# Clerk of the New York State Assembly

The Clerk of the New York State Assembly heads the administration of the New York State Assembly. The outgoing clerk of the previous session presides over a new Assembly until a Speaker is elected. Subsequently a clerk is elected by the members of the Assembly. The clerk is the nominal author of the Assembly's legislative journals. The clerk appoints most of the Assembly's employees, like deputy clerks, assistant clerks, committee clerks, pages and janitors. Many clerks have been elected members of the Assembly, either before or after their clerkships.

## List

| Name | Took office | Left office | Party | Notes |
| John McKesson | September 1, 1777 | January 7, 1794 | Democratic-Republican | |
| Oliver L. Ker | January 7, 1794 | November 1, 1796 | Federalist | |
| James Van Ingen | November 1, 1796 | January 25, 1803 | Federalist | |
| Solomon Southwick | January 25, 1803 | January 27, 1807 | Democratic-Republican | |
| Gerrit Y. Lansing | January 27, 1807 | January 26, 1808 | Dem.-Rep./Lewisite | |
| Daniel Rodman | January 26, 1808 | January 30, 1810 | Dem.-Rep./Clintonian | |
| James Van Ingen | January 30, 1810 | January 29, 1811 | Federalist | |
| Samuel North | January 29, 1811 | November 3, 1812 | Democratic-Republican | |
| James Van Ingen | November 3, 1812 | September 26, 1814 | Federalist | |
| Aaron Clark | September 26, 1814 | November 7, 1820 | Dem.-Rep./Clintonian | |
| Dirck L. Vanderheyden | November 7, 1820 | January 2, 1822 | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | |
| Edward Livingston | January 2, 1822 | January 4, 1825 | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | Assemblyman 1833, 1835 and 1837; Speaker 1837 |
| Horatio Merchant | January 4, 1825 | January 3, 1826 | People's Party/Clintonian | |
| Edward Livingston | January 3, 1826 | January 1, 1828 | Dem.-Rep./Bucktail | Assemblyman 1833, 1835 and 1837; Speaker 1837 |
| Francis Seger | January 1, 1828 | January 7, 1834 | Jacksonian | State Senator 1834–1837 |
| Philip Reynolds Jr. | January 7, 1834 | January 2, 1838 | Democrat | |
| Jarvis N. Lake | January 2, 1838 | January 7, 1840 | Whig | |
| Philander B. Prindle | January 7, 1840 | January 4, 1842 | Whig | |
| John O. Cole | January 4, 1842 | January 3, 1843 | Democrat | |
| Henry N. Wales | January 3, 1843 | January 2, 1844 | Democrat | |
| James R. Rose | January 2, 1844 | January 6, 1846 | Democrat | |
| William W. Dean | January 6, 1846 | January 5, 1847 | Democrat | |
| Philander B. Prindle | January 5, 1847 | January 1, 1850 | Whig | |
| James R. Rose | January 1, 1850 | January 7, 1851 | Democrat | |
| Richard U. Sherman | January 7, 1851 | January 6, 1857 | Whig | Assemblyman 1857 and 1875–1876 |
| William Richardson | January 6, 1857 | January 26, 1858 | Republican | |
| David Wilson | January 26, 1858 | January 4, 1859 | American | Assemblyman 1852 |
| William Richardson | January 4, 1859 | January 1, 1861 | Republican | |
| Hanson A. Risley | January 1, 1861 | January 7, 1862 | Republican | |
| Joseph B. Cushman | January 7, 1862 | January 1, 1867 | Republican | |
| Luther Caldwell | January 1, 1867 | January 7, 1868 | Republican | |
| Cornelius W. Armstrong | January 1, 1868 | January 5, 1869 | Democrat | Assemblyman 1858 |
| Edward F. Underhill | January 5, 1869 | January 4, 1870 | Republican | |
| Cornelius W. Armstrong | January 4, 1870 | January 2, 1872 | Democrat | Assemblyman 1858 |
| Cornelius S. Underwood | January 2, 1872 | April 30, 1872 | Republican | died in office |
| Edward M. Johnson | May 1, 1872 | January 7, 1873 | Republican | |
| John O'Donnell | January 7, 1873 | January 5, 1875 | Republican | Assemblyman 1864; State Senator 1866–1869 |
| Hiram Calkins | January 5, 1875 | January 4, 1876 | Democrat | Clerk of the State Senate 1870–1871 |
| Edward M. Johnson | January 4, 1876 | January 2, 1883 | Republican | |
| Walter H. Bunn | January 2, 1883 | January 1, 1884 | Democrat | |
| Charles A. Chickering | January 1, 1884 | January 6, 1891 | Republican | Assemblyman 1879–1881 |
| Charles R. DeFreest | January 6, 1891 | January 2, 1894 | Democrat | |
| George W. Dunn | January 2, 1894 | January 2, 1895 | Republican | |
| Archie E. Baxter | January 2, 1895 | January 1, 1908 | Republican | |
| Ray B. Smith | January 1, 1908 | January 4, 1911 | Republican | |
| Luke McHenry | January 4, 1911 | September 17, 1911 | Democrat | died in office |
| George R. Van Namee | September 17, 1911 | January 3, 1912 | Democrat | acting since September 6 while McHenry was ill |
| Fred W. Hammond | January 3, 1912 | January 1, 1913 | Republican | Assemblyman 1901–1909 and 1911 |
| George R. Van Namee | January 1, 1913 | January 7, 1914 | Democrat | |
| Fred W. Hammond | January 7, 1914 | January 2, 1935 | Republican | Assemblyman 1901–1909 and 1911 |
| Homer W. Storey | January 2, 1935 | January 1, 1936 | Democrat | |
| Ansley B. Borkowski | January 1, 1936 | February 9, 1965 | Republican | Assemblyman 1921 and 1924–1930 |
| John T. McKennan | February 9, 1965 | January 8, 1969 | Democrat | State Senator 1949–1950 |
| Donald A. Campbell | January 8, 1969 | February 1973 | Republican | Assemblyman 1951–1968; resigned |
| Thomas H. Bartzos | February 1973 | January 8, 1975 | Republican | acting in 1973 |
| Catherine A. Carey | January 8, 1975 | January 9, 1985 | Democrat | |
| Francine Misasi | January 9, 1985 | January 2001 | Democrat | |