# United States Postmaster General

The United States postmaster general (PMG) is the chief executive officer of the United States Postal Service (USPS). 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, which is appointed by the president. 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. The appointment of the postmaster general does not require Senate confirmation. The governors and the postmaster general elect the deputy postmaster general.
The current officeholder is Louis DeJoy, who was appointed on June 16, 2020.

## History

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. The formal office of the United States postmaster general was established by act of government on September 22, 1789.
From 1829 to 1971, the postmaster general was the head of the Post Office Department (or simply "Post Office" until the 1820s$^{:60–65}$) and was a member of the president's Cabinet. 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.$^{:120}$
After passage of the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act in 1883 and prior to the passage of the Hatch Act of 1939, 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.
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 of whom 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.
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 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.$^{:120}$

## List of postmasters general
### Under the Continental Congress (1775–1789)

| No. | Name | Start | End |
| 1 | Benjamin Franklin | July 26, 1775 | November 7, 1776 |
| 2 | Richard Bache | November 7, 1776 | January 28, 1782 |
| 3 | 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
| No. | Name | State | Start | End | President(s) |
| 4 | Samuel Osgood | Massachusetts | September 26, 1789 | August 12, 1791 | George Washington (1789–1797) |
| 5 | Timothy Pickering | Pennsylvania | August 12, 1791 | January 1, 1795 | George Washington (1789–1797) |
| 6 | Joseph Habersham | Georgia | February 25, 1795 | November 28, 1801 | George Washington (1789–1797) |
| 6 | Joseph Habersham | Georgia | February 25, 1795 | November 28, 1801 | John Adams (1797–1801) |
| 6 | Joseph Habersham | Georgia | February 25, 1795 | November 28, 1801 | Thomas Jefferson (1801–1809) |
| 7 | Gideon Granger | Connecticut | November 28, 1801 | March 17, 1814 | Thomas Jefferson (1801–1809) |
| 7 | Gideon Granger | Connecticut | November 28, 1801 | March 17, 1814 | James Madison (1809–1817) |
| 8 | Return Meigs | Ohio | March 17, 1814 | June 26, 1823 | James Madison (1809–1817) |
| 8 | Return Meigs | Ohio | March 17, 1814 | June 26, 1823 | James Monroe (1817–1825) |
| 9 | John McLean | Ohio | June 26, 1823 | March 4, 1829 | James Monroe (1817–1825) |
| 9 | John McLean | Ohio | June 26, 1823 | March 4, 1829 | John Quincy Adams (1825–1829) |

