1774 Edward Biddle Berks
27. 1775 John Morton Chester
28. 1776 John Jacobs Chester
29. 1777 John Bayard Philadelphia
       1777-78 James McLane Cumberland, Franklin (McLane served for three months because John Bayard could not get to Lancaster where the Assembly met while the British occupied Philadelphia.)
       1778-80 John Bayard (see 1777)
30. 1780-82 Frederick A. C. Muhlenberg Philadelphia
31. 1783-84 George Gray Philadelphia
32. 1784 John Bayard (see 1777)
33. 1785-87 Thomas Mifflin Philadelphia
34. 1788-89 Richard Peters II Philadelphia
35. 1790-92 William Bingham Philadelphia
36. 1793 Geradus Wynkoop II Bucks
37. 1794-98 George Latimer Philadelphia
38. 1799 Cadwalader Evans Montgomery
39. 1800-03 Isaac Weaver, Jr. Greene
40. 1803-04 Simon Snyder Northumberland
41. 1805-066 Charles Porter Fayette
       1807 Simon Snyder (see 1803)
42. 1808 Nathaniel Boileau Montgomery
43. 1809 James Engle Philadelphia
44. 1810-11 John Weber Montgomery
45. 1812 John Tod Bedford
46. 1812-13 Robert Smith Franklin
47. 1813-14 John St. Clair Fayette
48. 1815 Jacob Holgate Philadelphia
49. 1816-17 Rees Hill Greene
50. 1818 William Davidson Fayette 1819 Rees Hill (see 1816)
51. 1820 Joseph Lawrence Washington
52. 1821 John Gilmore Allegheny, Butler
       1822-24 Joseph Lawrence (see 1820)
53. 1825 Joel Barlow Sutherland Philadelphia
54. 1826-27 Joseph Ritner Washington
55. 1828-29 Ner Middleswarth Union County
56. 1830 Frederick Smith Franklin
57. 1831 John Laporte Bradford, Tioga
58. 1832 Samuel Anderson Delaware
59. 1833 James Findley (served 13 days) Westmoreland
60. 1833 William Patterson Washington
61. 1834 James Thompson Venango, Warren, Erie 1835-36 Ner Middleswarth (see 1828)
62. 1837 Lewis Dewart Northumberland
63. 1838-40 William Hopkins Washington
64. 1841 William A. Crabb Philadelphia
65. 1842 James Ross Snowden Venango, Clarion
66. 1843 Hendrick B. Wright Luzerne, Wyoming 1844 James Ross Snowden (see 1842)
67. 1845-46 Findley Patterson Washington
68. 1847 James Cooper Adams
69. 1848-49 William F. Packer Lycoming, Clinton
70. 1850 John Swazy McCalmont Venango
71. 1851 John Cessna Bedford
72. 1852 John S. Rhey Armstrong, Clarion, Jefferson Findley Patterson (see 1845) William F. J. Packer (see 1848) (the legislative records show documents signed by both Patterson and Packer as Speaker of the House for this session.)
73. 1853 William P. Schell Bedford, Fulton, Cambria
74. 1854 Ezra B. Chase Susquehanna, Sullivan, Wyoming
75. 1855 Henry K. Strong Philadelphia
76. 1856 Richardson L. Wright Philadelphia
77. 1857 James L. Getz Berks County
78. 1858 A. Brower Longaker Montgomery
79. 1859-60 WilliamC. Lawrence Dauphin
80. 1861 Elisha W. Davis Mercer, Venango
81. 1862 John Rowe Franklin
       1863 John Cessna (see 1851)
82. 1864 Henry C. Johnson Crawford Arthur G. Olmsted Potter
84. 1866 James R. Kelley Washington
85. 1867 John P. Glass Allegheny 1868 Elisha W. Davis now Philadelphia
86. 1869 John Clark Philadelphia
87. 1870 Butler B. Strang Tioga
88. 1871 James H. Webb Bradford
89. 1872-73 William Elliot Philadelphia Under the Constitution of 1873 Speakers are elected for two-year terms.
90. 1874 Henry H. McCormick Allegheny
91. 1875-76 Samuel Findley Patterson Allegheny
92. 1877-78 Elijah Reed Myer Bradford
93. 1879-80 Henry M. Long Allegheny
94. 1881-82 Benjamin L. Hewit Blair
95. 1883-84 John E. Faunce Philadelphia
96. 1885-86 James L. Graham Allegheny
97. 1887-90 Henry K. Boyer Philadelphia
98. 1891-94 Caleb C. Thompson Warren
99. 1895-96 Henry F. Walton Philadelphia
       1897 Henry K. Boyer (see 1887)
       1898 No Speaker. (Boyer retired January 17, 1898 and no one was elected to replace him. There was no session in 1898 as the General Assembly did not meet because it was an even-numbered year.)
100. 1899-1900 John R. Farr Lackawanna
101. 1901-02 William T. Marshall Allegheny
         1903-06 Henry F. Walton (see 1895)
102. 1907-08 Frank B. McClain Lancaster
103. 1909-11 John F. Cox Allegheny
104. 1911-12 Milton W. Shreve Erie
105. 1913-14 George E. Alter Allegheny
106. 1915-16 Charles A. Ambler Montgomery
107. 1917-18 Richard J. Baldwin Delaware
108. 1919-21 Robert S. Spangler York
109. 1921-22 Samuel A. Whitaker Chester (Whitaker unseated Spangler in April of 1921 due to split party faction.)
110. 1923-24 C. Jay Goodnough Cameron
111. 1925-27 Thomas Bluett Philadelphia
112. 1927-28 James H. McClure Allegheny (McClure was elected in the fall of 1927 to replace Bluett following his resignation to accept a Philadelphia judgeship.)
113. 1929-30 Aaron B. Hess Lancaster
         1931-32 C. Jay Goodnough (see 1923)
114. 1933-34 Grover C. Talbot Delaware lson G. Sarig Berks
116. 1936-38 Roy E. Furman Greene
117. 1939-40 Ellwood J. Turner Delaware
118. 1941-42 Elmer Kilroy Philadelphia
119. 1943-46 Ira T. Fiss Snyder
120. 1947 Franklin H. Lichtenwalter Lehigh
121. 1947-52 Herbert P. Sorg Elk (Sorg was elected to replace Lichtenwalter following his resignation in the fall of 1947 when elected to the United States Congress.)
122. 1953-54 Charles C. Smith Philadelphia
123. 1955-56 Hiram G. Andrews Cambria
124. 1957-58 W. Stuart Helm Armstrong
         1959-62 Hiram G. Andrews (see 1955)
         1963-64 W. Stuart Helm (see 1957)
125. 1965-66 Robert K. Hamilton Beaver
126. 1967-68 Kenneth B. Lee Sullivan
127. 1969-72 Herbert Fineman Philadelphia
         1973-74 Kenneth B. Lee (see 1967)
         1975-77 Herbert Fineman (see 1969)
128. 1977-78 K. Leroy Irvis Allegheny
129. 1979-80 H. Jack Seltzer Lebanon
130. 1981-82 Matthew J. Ryan Delaware
         1983-88 K. Leroy Irvis (see 1977)
131. 1989 James J. Manderino Westmoreland
132. 1990-92 Robert W. O'Donnell Philadelphia
133. 1993-94 H. William DeWeese Greene
         1995-2003 Matthew J. Ryan (see 1981)
134. 2003-2006 John M. Perzel Philadelphia
135. 2007-present Dennis M. O'Brien Philadelphia