The following persons have served as Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates.
Order | Name | County or City | Born | Term began | Term ended | Died |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | Pendleton, Edmund | Caroline County | 1721 | 1776 | 1776 | 1803 |
2nd | Wythe, George | Williamsburg | 1726 | 1777 | 1778 | 1806 |
3rd | Harrison, Benjamin | Charles City County | 1726 | 1778 | 1781 | 1791 |
4th | Lee, Richard Henry | Westmoreland County | 1732 | 1781 | 1781 | 1794 |
5th | Tyler, John Sr. | Charles City County | 1747 | 1781 | 1785 | 1813 |
3rd | Harrison, Benjamin | Charles City County | 1726 | 1785 | 1786 | 1791 |
6th | Prentis, Joseph | Williamsburg | 1754 | 1786 | 1788 | 1809 |
7th | Mathews, Thomas | Norfolk Borough | 1742 | 1788 | 1794 | 1812 |
8th | Wise, John | Accomack County | before 1768 | 1794 | 1799 | 1812 |
9th | Smith, Larkin | King and Queen County | c. 1757 | 1799 | 1802 | 1813 |
10th | Harrison, Edmund | Amelia County | 1764 | 1802 | 1803 | 1826 |
11th | Holmes, Hugh | Frederick County | 1768 | 1803 | 1805 | 1825 |
12th | Johnston, Peter Jr. | Prince Edward County | 1763 | 1805 | 1807 | 1831 |
13th | Nelson, Hugh | Albemarle County | 1768 | 1807 | 1809 | 1836 |
14th | Barbour, James | Orange County | 1775 | 1809 | 1812 | 1842 |
15th | Stevenson, Andrew | Richmond | 1784 | 1812 | 1816 | 1857 |
16th | Stanard, Robert | Spotsylvania County | 1781 | 1816 | 1817 | 1846 |
17th | Banks, Linn | Madison County | 1784 | 1817 | 1838 | 1842 |
18th | Gilmer, Thomas W. | Albemarle County | 1802 | 1839 | 1840 | 1844 |
19th | Southall, Valentine W. | Albemarle County | 1789–1790 | 1840 | 1842 | 1861 |
20th | Holleman, Joel | Isle of Wight County | 1799 | 1842 | 1844 | 1844 |
19th | Southall, Valentine W. | Albemarle County | 1789–1790 | 1844 | 1845 | 1861 |
21st | Goode, William O. | Mecklenburg County | 1798 | 1845 | 1846 | 1859 |
22nd | Jones, John W. | Chesterfield County | 1791 | 1847 | 1847 | 1848 |
23rd | Strother, James F. | Rappahannock County | 1811 | 1847 | 1848 | 1860 |
24th | Hopkins, Henry L. | Powhatan County | 1805 | 1848 | 1850 | 1872 |
25th | Hopkins, George W. | Washington County | 1804 | 1850 | 1852 | 1861 |
26th | Crutchfield, Oscar M. | Spotsylvania County | 1800 | 1852 | 1861 | 1861 |
27th | Kemper, James L. | Madison County | 1823 | 1861 | 1863 | 1895 |
28th | Sheffey, Hugh W. | Augusta County | 1815 | 1863 | 1865 | 1889 |
29th | Baldwin, John B. | Augusta County | 1820 | 1865 | 1869 | 1873 |
30th | Turner, Zephaniah Jr. | Rappahannock County | 1812 | 1869 | 1871 | 1876 |
31st | Hanger, J. Marshall | Augusta County | 1833 | 1871 | 1877 | 1912 |
32nd | Allen, Henry C. | Shenandoah County | 1838 | 1877 | 1879 | 1889 |
33rd | Lacy, Benjamin W. | New Kent County | 1839 | 1879 | 1881 | 1895 |
34th | Fowler, Isaac C. | Washington County | 1831 | 1881 | 1883 | 1904 |
35th | Stuart, Charles E. | Alexandria | 1850 | 1883 | 1887 | 1889 |
36th | Cardwell, Richard H. | Hanover County | 1846 | 1887 | 1894 | 1931 |
37th | Ryan, John F. | Loudoun County | 1848 | 1894 | 1899 | 1936 |
38th | Saunders, Edward W. | Franklin County | 1860 | 1899 | 1901 | 1921 |
37th | Ryan, John F. | Loudoun County | 1848 | 1901 | 1906 | 1936 |
39th | Cardwell, William D. | Hanover County | 1868 | 1906 | 1908 | 1954 |
40th | Byrd, Richard E. | Winchester | 1860 | 1908 | 1914 | 1925 |
41st | Cox, Edwin P. | Richmond | 1870 | 1914 | 1916 | 1938 |
42nd | Houston, Harry R. | Elizabeth City County | 1878 | 1916 | 1920 | 1960 |
43rd | Brewer, Richard L. Jr. | Suffolk | 1864 | 1920 | 1926 | 1947 |
44th | Ozlin, Thomas W. | Lunenburg County | 1884 | 1926 | 1930 | 1944 |
45th | Brown, J. Sinclair | Roanoke County | 1880 | 1930 | 1936 | 1965 |
46th | Dovell, G. Ashton | Williamsburg | 1885 | 1936 | 1942 | 1949 |
47th | Stanley, Thomas B. | Henry County | 1890 | 1942 | 1946 | 1970 |
48th | Massenburg, G. Alvin | Hampton | 1894 | 1947 | 1950 | 1968 |
49th | Moore, E. Blackburn | Frederick County | 1897 | 1950 | 1968 | 1980 |
50th | Cooke, John Warren | Mathews County | 1915 | 1968 | 1980 | 2009 |
51st | Philpott, Albert L. | Henry County | 1919 | 1980 | 1991 | 1991 |
52nd | Moss. Thomas W. Jr. | Norfolk | 1928 | 1991 | 2000 | |
53rd | Wilkins, S. Vance Jr. | Amherst County | 1936 | 2000 | 2002 | |
54th | Howell, William J. | Stafford County | 1943 | 2003 | present |
According to Rules 2 and 16 of the House of Delegates, the chair of the Committee on Privileges and Elections serves as Acting Speaker when there is a vacancy in the Speaker's office. This has occurred twice since 1990: