# List of speakers of the Nebraska House of Representatives

The speaker of the Nebraska House of Representatives was an office in the Nebraska Legislature which existed from 1855 to 1936 when Nebraska had a bicameral legislature. This office was created when the Nebraska Territory was first established and remained after Nebraska became a state. When Nebraska voters adopted a unicameral legislature beginning in 1937, this office ceased to exist and was replaced by a single speaker of the Nebraska Legislature.

## Speakers of the Nebraska Territorial House of Representatives

The lower house of the Nebraska Territorial Legislature was called the Nebraska Territorial House of Representatives, and its presiding officer was called a speaker. Twelve individuals are officially recognized as having served as speaker of the Nebraska Territorial House of Representatives during its twelve sessions before Nebraska became a state. However, the office was briefly split when a faction of the Nebraska Territorial Legislature broke off from the meeting at Omaha, Nebraska, and convened at Florence, Nebraska, in January 1858.
| # | Name | Session start | Session end | County of residence | Party | Notes |
| 1 | Andrew J. Hanscom | Jan 16, 1855 | Mar 16, 1855 | Douglas | | |
| 2 | Potter C. Sullivan | Dec 18, 1855 | Jan 26, 1856 | Washington | | |
| 3 | Isaac L. Gibbs | Jan 5, 1857 | Feb 18, 1857 | Otoe | | |
| 4 | James H. Decker | Dec 8, 1857 | Jan 16, 1858 | Otoe | | Departed with the majority faction that went to Florence, Nebraska, and remained speaker of that contingent. |
| – | J. Sterling Morton | Jan 7, 1858 | Jan 7, 1858 | Otoe | Dem | Speaker pro tempore of the minority faction that remained at Omaha. |
| – | Andrew J. Poppleton | Jan 8, 1858 | Jan 16, 1858 | Douglas | Dem | Speaker pro tempore of the minority faction that remained at Omaha. Later served as the mayor of Omaha, Nebraska. |
| 5 | Hiram P. Bennet | Sep 21, 1858 | Nov 4, 1858 | Otoe | Rep | |
| 6 | Silas A. Strickland | Dec 5, 1859 | Jan 13, 1860 | Sarpy | Dem | |
| 7 | Henry W. DePuy | Dec 3, 1860 | Jan 11, 1861 | Washington | Rep | |
| 8 | Alfred D. Jones | Dec 2, 1861 | Jan 10, 1862 | Douglas | | |
| 9 | George B. Lake | Jan 7, 1864 | Feb 15, 1864 | Douglas | | Later served as a Nebraska Supreme Court justice |
| 10 | Samuel M. Kirkpatrick | Jan 5, 1865 | Feb 13, 1865 | Cass | Rep | |
| 11 | James G. Megeath | Jan 4, 1866 | Feb 12, 1866 | Douglas | Dem | |
| 12 | William F. Chapin | Jan 10, 1867 | Feb 18, 1867 | Cass | Rep | Later served as the second speaker of the House of Representatives and as mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska |

## Speakers of the Nebraska House of Representatives

After Nebraska became a state in 1867, the lower house of the Nebraska Legislature continued to be called the Nebraska House of Representatives as the successor to the Territorial House of Representatives. The Nebraska Constitution of 1866 briefly mentioned the presiding officer of this chamber, again called the speaker of the House of Representatives. The Nebraska Constitution of 1875 likewise mentioned the office of speaker of the House of Representatives. The speaker of the Nebraska House of Representatives was third in line to become governor after the lieutenant governor and the president pro tempore of the Senate. This office was abolished after 1936 when Nebraska adopted a unicameral legislature, and its title was transferred to the newly created office of speaker of the Nebraska Legislature.
| # | Name | Tenure | Place of residence | Party | Notes |
| 1 | William A. Pollock | 1866 | Brownville | Rep | |
| 2 | William F. Chapin | 1867–1868 | Cass County | Rep | Previously served as the last speaker of the Territorial House of Representatives; later served as mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska |
| 3 | William McLennan | 1869–1870 | Otoe County | Rep | |
| 4 | George W. Collins | 1871–1872 | Pawnee City | Rep | |
| 5 | Milan H. Sessions | 1873–1874 | Lancaster County | Rep | |
| 6 | Edward S. Towle | 1875–1876 | Falls City | Rep | |
| 7 | Albinus Nance | 1877–1878 | Osceola | Rep | Later served as Governor of Nebraska |
| 8 | Charles P. Mathewson | 1879–1880 | Norfolk | Rep | |
| 9 | Hibbard H. Shedd | 1881–1882 | Ashland | Rep | Later served as Nebraska Lieutenant Governor |
| 10 | George M. Humphrey | 1883–1884 | Pawnee City | Rep | |
| 11 | Allen W. Field | 1885–1886 | Lincoln | Rep | |
| 12 | Nathan V. Harlan | 1887–1888 | York | Rep | |
| 13 | John C. Watson | 1889–1890 | Nebraska City | Rep | Later served as president pro tempore of the Nebraska Senate |
| 14 | Samuel M. Elder | 1891–1892 | Clay Center | Fus | |
| 15 | James N. Gaffin | 1893–1894 | Colon | Fus | Later served as the 17th speaker |
| 16 | Charles L. Richards | 1895–1896 | Hebron | Rep | |
| 17 | James N. Gaffin | 1897–1898 | Colon | Fus | Previously served as the 15th speaker |
| 18 | Paul F. Clark | 1899–1900 | Lincoln | Rep | |
| 19 | William G. Sears | 1901–1902 | Tekamah | Rep | |
| 20 | John H. Mockett Jr. | 1903–1904 | Lincoln | Rep | |
| 21 | George L. Rouse | 1905–1906 | Alda | Rep | |
| 22 | Daniel M. Nettleton | 1907–1908 | Spring Ranch | Rep | |
| 23 | Charles W. Pool | 1909–1910 | Tecumseh | Dem | Later served as Nebraska Secretary of State |
| 24 | John Kuhl | 1911–1912 | Randolph | Dem | |
| 25 | Peter C. Kelley | 1913–1914 | Grand Island | Dem | |
| 26 | George W. Jackson | 1915–1918 | Nelson | Dem | |
| 27 | Dwight S. Dalbey | 1919–1920 | Beatrice | Rep | |
| 28 | Walter L. Anderson | 1921–1922 | Lincoln | Rep | |
| 29 | Albert N. Mathers | 1923–1924 | Gering | Rep | |
| 30 | Allen G. Burke | 1925–1926 | Bancroft | Rep | |
| 31 | James A. Rodman | 1927–1928 | Omaha | Rep | |
| 32 | Bern R. Coulter | 1929–1930 | Bridgeport | Rep | |
| 33 | Samuel Max Kier | 1931–1932 | Lincoln | Rep | |
| 34 | George W. O'Malley | 1933–1934 | Greeley | Dem | |
| 35 | William H. O'Gara | 1935–1936 | Laurel | Dem | |