78th United States Congress
78th United States Congress | |
---|---|
77th ← → 79th | |
United States Capitol (1956) | |
January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1945 | |
Senate President | Henry A. Wallace (D) |
Senate Pres. pro tem | Carter Glass (D) |
House Speaker | Sam Rayburn (D) |
Members |
96 Senators 435 Representatives 4 Non-voting members |
Senate Majority | Democratic |
House Majority | Democratic |
Sessions | |
1st: January 6, 1943 – December 21, 1943 2nd: January 10, 1944 – December 19, 1944 |
The Seventy-eighth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1943, to January 3, 1945, during the last two years of Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Sixteenth Census of the United States in 1940. Both chambers had a Democratic majority.
Major events
- World War II continued (1941–1945)
- June 6, 1944: Battle of Normandy
- November 7, 1944: General elections:
- President Roosevelt was re-elected to a fourth term.
- Senate Democrats kept their majority despite 1-seat net loss.
- House Democrats increased their majority with a 20-seat net gain.
Major legislation
- December 17, 1943: Magnuson Act (Chinese Exclusion Repeal Act of 1943), Sess. 1, ch. 344, 57 Stat. 600
- February 3, 1944: Mustering-out Payment Act, Sess. 2, Pub.L. 78–225, 58 Stat. 8
- June 6, 1944: Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (G.I. Bill), Sess. 2, ch. 268, Pub.L. 78–345, 58 Stat. 284
- June 27, 1944: Veterans' Preference Act, Sess. 2, ch. 287, Pub.L. 78–359, 58 Stat. 387
- July 1, 1944: Public Health Service Act, Sess. 2, ch. 373, 58 Stat. 682
- December 22, 1944: Pick-Sloan Flood Control Act, Sess. 2, ch. 665, Pub.L. 78–534, 58 Stat. 887
Party summary
Senate
Party (shading shows control) |
Total | Vacant | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic (D) |
Progressive (P) | Republican (R) | Other | |||
End of the previous congress | 64 | 1 | 30 | 1 | 96 | 0 |
Begin | 57 | 1 | 38 | 0 | 96 | 0 |
End | 56 | 39 | ||||
Final voting share | 58.3% | 1.0% | 40.6% | 0.0% | ||
Beginning of the next congress | 57 | 1 | 38 | 0 | 96 | 0 |
House of Representatives
- Democratic (D): 222 (majority)
- Republican (R): 209
- Progressive (P): 2
- Labor (AL): 1
- Farmer-Labor (F-L): 1
TOTAL members: 435
Leaders
[ Section contents: Senate: Majority (D), Minority (R) • House: Majority (D), Minority (R) ]
Senate
Majority (Democratic) leadership
Minority (Republican) leadership
- Minority Leader: Charles L. McNary, until February 25, 1944
- Wallace H. White, Jr., after February 25, 1944
- Minority whip: No Republican whips were appointed from 1935 to 1944 since only 17 Republicans were in the Senate following the landslide reelection of President Franklin Roosevelt in 1936. Accordingly, the minutes of the Republican Conference for the period state: "On motion of Senator Hastings, duly seconded and carried, it was agreed that no Assistant Leader or Whip be elected but that the chairman be authorized to appoint Senators from time to time to assist him in taking charge of the interests of the minority." A note attached to the conference minutes added: "The chairman of the conference, Senator McNary, apparently appointed Senator Austin of Vermont as assistant leader in 1943 and 1944, until the conference adopted Rules of Organization."[1]
- Republican Conference Secretary: Wallace H. White, Jr., until February 25, 1944
- Harold Hitz Burton (from February 25, 1944)
House of Representatives
- Speaker: Sam Rayburn (D)
Majority (Democratic) leadership
- Majority Leader: John William McCormack
- Majority whip: Robert Ramspeck
- Democratic Caucus Chairman: Harry R. Sheppard
- Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Patrick H. Drewry
Minority (Republican) leadership
- Minority Leader: Joseph William Martin, Jr.
