Following is a list of persons who have headed the United States Patent Office. The title associated with this function has changed over time, from Superintendent of Patents to Commissioner of Patents to Undersecretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property. The duties of the office have also evolved significantly, including coming to encompass the supervision of trademark issuance as well as that of patents.
PortraitPatent Office HeadBeganserviceEndedservice Commissioners for the Promotion of Useful Arts or Patent BoardEdmund RandolphHenry KnoxThomas Jefferson17901793 Secretary of State179417951795May 12, 1800May 13, 1800March 4, 1801March 5, 18011802 Superintendent of Patents1June 1, 1802March 28, 18282April 12, 1828June 10, 18293June 11, 1829February 1, 18354February 1, 1835May 1835 Commissioner of Patents(Patent Act of July 4, 1836)5July 8, 1835April 1, 18456May 4, 184518497May 9, 184918528November 8, 185218539May 16, 1853August 5, 185710September 10, 1857Mar 185911May 27, 1859186012February 16, 1860December 10, 186013March 28, 1861186514August 17, 1865January 20, 186815July 29, 1868Mar 186916April 26, 1869November 10, 187017January 16, 1871187418November 4, 1874October 1, 187519October 1, 1875187720January 30, 1877187821November 1, 1878May 1, 188022May 7, 1880188323November 1, 1883188524March 23, 1885188725April 12, 1887188926April 1, 1889189127August 1, 1891189228March 31, 1893189729April 7, 1897189830February 3, 1898190131April 11, 19011907321907191333191319173419171920351920192136192119213719211933381933September 14, 194539September 15, 194519474019471949411949195342195319614319611963441964196945196919714619721973 Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks(PL 93-596 of January 2, 1975)471974197748197819794919791981 Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks(Public Law 97-366 of October 25, 1982)50198119855119851990521990199253August 5, 1993December 31, 1998 Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office(American Inventor’s Protection Act of November 29, 1999)54January 1, 1999January 20, 2001actingJanuary 20, 2001November 30, 200155December 10, 2001January 9, 200456January 12, 2004November 14, 2008actingNovember 15, 2008August 12, 2009 57August 13, 2009January 31, 2013actingFebruary 1, 2013 January 12, 201458 January 13, 2014June 6, 2017actingJune 7, 2017February 8, 201859February 8, 2018January 20, 2021interimJanuary 20, 2021April 13, 202260April 13, 2022December 13, 2024actingDecember 16, 2024January 20, 2025actingJanuary 20, 2025September 22, 202561September 22, 2025Present
Notes
See also Rufus Randolph Rhodes, Commissioner of Confederate States Patents from 1861 to 1865
References