List of speakers of the Massachusetts House of Representatives

This is a list of speakers of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. The Speaker of the House presides over the House of Representatives. The Speaker is elected by the majority party caucus followed by confirmation of the full House through the passage of a House Resolution. As well as presiding over the body, the Speaker is also the chief leader, and controls the flow of legislation. Other House leaders, such as the majority and minority leaders, are elected by their respective party caucuses relative to their party's strength in the House. The current house speaker is Ronald Mariano.

Colonial period

House of Deputies of the Massachusetts Bay Colony Speaker Portrait Years ↑ Town Electoral history William Hathorne 1644–1645 Salem George Cooke 1645 Cambridge William Hathorne 1646 Salem Robert Bridges 1646 Lynn Joseph Hills 1647 Mistick Side William Hathorne 1648 Salem Richard Russell 1648 Charlestown Daniel Denison 1649 Ipswich William Hathorne 1650 Salem Daniel Gookin 1651 Cambridge Daniel Denison 1651–1652 Ipswich Humphrey Atherton 1653 Springfield Richard Russell 1654 Charlestown Edward Johnson 1655 Richard Russell 1656 Charlestown William Hathorne 1657 Salem Richard Russell 1658 Charlestown Thomas Savage 1659–1660 William Hathorne 1660–1661 Salem Thomas Clarke 1662 John Leverett 1663–1664 Boston Thomas Clarke 1665 Richard Waldron 1666–1668 Cocheco Thomas Clarke 1669–1670 Thomas Savage 1671 Boston Thomas Clarke 1672 Richard Waldron 1673 Cocheco Joshua Hubbard 1673–1674 Richard Waldron 1674–1675 Cocheco Peter Bulkeley 1675–1676 Concord Thomas Savage 1677–1678 Boston Richard Waldron 1679 Cocheco Town became part of New Hampshire John Richards 1679–1680 Dorchester Daniel Fisher 1680–1682 Dedham Elisha Cooke Sr. 1683 Boston John Waite 1684 Malden Isaac Addington 1685 Boston John Saffin 1686 Boston General Court adjourned May 21, 1686, did not convene until May or June 1689

Inter-Charter Period Speaker Portrait Years ↑ Town Electoral history Thomas Oakes 1689 Boston John Bowles 1698–1690 Boston Penn Townsend 1690–1691 Salem William Bond 1691–1692 Watertown Penn Townsend 1692 Salem

Second Charter of the Province of Massachusetts Bay Speaker Portrait Years ↑ Town Electoral history William Bond 1692–1693 Watertown Nathaniel Byfield 1693–1694 Boston Nehemiah Jewett 1694–1695 Rowley William Bond 1695–1696 Watertown Penn Townsend 1696–1697 Salem Nathaniel Byfield 1698 Rowley James Converse 1699–1700 Woburn John Leverett 1700–1701 Boston Nehemiah Jewett 1701–1702 Rowley James Converse 1702–1705 Woburn Thomas Oakes 1705–1707 Boston John Burrill 1707 Lynn Thomas Oliver 1708–1709 Cambridge John Clark 1709–1711 Boston John Burrill 1711–1720 Lynn Elisha Cooke Jr. 1720 Timothy Lindall 1720–1721 Boston John Clark 1721–1724 Boston William Dudley 1724–1729 Roxbury John Quincy 1729–1741 Mount Wollaston William Fairfield 1741 Wenham Thomas Cushing II 1742–1746 Boston Thomas Hutchinson 1746–1748 Boston Resigned when appointed to the Governor's Council Joseph Dwight 1748–1750 Brookfield Thomas Hubbard 1750–1759 Waltham Samuel White May 30, 1759 –May 28, 1760 Taunton James Otis Sr. May 28, 1760 –May 26, 1762 Barnstable Resigned when appointed to the Governor's Council Timothy Ruggles May 26, 1762 –May 25, 1764 Rochester Samuel White May 25, 1764 –June 11, 1764 Taunton Thomas Clap pro tem June 11, 1764 –May 29, 1765 Samuel White May 29, 1764 –May 28, 1766 Taunton James Otis Jr. May 28, 1766 –May 28, 1766 Barnstable Thomas Cushing May 28, 1766 –1774 Boston

Massachusetts Provincial Congress of Deputies Speaker Portrait Years ↑ Electoral history John Hancock 1774–1775 Left office to attend the Second Continental Congress where he served as President Joseph Warren 1775 Died at the Battle of Bunker Hill James Warren 1775–1780

House of Representatives under the Massachusetts Constitution

# Portrait Speaker Party Years ↑ City or Town (District) Electoral history1 Caleb Davis None 1780–1782 Boston Resigned2 Nathaniel Gorham None 1782–1783 Charlestown 3 Tristram Dalton None 1783–1784 Newbury Elected to State Senate4 Samuel Allyne Otis None 1784–1785 Barnstable 5 Nathaniel Gorham None 1785–1786 Charlestown 6 Artemas Ward None 1786–1787 Shrewsbury 7 James Warren None 1787–1788 Plymouth 8 Theodore Sedgwick Pro-Administration 1788–1789 Sheffield Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives9 David Cobb Pro-Administration 1789–1793 Taunton Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives10 Edward Robbins Democratic-Republican 1793–1802 Boston Elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts11 John Coffin Jones Federalist 1802–1803 Boston 12 Harrison Gray Otis Federalist 1803–1805 Boston Elected to the State Senate13 Timothy Bigelow Federalist 1805–1806 Worcester Party lost majority14 Perez Morton Democratic-Republican 1806–1808 Dorchester Party lost majority15 Timothy Bigelow Federalist 1808–1810 Worcester Party lost majority16 Perez Morton Democratic-Republican 1810–1811 Dorchester Resigned17 Joseph Story Democratic-Republican 1811–1812 Salem Resigned when appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States18 Eleazer Ripley Democratic-Republican 1812 Waterville Joined United States Army19 Timothy Bigelow Federalist 1812–1820 Worcester 20 Elijah H. Mills Federalist 1820–1821 Northampton Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives21 Josiah Quincy III Federalist 1821–1822 Boston Resigned to become Judge of Boston Municipal Court22 Luther Lawrence Federalist 1822 Lowell Party lost majority23 Levi Lincoln Jr. National Republican 1822–1823 Worcester Elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts24 William C. Jarvis National Republican 1823–1825 Woburn Party lost majority25 Timothy Fuller Democratic-Republican 1825–1826 Cambridgeport Party lost majority26 William C. Jarvis National Republican 1826–1828 Woburn 27 William B. Calhoun National Republican 1828–1834 Springfield Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives28 Julius Rockwell Whig 1835–1837 Pittsfield Resigned when appointed commissioner of the Bank of Massachusetts29 Robert Charles Winthrop Whig 1838–1840 Boston Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives30 George Ashmun Whig 1841 Blandford 31 Thomas H. Kinnicutt Whig 1842 Worcester 32 Daniel P. King Whig 1843 South Danvers 33 Thomas H. Kinnicutt Whig 1844 Worcester Resigned34 Samuel H. Walley Jr. Whig 1844–1846 Boston 35 Ebenezer Bradbury Whig 1847 Newburyport 36 Francis Crowninshield Whig 1848–1849 Boston 37 Ensign H. Kellogg Whig 1850 Pittsfield 38 Nathaniel Prentice Banks Democratic 1851–1852 Waltham Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives39 George Bliss Whig 1853 Springfield 40 Otis P. Lord Whig 1854 Salem Party lost majority41 Daniel C. Eddy Know Nothing 1855 Lowell 42 Charles A. Phelps Know Nothing 1856–1857 Boston Elected to the Massachusetts Senate; Party Lost election43 Julius Rockwell Republican 1858 Pittsfield Resigned when appointed to the Massachusetts Superior Court44 Charles Hale Republican 1859 Boston 45 John A. Goodwin Republican 1860–1861 Lowell 46 Alexander Hamilton Bullock Republican 1862–1865 Worcester Elected Governor of Massachusetts47 James M. Stone Republican 1866–1867 Charlestown 48 Harvey Jewell Republican 1868–1871 Boston 49 John E. Sanford Republican 1872–1875 Taunton 50 John Davis Long Republican 1876–1878 Hingham Elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts51 Levi C. Wade Republican 1879 Newton 52 Charles J. Noyes Republican 1880–1882 Boston (14th Suffolk) 53 George Augustus Marden Republican 1883–1884 Lowell 54 John