- Minority whip: Harry Lane Englebright, until May 13, 1943
- Leslie C. Arends, from May 13, 1943
- Republican Conference Chairman: Roy O. Woodruff
Members
Senate
Senators are popularly elected statewide every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election, In this Congress, Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, facing re-election in 1944; Class 1 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1946; and Class 2 meant their term began in this Congress, facing re-election in 1948.
House of Representatives
The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.
Changes in membership
Senate
State (class) |
Vacator | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation |
---|---|---|---|---|
New Jersey (1) | William Warren Barbour (R) | Died November 22, 1943. Successor was appointed until an election. |
Arthur Walsh (D) | November 26, 1943 |
Indiana (3) | Frederick Van Nuys (D) | Died January 25, 1944. Successor was appointed until an election. |
Samuel D. Jackson (D) | January 28, 1944 |
Massachusetts (2) | Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. (R) | Resigned February 3, 1944, to go on active duty in the US Army. Success was appointed until a special election. |
Sinclair Weeks (R) | February 8, 1944 |
Oregon (2) | Charles L. McNary (R) | Died February 25, 1944. Successor was appointed and subsequently won special election |
Guy Cordon (R) | March 4, 1944 |
Washington (3) | Homer Bone (D) | Resigned November 13, 1944, to become Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. Successor was appointed to finish the term, having just been elected to the next term. |
Warren Magnuson (D) | December 14, 1944 |
Indiana (3) | Samuel D. Jackson (D) | Appointee was not a candidate to finish the term. Successor was elected. |
William E. Jenner (R) | November 7, 1944 |
South Carolina (3) | Ellison Durant Smith (D) | Died November 17, 1944. | Wilton E. Hall (D) | November 20, 1944 |
New Jersey (1) | Arthur Walsh (D) | Appointee was not a candidate to finish the term. Successor was elected. |
H. Alexander Smith (R) | December 7, 1944 |
Massachusetts (2) | Sinclair Weeks (R) | Appointee was not a candidate to finish the term. Successor was elected. Successor chose not to take the seat until the next Congress, but was nevertheless duly elected and qualified. |
Leverett Saltonstall (R) | January 4, 1945 |
House of Representatives
District | Vacator | Reason for change | Successor | Date successor seated |
---|---|---|---|---|
Missouri 6th | Vacant | Rep. Philip A. Bennett died in previous Congress | Marion T. Bennett (R) | January 12, 1943 |
California 2nd | Harry L. Englebright (R) | Died May 13, 1943 | Clair Engle (D) | August 31, 1943 |
Kansas 2nd | Ulysses S. Guyer (R) | Died June 5, 1943 | Errett P. Scrivner (R) | September 14, 1943 |
Oklahoma 2nd | John C. Nichols (D) | Resigned July 3, 1943, to become vice-president of Transcontinental and Western Air. | William G. Stigler (D) | March 28, 1944 |
New York 32nd | Francis D. Culkin (R) | Died August 4, 1943 | Hadwen C. Fuller (R) | November 2, 1943 |
Pennsylvania 23rd | James E. Van Zandt (R) | Resigned September 24, 1943, after being called to active duty in the US Armed Forces. | D. Emmert Brumbaugh (R) | November 2, 1943 |
Kentucky 4th | Edward W. Creal (D) | Died October 13, 1943 | Chester O. Carrier (R) | November 30, 1943 |
Pennsylvania 2nd | James P. McGranery (D) | Resigned November 17, 1943, after being appointed an Assistant Attorney General | Joseph Marmaduke Pratt (R) | January 18, 1944 |
Pennsylvania 17th | J. William Ditter (R) | Died November 21, 1943 | Vacant until the next Congress | |
Alabama 3rd | Henry B. Steagall (D) | Died November 22, 1943 | George W. Andrews (D) | March 14, 1944 |
Colorado 1st | Lawrence Lewis (D) | Died December 9, 1943 | Dean M. Gillespie (R) | March 7, 1944 |
New York 21st | Joseph A. Gavagan (D) | Resigned December 30, 1943, after being elected a justice of the New York Supreme Court | James H. Torrens (D) | February 29, 1944 |
Illinois 19th | William H. Wheat (R) | Died January 16, 1944 | Rolla C. McMillen (R) | June 13, 1944 |
