United States Postmaster General

United States Postmaster General
United States Postmaster General
	Incumbent; Louis DeJoy; since June 16, 2020
	United States Postal Service
Style	Postmaster General
Status	Chief executive
Member of	Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service
Seat	475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, D.C. 20260
Appointer	Board of Governors
Term length	No fixed term
Constituting instrument	39 U.S.C. § 203
Formation	1775
First holder	Benjamin Franklin
Deputy	Deputy Postmaster General
Salary	$303,460

The United States postmaster general (PMG) is the chief executive officer of the United States Postal Service (USPS).^[2] The PMG is responsible for managing and directing the day-to-day operations of the agency.

The PMG is selected and appointed by the Board of Governors of the Postal Service. The postmaster general then also sits on the board. The PMG does not serve at the president's pleasure and can only be dismissed by the Board of Governors.^[3] The appointment of the postmaster general does not require Senate confirmation.^[4]^[5] The governors, and the postmaster general elect the deputy postmaster general.

The current officeholder is Louis DeJoy, who was appointed on June 16, 2020.^[6]

History

18th century

The office of U.S. postmaster general dates back to country's founding. The first position, during the colonial-era British America, was that of Postmaster General. Benjamin Franklin was appointed by the Continental Congress as the first postmaster general in 1775; he had previously served as deputy postmaster for the Thirteen Colonies since 1753.^[7] The formal office of the United States postmaster general was established by act of government on September 22, 1789.^[8]

19th century

From 1829 to 1971, the postmaster general was a member of the president's Cabinet.

20th century

After passage of the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act in 1883 and prior to the passage of the Hatch Act of 1939,^[9] the postmaster general was in charge of the governing party's patronage and was a powerful position which held much influence within the party, as exemplified by James Farley's tenure from 1933 to 1940 under Franklin D. Roosevelt.^[10]

After the spoils system was reformed, the position remained a Cabinet post, and it was often given to a new president's campaign manager or other key political supporters, including Arthur Summerfield, W. Marvin Watson, and Larry O'Brien, each who played important roles organizing the campaigns of presidents Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon B. Johnson, respectively, and was considered something of a sinecure. Poet and literary scholar Charles Olson, who served as a Democratic National Committee official during the 1944 U.S. presidential election, declined the position in January 1945.

Until 1971, the postmaster general was the head of the Post Office Department, or simply "Post Office" until the 1820s.^[11]^: 60–65 During that era, the postmaster general was appointed by the president of the United States, with the advice and consent of the United States Senate.^[11]^: 120

In 1971, the Post Office Department was re-organized into the United States Postal Service, an independent agency of the executive branch, and the postmaster general was no longer a member of the Cabinet^[12] nor in line of presidential succession.

The postmaster general is now appointed by the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service, not appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate.^[11]^: 120^[13]

List of postmasters general

Under the Continental Congress (1775–1789)

	Start	End
Benjamin Franklin	July 26, 1775	November 7, 1776
Richard Bache	November 7, 1776	January 28, 1782
Ebenezer Hazard	January 28, 1782	September 26, 1789

US Post Office Department (1789–1971)

As non-Cabinet department (1789–1829)

Parties

Independent Federalist Democratic-Republican

	State	Start	End
Samuel Osgood	Massachusetts	September 26, 1789	August 12, 1791	George Washington
Timothy Pickering	Pennsylvania	August 12, 1791	January 1, 1795	George Washington
Joseph Habersham	Georgia	February 25, 1795	November 28, 1801	George Washington
				John Adams
				Thomas Jefferson
Gideon Granger	Connecticut	November 28, 1801	March 17, 1814	Thomas Jefferson
Gideon Granger	Connecticut	November 28, 1801	March 17, 1814	James Madison
Return Meigs	Ohio	March 17, 1814	June 26, 1823	James Madison
Return Meigs	Ohio	March 17, 1814	June 26, 1823	James Monroe
John McLean	Ohio	June 26, 1823	March 4, 1829	James Monroe
John McLean	Ohio	June 26, 1823	March 4, 1829	John Quincy Adams

As cabinet department (1829–1971)

Parties

Democratic Whig Republican

	State	Start	End
William Barry	Kentucky	March 9, 1829	April 10, 1835	Andrew Jackson
Amos Kendall	Kentucky	May 1, 1835	May 18, 1840	Andrew Jackson
Amos Kendall	Kentucky	May 1, 1835	May 18, 1840	Martin Van Buren
John Niles	Connecticut	May 19, 1840	March 4, 1841	Martin Van Buren
Francis Granger	New York	March 6, 1841	September 18, 1841	William Henry Harrison
Francis Granger	New York	March 6, 1841	September 18, 1841	John Tyler
Charles Wickliffe	Kentucky	September 18, 1841	March 4, 1845	John Tyler
Cave Johnson	Tennessee	March 6, 1845	March 4, 1849	James K. Polk
Jacob Collamer	Vermont	March 8, 1849	July 22, 1850	Zachary Taylor
Nathan Hall	New York	July 23, 1850	August 31, 1852	Millard Fillmore
Samuel Hubbard	Connecticut	August 31, 1852	March 4, 1853	Millard Fillmore
James Campbell	Pennsylvania	March 7, 1853	March 4, 1857	Franklin Pierce
Aaron Brown	Tennessee	March 6, 1857	March 8, 1859	James Buchanan
Joseph Holt	Kentucky	March 9, 1859	December 31, 1860	James Buchanan
Horatio King	Maine	February 12, 1861	March 4, 1861	James Buchanan
Montgomery Blair	District of Columbia	March 5, 1861	September 24, 1864	Abraham Lincoln
William Dennison	Ohio	September 24, 1864	July 25, 1866	Abraham Lincoln
William Dennison	Ohio	September 24, 1864	July 25, 1866	Andrew Johnson
Alexander Randall	Wisconsin	July 25, 1866	March 4, 1869	Andrew Johnson
John Creswell	Maryland	March 5, 1869	June 22, 1874	Ulysses S. Grant
James Marshall	Virginia	July 3, 1874	August 24, 1874	Ulysses S. Grant
Marshall Jewell	Connecticut	August 24, 1874	July 12, 1876	Ulysses S. Grant
James Tyner	Indiana	July 12, 1876	March 3, 1877	Ulysses S. Grant
David Key	Tennessee	March 12, 1877	June 2, 1880	Rutherford B. Hayes
Horace Maynard	Tennessee	June 2, 1880	March 4, 1881	Rutherford B. Hayes
Thomas James	New York	March 5, 1881	December 20, 1881	James A. Garfield
Thomas James	New York	March 5, 1881	December 20, 1881	Chester A. Arthur
Timothy Howe	Wisconsin	December 20, 1881	March 25, 1883	Chester A. Arthur
Walter Gresham	Indiana	April 3, 1883	September 4, 1884	Chester A. Arthur
Frank Hatton	Iowa	October 14, 1884	March 4, 1885	Chester A. Arthur
William Vilas	Wisconsin	March 6, 1885	January 6, 1888	Grover Cleveland
Donald Dickinson	Michigan	January 6, 1888	March 4, 1889	Grover Cleveland
John Wanamaker	Pennsylvania	March 5, 1889	March 4, 1893	Benjamin Harrison
Wilson Bissell	New York	March 6, 1893	March 1, 1895	Grover Cleveland
William Wilson	West Virginia	March 1, 1895	March 4, 1897	Grover Cleveland
James Gary	Maryland	March 5, 1897	April 21, 1898	William McKinley
Charles Smith	Pennsylvania	April 21, 1898	January 8, 1902	William McKinley
Charles Smith	Pennsylvania	April 21, 1898	January 8, 1902	Theodore Roosevelt
Henry Payne	Wisconsin	January 9, 1902	October 4, 1904	Theodore Roosevelt
Robert Wynne	Pennsylvania	October 10, 1904	March 5, 1905	Theodore Roosevelt
George Cortelyou	New York	March 6, 1905	January 14, 1907	Theodore Roosevelt
George Meyer	Massachusetts	January 15, 1907	March 4, 1909	Theodore Roosevelt
Frank Hitchcock	Massachusetts	March 5, 1909	March 4, 1913	William Howard Taft
Albert Burleson	Texas	March 5, 1913	March 4, 1921	Woodrow Wilson
Will Hays	Indiana	March 5, 1921	March 3, 1922	Warren G. Harding
Hubert Work	Colorado	March 4, 1922	March 4, 1923	Warren G. Harding
Harry New	Indiana	March 4, 1923	March 3, 1929	Warren G. Harding
Harry New	Indiana	March 4, 1923	March 3, 1929	Calvin Coolidge
Walter Brown	Ohio	March 5, 1929	March 4, 1933	Herbert Hoover
James Farley	New York	March 4, 1933	September 10, 1940	Franklin D. Roosevelt
Frank Walker	Pennsylvania	September 10, 1940	May 8, 1945	Franklin D. Roosevelt
Frank Walker	Pennsylvania	September 10, 1940	May 8, 1945	Harry S. Truman
Robert Hannegan	Missouri	May 8, 1945	December 15, 1947	Harry S. Truman
Jesse Donaldson	Missouri	December 16, 1947	January 20, 1953	Harry S. Truman
Arthur Summerfield	Michigan	January 21, 1953	January 20, 1961	Dwight D. Eisenhower
Edward Day	California	January 21, 1961	August 9, 1963	John F. Kennedy
John Gronouski	Wisconsin	September 30, 1963	November 2, 1965	John F. Kennedy
John Gronouski	Wisconsin	September 30, 1963	November 2, 1965	Lyndon B. Johnson
Larry O'Brien	Massachusetts	November 3, 1965	April 10, 1968	Lyndon B. Johnson
Marvin Watson	Texas	April 26, 1968	January 20, 1969	Lyndon B. Johnson
Winton Blount	Alabama	January 22, 1969	January 1, 1971	Richard Nixon

