United States Postmaster General
Head of the United States Postal Service
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
change| Name | Date appointed |
|---|---|
| Benjamin Franklin | July 26, 1775 |
| Richard Bache | November 7, 1776 |
| Ebenezer Hazard | January 28, 1782 |
Postmasters General under the U.S. Constitution, 1789–1971
change| Name | State of Residence | Date appointed | President(s) served under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Osgood | New York | September 26, 1789 | Washington |
| Timothy Pickering | Massachusetts | August 12, 1791 | Washington |
| Joseph Habersham | Georgia | February 25, 1795 | Washington, Adams, Jefferson |
| Gideon Granger | Connecticut | November 28, 1801 | Jefferson, Madison |
| Return J. Meigs, Jr. | Ohio | March 17, 1814 | Madison, Monroe |
| John McLean | Ohio | June 26, 1823 | Monroe, J. Q. Adams |
Cabinet-level Postmasters General
changePostmasters general of the U.S. Postal Service, 1971–present
change| Name | Date appointed[1] | President(s) served under | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62 | Winton M. Blount | July 1, 1971 | Nixon |
| 63 | E. T. Klassen | January 1, 1972 | Nixon, Ford |
| 64 | Benjamin F. Bailar | February 16, 1975 | Ford, Carter |
| 65 | William F. Bolger | March 15, 1978 | Carter, Reagan |
| 66 | Paul N. Carlin | January 1, 1985 | Reagan |
| 67 | Albert Vincent Casey | January 7, 1986 | |
| 68 | Preston Robert Tisch | August 16, 1986 | |
| 69 | Anthony M. Frank | March 1, 1988 | Reagan, H.W. Bush |
| 70 | Marvin Travis Runyon | July 6, 1992 | H.W. Bush, Clinton |
| 71 | William J. Henderson | May 16, 1998 | Clinton, Bush |
| 72 | John E. Potter | June 1, 2001 | Bush, Obama |
| 73 | Patrick R. Donahoe | January 14, 2011 | Obama |
| 74 | Megan Brennan | February 1, 2015 | Obama, Trump |
| 75 | Louis DeJoy | June 15, 2020 | Trump, Biden |
References
change- ↑ Since July 1, 1971, the Postmaster General has been appointed by and serves under the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service.