Illinois 7th | Leonard W. Schuetz (D) | Died February 13, 1944 | Vacant until the next Congress | |
New York 4th | Thomas H. Cullen (D) | Died March 1, 1944 | John J. Rooney (D) | June 6, 1944 |
New York 11th | James A. O'Leary (D) | Died March 16, 1944 | Ellsworth B. Buck (R) | June 6, 1944 |
Louisiana 3rd | James Domengeaux (D) | Resigned April 15, 1944, to join US Armed Forces | James Domengeaux (D) | Re-elected to fill his own vacancy November 7, 1944 |
California 16th | Will Rogers, Jr. (D) | Resigned May 23, 1944, to enter the US Army | Vacant until the next Congress | |
Philippines At-large | Joaquín Miguel Elizalde | Resigned August 9, 1944, to become a member of the war cabinet of President Manuel L. Quezon | Carlos P. Romulo | August 10, 1944 |
Virginia 2nd | Winder R. Harris (D) | Resigned September 15, 1944 | Ralph Hunter Daughton (D) | November 7, 1944 |
Florida 3rd | Robert L. F. Sikes (D) | Resigned October 19, 1944, to enter the U.S. Army | Vacant until the next Congress | |
South Carolina 2nd | Hampton P. Fulmer (D) | Died October 19, 1944 | Willa L. Fulmer (R) | November 7, 1944 |
Florida At-large | Robert A. Green (D) | Resigned November 25, 1944, to enter the United States Navy | Vacant until the next Congress | |
Tennessee 4th | Albert Gore, Sr. (D) | Resigned December 4, 1944, to enter the United States Army | Vacant until the next Congress | |
Rhode Island 2nd | John E. Fogarty (D) | Resigned December 7, 1944, to enter the United States Navy | Vacant until the next Congress | |
Washington 1st | Warren Magnuson (D) | Resigned December 14, 1944, when appointed U.S. Senator | Vacant until the next Congress | |
Pennsylvania At-large | William I. Troutman (R) | Resigned January 2, 1945 | Vacant until the next Congress |
Committees
Lists of committees and their party leaders, for members (House and Senate) of the committees and their assignments, go into the Official Congressional Directory at the bottom of the article and click on the link (4 links), in the directory after the pages of terms of service, you will see the committees of the Senate, House (Standing with Subcommittees, Select and Special) and Joint and after the committee pages, you will see the House/Senate committee assignments in the directory, on the committees section of the House and Senate in the Official Congressional Directory, the committee's members on the first row on the left side shows the chairman of the committee and on the right side shows the ranking member of the committee.
Joint committees
- Commemorate the Cenntennial of the Telegraph
- Conditions of Indian Tribes (Special)
- Disposition of (Useless) Executive Papers
- The Library
- Reduction of Nonessential Federal Expenditures
- Organization of Congress
- Selective Service Deferments
- Taxation
Employees
Legislative branch agency directors
- Architect of the Capitol: David Lynn
- Attending Physician of the United States Congress: George Calver
- Comptroller General of the United States: Lindsay C. Warren
- Librarian of Congress: Archibald MacLeish (until 1944)
- Public Printer of the United States: Augustus E. Giegengack
Senate
- Chaplain: Frederick Brown Harris (Methodist)
- Parliamentarian: Charles Watkins
- Secretary: Edwin A. Halsey
- Sergeant at Arms: Wall Doxey
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: James Shera Montgomery (Methodist)
- Clerk: South Trimble
- Doorkeeper: Ralph R. Roberts
- Parliamentarian: Lewis Deschler
- Reading Clerks: N/A (R) and N/A (D)
- Sergeant at Arms: Kenneth Romney
See also
- United States elections, 1942 (elections leading to this Congress)
- United States elections, 1944 (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)
References
- ↑ "Party Whips". Senate.gov.
- House of Representatives Session Calendar for the 78th Congress (PDF).
- Official Congressional Directory for the 78th Congress, 1st Session.
- Official Congressional Directory for the 78th Congress, 2nd Session.
- Official Congressional Directory for the 78th Congress, 2nd Session (1st Revision).
- Official Congressional Directory for the 78th Congress, 2nd Session (2nd Revision).