Claim: George Washington served as the first president.

The title `` Mister President '' -LRB- m. -RRB- or `` Madam President '' -LRB- f. -RRB- may apply to persons holding the title of president , or presiding over certain other governmental bodies .   Adopted in the 1790s by George Washington , the first President of the United States , as his official manner of address as head of state , `` Mister President '' has subsequently been used by other governments to refer to their heads of state . It is the conventional translation of non-English titles such as Monsieur le Président for the President of the French Republic . It also has a long history of usage as the title of the presiding officers of legislative and judicial bodies . The Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons is addressed as Monsieur le Président in French , and Mr. Speaker in English .