Chaplain_of_the_United_States_House_of

Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives

The election of William Linn as Chaplain of the House on May 1, 1789, continued the tradition established by the Continental Congresses of each day's proceedings opening with a prayer by a chaplain. The early Chaplains alternated duties with their Senate counterparts on a weekly basis. The two conducted Sunday services for the Washington community in the House chamber every other week.

In addition to opening proceedings with prayer, the Chaplain provides pastoral counseling to the House community, coordinates the scheduling of guest chaplains, and arranges memorial services for the House and its staff. In the past, Chaplains have performed marriage and funeral ceremonies for House members.

Date of Appointment	Chaplain	Denomination
May 1, 1789	William Linn	Presbyterian
December 10, 1790	Samuel Blair	Presbyterian
November 5, 1792	Ashbel Green	Presbyterian
November 27, 1800	Thomas Lyell	Methodist
December 10, 1801	William Parkinson	Baptist
November 30, 1804	James Laurie	Presbyterian
December 4, 1806	Robert Elliot	Presbyterian
October 30, 1807	Obadiah Bruen Brown	Baptist
May 27, 1809	Jesse Lee	Methodist
November 13, 1811	Nicholas Sneathen	Methodist
November 6, 1812	Jesse Lee	Methodist
September 23, 1814	Obadiah Bruen Brown	Baptist
December 7, 1815	Spencer Houghton Cone	Baptist
December 5, 1816	Burgiss Allison	Baptist
November 16, 1820	John Nicholson Campbell	Presbyterian
December 10, 1821	Jared Sparks	Unitarian
December 5, 1822	John Breckenridge	Presbyterian
December 8, 1823	Henry Bidleman Bascom	Methodist
December 9, 1824	Reuben Post	Presbyterian
December 13, 1830	Ralph Randolph Gurley	Presbyterian
December 13, 1831	Reuben Post	Presbyterian
December 12, 1832	William Hammett	Methodist
December 9, 1833	Thomas H. Stockton	Methodist
December 10, 1834	Edward Dunlap Smith	Presbyterian
December 24, 1835	Thomas H. Stockton	Methodist
December 20, 1836	Oliver C. Comstock	Baptist
September 12, 1837	Septimus Tustin	Presbyterian
December 11, 1837	Levi R. Reese	Methodist
February 4, 1840	Joshua Bates	Congregationalist
December 15, 1840	Thomas W. Braxton	Baptist
June 9, 1841	John W. French	Episcopalian
December 13, 1841	John Newland Maffitt	Methodist
December 14, 1842	Frederick T. Tiffany	Episcopalian
December 16, 1843	Isaac S. Tinsley	Baptist
December 4, 1844	William Mitchel Daily	Methodist
December 1, 1845	William Henry Milburn	Methodist
December 7, 1846	William T.S. Sprole	Presbyterian
December 6, 1847	Ralph Gurley	Presbyterian
December 1, 1851	Littleton F. Morgan	Methodist
December 6, 1852	James Gallagher	Presbyterian
December 5, 1853	William Henry Milburn	Methodist
March 4, 1855	None^[1]	N/a
July 4, 1861	Thomas H. Stockton	Methodist
December 7, 1863	William Henry Channing	Unitarian
December 4, 1865	Charles B. Boynton	Congregationalist
March 4, 1869	John George Butler	Presbyterian
December 6, 1875	S.L. Townsend	Episcopalian
October 15, 1877	John Poise	Methodist
December 3, 1877	W.P. Harrison	Methodist
December 5, 1881	Frederick Dunglison Power	Disciples of Christ
December 3, 1883	John Summerfield Lindsay	Episcopalian
December 7, 1885	William Henry Milburn	Methodist
August 7, 1893	Samuel W. Haddaway	Methodist
December 4, 1893	Edward B. Bagby	Christian
December 2, 1895	Henry N. Couden	Universalist
April 11, 1921	James Shera Montgomery	Methodist
January 3, 1950	Bernard Braskamp	Presbyterian
January 10, 1967	Edward G. Latch	Methodist
January 15, 1979	James D. Ford	Lutheran
March 23, 2000	Daniel P. Coughlin	Roman Catholic

Notes and references

^ From 1855 to 1861 the local clergy in the District of Columbia conducted the opening prayer. Thereafter, the House has elected a Chaplain at the beginning of each Congress.

External links

Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives - Official site.

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