#### As cabinet department (1829–1971)
##### Parties

Democratic  Whig  Republican
| No. | Name | State | Start | End | President(s) |
| 10 | William Barry | Kentucky | March 9, 1829 | April 10, 1835 | Andrew Jackson (1829–1837) |
| 11 | Amos Kendall | Kentucky | May 1, 1835 | May 18, 1840 | Andrew Jackson (1829–1837) |
| 11 | Amos Kendall | Kentucky | May 1, 1835 | May 18, 1840 | Martin Van Buren (1837–1841) |
| 12 | John Niles | Connecticut | May 19, 1840 | March 4, 1841 | Martin Van Buren (1837–1841) |
| 13 | Francis Granger | New York | March 6, 1841 | September 18, 1841 | William Henry Harrison (1841) |
| 13 | Francis Granger | New York | March 6, 1841 | September 18, 1841 | John Tyler (1841-1845) |
| 14 | Charles Wickliffe | Kentucky | September 18, 1841 | March 4, 1845 | John Tyler (1841-1845) |
| 15 | Cave Johnson | Tennessee | March 6, 1845 | March 4, 1849 | James K. Polk (1845-1849) |
| 16 | Jacob Collamer | Vermont | March 8, 1849 | July 22, 1850 | Zachary Taylor (1849–1850) |
| 17 | Nathan Hall | New York | July 23, 1850 | August 31, 1852 | Millard Fillmore (1850–1853) |
| 18 | Samuel Hubbard | Connecticut | August 31, 1852 | March 4, 1853 | Millard Fillmore (1850–1853) |
| 19 | James Campbell | Pennsylvania | March 7, 1853 | March 4, 1857 | Franklin Pierce (1853–1857) |
| 20 | Aaron Brown | Tennessee | March 6, 1857 | March 8, 1859 | James Buchanan (1857–1861) |
| 21 | Joseph Holt | Kentucky | March 9, 1859 | December 31, 1860 | James Buchanan (1857–1861) |
| 22 | Horatio King | Maine | February 12, 1861 | March 4, 1861 | James Buchanan (1857–1861) |
| 23 | Montgomery Blair | District of Columbia | March 5, 1861 | September 24, 1864 | Abraham Lincoln (1861–1865) |
| 24 | William Dennison | Ohio | September 24, 1864 | July 25, 1866 | Abraham Lincoln (1861–1865) |
| 24 | William Dennison | Ohio | September 24, 1864 | July 25, 1866 | Andrew Johnson (1865–1869) |
| 25 | Alexander Randall | Wisconsin | July 25, 1866 | March 4, 1869 | Andrew Johnson (1865–1869) |
| 26 | John Creswell | Maryland | March 5, 1869 | June 22, 1874 | Ulysses S. Grant (1869–1877) |
| 27 | James Marshall | Virginia | July 3, 1874 | August 24, 1874 | Ulysses S. Grant (1869–1877) |
| 28 | Marshall Jewell | Connecticut | August 24, 1874 | July 12, 1876 | Ulysses S. Grant (1869–1877) |
| 29 | James Tyner | Indiana | July 12, 1876 | March 3, 1877 | Ulysses S. Grant (1869–1877) |
| 30 | David Key | Tennessee | March 12, 1877 | June 2, 1880 | Rutherford B. Hayes (1887–1881) |
| 31 | Horace Maynard | Tennessee | June 2, 1880 | March 4, 1881 | Rutherford B. Hayes (1887–1881) |
| 32 | Thomas James | New York | March 5, 1881 | December 20, 1881 | James A. Garfield (1881) |
| 32 | Thomas James | New York | March 5, 1881 | December 20, 1881 | Chester A. Arthur (1881–1885) |
| 33 | Timothy Howe | Wisconsin | December 20, 1881 | March 25, 1883 | Chester A. Arthur (1881–1885) |
| 34 | Walter Gresham | Indiana | April 3, 1883 | September 4, 1884 | Chester A. Arthur (1881–1885) |
| 35 | Frank Hatton | Iowa | October 14, 1884 | March 4, 1885 | Chester A. Arthur (1881–1885) |
| 36 | William Vilas | Wisconsin | March 6, 1885 | January 6, 1888 | Grover Cleveland (1885–1889) |
| 37 | Donald Dickinson | Michigan | January 6, 1888 | March 4, 1889 | Grover Cleveland (1885–1889) |
| 38 | John Wanamaker | Pennsylvania | March 5, 1889 | March 4, 1893 | Benjamin Harrison (1889–1893) |
| 39 | Wilson Bissell | New York | March 6, 1893 | March 1, 1895 | Grover Cleveland (1893–1897) |
| 40 | William Wilson | West Virginia | March 1, 1895 | March 4, 1897 | Grover Cleveland (1893–1897) |
| 41 | James Gary | Maryland | March 5, 1897 | April 21, 1898 | William McKinley (1897–1901) |
| 42 | Charles Smith | Pennsylvania | April 21, 1898 | January 8, 1902 | William McKinley (1897–1901) |
| 42 | Charles Smith | Pennsylvania | April 21, 1898 | January 8, 1902 | Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909) |
| 43 | Henry Payne | Wisconsin | January 9, 1902 | October 4, 1904 | Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909) |
| 44 | Robert Wynne | Pennsylvania | October 10, 1904 | March 5, 1905 | Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909) |
| 45 | George Cortelyou | New York | March 6, 1905 | January 14, 1907 | Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909) |
| 46 | George Meyer | Massachusetts | January 15, 1907 | March 4, 1909 | Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909) |
| 47 | Frank Hitchcock | Massachusetts | March 5, 1909 | March 4, 1913 | William Howard Taft (1909–1913) |
| 48 | Albert Burleson | Texas | March 5, 1913 | March 4, 1921 | Woodrow Wilson (1913–1921) |
| 49 | Will Hays | Indiana | March 5, 1921 | March 3, 1922 | Warren G. Harding (1921–1923) |
| 50 | Hubert Work | Colorado | March 4, 1922 | March 4, 1923 | Warren G. Harding (1921–1923) |
| 51 | Harry New | Indiana | March 4, 1923 | March 3, 1929 | Warren G. Harding (1921–1923) |
| 51 | Harry New | Indiana | March 4, 1923 | March 3, 1929 | Calvin Coolidge (1923–1929) |
| 52 | Walter Brown | Ohio | March 5, 1929 | March 4, 1933 | Herbert Hoover (1929–1933) |
| 53 | James Farley | New York | March 4, 1933 | September 10, 1940 | Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945) |
| 54 | Frank Walker | Pennsylvania | September 10, 1940 | May 8, 1945 | Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945) |
| 54 | Frank Walker | Pennsylvania | September 10, 1940 | May 8, 1945 | Harry S. Truman (1945–1953) |
| 55 | Robert Hannegan | Missouri | May 8, 1945 | December 15, 1947 | Harry S. Truman (1945–1953) |
| 56 | Jesse Donaldson | Missouri | December 16, 1947 | January 20, 1953 | Harry S. Truman (1945–1953) |
| 57 | Arthur Summerfield | Michigan | January 21, 1953 | January 20, 1961 | Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961) |
| 58 | Edward Day | California | January 21, 1961 | August 9, 1963 | John F. Kennedy (1961–1963) |
| 59 | John Gronouski | Wisconsin | September 30, 1963 | November 2, 1965 | John F. Kennedy (1961–1963) |
| 59 | John Gronouski | Wisconsin | September 30, 1963 | November 2, 1965 | Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969) |
| 60 | Larry O'Brien | Massachusetts | November 3, 1965 | April 10, 1968 | Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969) |
| 61 | Marvin Watson | Texas | April 26, 1968 | January 20, 1969 | Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969) |
| 62 | Winton Blount | Alabama | January 22, 1969 | January 1, 1971 | Richard Nixon (1969–1974) |