Q. A. Brackett Republican January 7, 1885 –1886 Boston (17th Suffolk) Elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts55 Charles J. Noyes Republican 1887–1888 Boston (14th Suffolk) 56 William Emerson Barrett Republican 1889–1893 Melrose (11th Middlesex) Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives57 George von Lengerke Meyer Republican 1894–1896 Boston (9th Suffolk) 58 John Lewis Bates Republican 1897–1899 Boston (1st Suffolk) Elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts59 James J. Myers Republican 1900–1903 Cambridge (1st Middlesex) Retired60 Louis A. Frothingham Republican 1904–1905 Boston (11th Suffolk) Left House to run for governor61 John N. Cole Republican 1906–1908 Andover (8th Essex) Left House to run for Lieutenant Governor62 Joseph Walker Republican 1909–1911 Brookline (2nd Norfolk) Left House to run for governor63 Grafton D. Cushing Republican 1912–1914 Boston (11th Suffolk) Elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts64 Channing H. Cox Republican 1915–1918 Boston (10th Suffolk) Elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts65 Joseph E. Warner Republican 1919–1920 Taunton (4th Bristol)Lost primary for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts to Alvan Fuller66 Benjamin Loring Young Republican 1921–1924 Weston (13th Middlesex) 67 John C. Hull Republican 1925–1928 Leominster (11th Worcester) Appointed First Securities Director in the wake of The Great Depression (1930–36)68 Leverett Saltonstall Republican 1929–1936 Chestnut Hill (5th Middlesex) Defeated for election as Lieutenant Governor by Francis E. Kelly 69 Horace T. Cahill Republican 1937–1938 Braintree (6th Norfolk) Elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts70 Christian Herter Republican 1939–1942 Boston (5th Suffolk) Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives71 Rudolph King Republican 1943–1944 Millis (8th Norfolk) Resigned to run become Registrar of Motor Vehicles72 Frederick Willis Republican 1945–1948 Saugus (10th Essex) Party lost majority73 Thomas P. O'Neill Democratic 1949–1952 Cambridge (3rd Middlesex) Party lost majority; O'Neill elected to U.S. House of Representatives74 Charles Gibbons Republican 1953–1954 Stoneham (22nd Middlesex) Party lost majority75 Michael F. Skerry Democratic 1955–1957 Medford (27th Middlesex) Resigned when appointed Clerk of the Malden District Court76 John F. Thompson Democratic 1958–1964 Ludlow (2nd Hampden) Resigned after being indicted on charges of conspiracy and bribery77 John Davoren Democratic 1965–1967 Milford (9th Worcester) Resigned when appointed Secretary of the Commonwealth78 Robert H. Quinn Democratic 1967–1969 Boston (9th Suffolk) Elected Massachusetts Attorney General79 David M. Bartley Democratic 1969–1975 Holyoke (7th Hampden) Resigned to become President of Holyoke Community College80 Thomas W. McGee Democratic 1975–1984 Lynn (20th Essex) Defeated by Keverian in leadership challenge81 George Keverian Democratic 1985–1990 Everett (39th Middlesex) Retired to run for State Treasurer82 Charles Flaherty Democratic 1991 –April 9, 1996 Cambridge (27th Middlesex) Resigned: pleaded guilty to tax evasion83 Thomas Finneran Democratic April 9, 1996 –September 28, 2004 Mattapan (12th Suffolk) Resigned after pleading guilty to obstruction of justice84 Salvatore DiMasi Democratic September 28, 2004 –January 27, 2009 Boston (3rd Suffolk) Resigned: convicted of conspiracy, honest services fraud, and extortion85 Robert DeLeo Democratic January 27, 2009 – December 29, 2020 Winthrop (19th Suffolk) Resigned to accept position at Northeastern University86 Ron Mariano Democratic December 30, 2020 – present Quincy (3rd Norfolk) Current speaker

See also List of presidents of the Massachusetts Senate List of Massachusetts General Courts List of former districts of the Massachusetts House of Representatives

Notes 1. Prior to 1857, representatives were selected by a majority of votes at a town meeting. Since 1857, representatives have been elected by district.

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