United States Postmaster General

The United States Postmaster General is the executive head of the United States Postal Service. The office, in one form or another, is older than both the United States Constitution and the United States Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Franklin was appointed by the Continental Congress as the first Postmaster General, serving slightly longer than 15 months.

In 1971, the United States Post Office Department was re-organized into the United States Postal Service, a special agency independent of the executive branch. Thus, the Postmaster General is no longer a member of the Cabinet and is no longer in line to be President.

 Postmasters General under the Continental Congress 
 Name Date appointedBenjamin FranklinJuly 26, 1775Richard BacheNovember 7, 1776Ebenezer HazardJanuary 28, 1782


 Postmasters General under the U.S. Constitution, 1789–1971 
 Name State of Residence Date appointed President(s) served underSamuel OsgoodNew YorkSeptember 26, 1789WashingtonTimothy PickeringMassachusettsAugust 12, 1791WashingtonJoseph HabershamGeorgiaFebruary 25, 1795Washington, Adams, JeffersonGideon GrangerConnecticutNovember 28, 1801Jefferson, MadisonReturn J. Meigs, Jr.OhioMarch 17, 1814Madison, MonroeJohn McLeanOhioJune 26, 1823Monroe, J. Q. Adams

 Cabinet-level Postmasters General 

 Name State of Residence Date appointed President(s) served underWilliam T. BarryKentuckyMarch 9, 1829JacksonAmos KendallMassachusettsMay 1, 1835Jackson, Van BurenJohn M. NilesConnecticutMay 19, 1840Van BurenFrancis GrangerNew YorkMarch 6, 1841W. H. Harrison, TylerCharles A. WickliffeKentuckySeptember 13, 1841TylerCave JohnsonTennesseeMarch 6, 1845PolkJacob CollamerVermontMarch 8, 1849TaylorNathan K. HallNew YorkJuly 23, 1850FillmoreSamuel D. HubbardConnecticutAugust 31, 1852FillmoreJames CampbellPennsylvaniaMarch 7, 1853PierceAaron V. BrownTennesseeMarch 6, 1857BuchananJoseph HoltKentuckyMarch 14, 1859BuchananHoratio KingMaineFebruary 12, 1861BuchananMontgomery BlairMarylandMarch 5, 1861LincolnWilliam DennisonOhioSeptember 24, 1864Lincoln, A. JohnsonAlexander W. RandallWisconsinJuly 25, 1866A. JohnsonJohn A. J. CreswellMarylandMarch 5, 1869GrantJames W. MarshallPennsylvaniaJuly 3, 1874GrantMarshall JewellConnecticutAugust 24, 1874GrantJames N. TynerIndianaJuly 12, 1876GrantDavid M. KeyTennesseeMarch 12, 1877HayesHorace MaynardTennesseeJune 2, 1880HayesThomas L. JamesNew YorkMarch 5, 1881Garfield, ArthurTimothy O. HoweWisconsinDecember 20, 1881ArthurWalter Q. GreshamIndianaApril 3, 1883ArthurFrank HattonIowaOctober 14, 1884ArthurWilliam F. VilasWisconsinMarch 6, 1885ClevelandDonald M. DickinsonMichiganJanuary 6, 1888ClevelandJohn WanamakerPennsylvaniaMarch 5, 1889B. HarrisonWilson S. BissellNew YorkMarch 6, 1893ClevelandWilliam L. WilsonWest VirginiaMarch 1, 1895ClevelandJames A. GaryMarylandMarch 5, 1897McKinleyCharles Emory SmithPennsylvaniaApril 21, 1898McKinley, T. RooseveltHenry C. PayneWisconsinJanuary 9, 1902T. RooseveltRobert J. WynneWashington, D.C.October 10, 1904T. RooseveltGeorge B. CortelyouNew YorkMarch 6, 1905T. RooseveltGeorge von L. MeyerMassachusettsJanuary 15, 1907T. RooseveltFrank H. HitchcockOhioMarch 5, 1909TaftAlbert S. BurlesonTexasMarch 5, 1913WilsonWill H. HaysIndianaMarch 5, 1921HardingHubert WorkColoradoMarch 4, 1922HardingHarry S. NewIndianaFebruary 27, 1923Harding, CoolidgeWalter F. BrownOhioMarch 5, 1929HooverJames A. FarleyNew YorkMarch 4, 1933F. RooseveltFrank C. WalkerMontanaSeptember 10, 1940F. Roosevelt, TrumanRobert E. HanneganMissouriMay 8, 1945TrumanJesse Monroe DonaldsonIllinoisDecember 16, 1947TrumanArthur E. SummerfieldMichiganJanuary 21, 1953EisenhowerJ. Edward DayIllinoisJanuary 21, 1961KennedyJohn A. GronouskiWisconsinSeptember 30, 1963Kennedy, L. JohnsonLawrence F. O'BrienMassachusettsNovember 3, 1965L. JohnsonW. Marvin WatsonTexasApril 26, 1968L. JohnsonWinton M. BlountAlabamaJanuary 22, 1969Nixon

Postmasters general of the U.S. Postal Service, 1971–present
 Name Date appointedSince July 1, 1971, the Postmaster General has been appointed by and serves under the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service.President(s) served under62Winton M. BlountJuly 1, 1971Nixon63E. T. KlassenJanuary 1, 1972Nixon, Ford64Benjamin F. BailarFebruary 16, 1975Ford, Carter65William F. BolgerMarch 15, 1978Carter, Reagan66Paul N. CarlinJanuary 1, 1985Reagan67Albert Vincent CaseyJanuary 7, 198668Preston Robert TischAugust 16, 198669Anthony M. FrankMarch 1, 1988Reagan, H.W. Bush70Marvin Travis RunyonJuly 6, 1992H.W. Bush, Clinton71William J. HendersonMay 16, 1998Clinton, Bush72John E. PotterJune 1, 2001Bush, Obama73Patrick R. DonahoeJanuary 14, 2011Obama74Megan BrennanFebruary 1, 2015Obama, Trump75Louis DeJoyJune 15, 2020Trump, Biden

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