### US Postal Service (1971–present)

| No. | Name | Start | End | President(s) |
| 62 | Winton Blount | January 1, 1971 | January 1, 1972 | Richard Nixon (1969–1974) |
| 63 | Ted Klassen | January 1, 1972 | February 16, 1975 | Richard Nixon (1969–1974) |
| 63 | Ted Klassen | January 1, 1972 | February 16, 1975 | Gerald Ford (1974–1977) |
| 64 | Benjamin Bailar | February 16, 1975 | March 15, 1978 | Gerald Ford (1974–1977) |
| 64 | Benjamin Bailar | February 16, 1975 | March 15, 1978 | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
| 65 | William Bolger | March 15, 1978 | January 1, 1985 | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
| 65 | William Bolger | March 15, 1978 | January 1, 1985 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| 66 | Paul Carlin | January 1, 1985 | January 7, 1986 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| 67 | Albert Casey | January 7, 1986 | August 16, 1986 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| 68 | Preston Tisch | August 16, 1986 | March 1, 1988 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| 69 | Anthony Frank | March 1, 1988 | July 6, 1992 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| 69 | Anthony Frank | March 1, 1988 | July 6, 1992 | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
| 70 | Marvin Runyon | July 6, 1992 | May 16, 1998 | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
| 70 | Marvin Runyon | July 6, 1992 | May 16, 1998 | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| 71 | William Henderson | May 16, 1998 | May 31, 2001 | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| 71 | William Henderson | May 16, 1998 | May 31, 2001 | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
| 72 | John Potter | June 1, 2001 | December 6, 2010 | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
| 72 | John Potter | June 1, 2001 | December 6, 2010 | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| 73 | Patrick Donahoe | January 14, 2011 | February 1, 2015 | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| 74 | Megan Brennan | February 1, 2015 | June 15, 2020 | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| 74 | Megan Brennan | February 1, 2015 | June 15, 2020 | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| 75 | Louis DeJoy | June 15, 2020 | present | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| 75 | Louis DeJoy | June 15, 2020 | present | Joe Biden (2021–2025) |
| 75 | Louis DeJoy | June 15, 2020 | present | Donald Trump (2025 -) |