US Postal Service (1971–present)

	Start^[14]	End
Winton Blount	January 1, 1971	January 1, 1972	Richard Nixon
Ted Klassen	January 1, 1972	February 16, 1975	Richard Nixon
Ted Klassen	January 1, 1972	February 16, 1975	Gerald Ford
Benjamin Bailar	February 16, 1975	March 15, 1978	Gerald Ford
Benjamin Bailar	February 16, 1975	March 15, 1978	Jimmy Carter
William Bolger	March 15, 1978	January 1, 1985	Jimmy Carter
William Bolger	March 15, 1978	January 1, 1985	Ronald Reagan
Paul Carlin	January 1, 1985	January 7, 1986	Ronald Reagan
Albert Casey	January 7, 1986	August 16, 1986	Ronald Reagan
Preston Tisch	August 16, 1986	March 1, 1988	Ronald Reagan
Anthony Frank	March 1, 1988	July 6, 1992	Ronald Reagan
Anthony Frank	March 1, 1988	July 6, 1992	George H. W. Bush
Marvin Runyon	July 6, 1992	May 16, 1998	George H. W. Bush
Marvin Runyon	July 6, 1992	May 16, 1998	Bill Clinton
William Henderson	May 16, 1998	May 31, 2001	Bill Clinton
William Henderson	May 16, 1998	May 31, 2001	George W. Bush
John Potter	June 1, 2001	December 6, 2010	George W. Bush
John Potter	June 1, 2001	December 6, 2010	Barack Obama
Patrick Donahoe	January 14, 2011	February 1, 2015	Barack Obama
Megan Brennan	February 1, 2015	June 15, 2020	Barack Obama
Megan Brennan	February 1, 2015	June 15, 2020	Donald Trump
Louis DeJoy	June 15, 2020	present	Donald Trump
Louis DeJoy	June 15, 2020	present	Joe Biden