The 77th 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, D.C., from January 3, 1941, to January 3, 1943, during the ninth and tenth years of Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1930 United States census.
| 77th United States Congress | |
|---|---|
76th ← → 78th | |
 United States Capitol (1956) | |
January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1943 | |
| Members | 96 senators 435 representatives 4 non-voting delegates |
| Senate majority | Democratic |
| Senate President | John N. Garner (D)[a] (until January 20, 1941) Henry A. Wallace (D) (from January 20, 1941) |
| House majority | Democratic |
| House Speaker | Sam Rayburn (D) |
| Sessions | |
| 1st: January 3, 1941 – January 2, 1942 2nd: January 5, 1942 – December 16, 1942 | |
Both chambers maintained a Democratic majority - with the Senate being a supermajority. With the reelection of President Franklin D. Roosevelt to a then record third term, the Democrats maintained an overall federal government trifecta.
This was the first Congress to have more than one Senate president (John Garner and Henry Wallace) due to the passage of the 20th Amendment in 1933.
Major events
- January 20, 1941: President Franklin D. Roosevelt began his third term.
- December 7, 1941: Attack on Pearl Harbor
- December 8, 1941: Joint Session of Congress met to hear President Roosevelt deliver his "Day of Infamy" speech
- December 26, 1941: Joint session of the United States Congress met in the Senate chamber for an address by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
Major legislation and resolutions
- March 11, 1941: Lend Lease Act, Pub. L. 77–11, Sess. 1, ch. 11, 55 Stat. 31
- August 18, 1941: Flood Control Act of 1941, Pub. L. 77–228, Sess. 1, ch. 377, 55 Stat. 638
- December 8, 1941: Resolution— War between United States and Japan, Pub. L. 77–328, Sess. 1, ch. 561, 55 Stat. 795
- December 11, 1941: Resolution— War between United States and Germany, Pub. L. 77–331, Sess. 1, ch. 564, 55 Stat. 796
- December 11, 1941: Resolution— War between United States and Italy, Pub. L. 77–332, Sess. 1, ch. 565, 55 Stat. 797
- January 27, 1942: Air Raid Attack Act of 1942, Pub. L. 77–415, Sess. 2, ch. 20, 56 Stat. 19
- January 30, 1942: Emergency Price Control Act of 1942, Pub. L. 77–421, Sess. 2, ch. 26, 56 Stat. 23
- June 5, 1942: Resolution— War between United States and Bulgaria, Pub. L. 77–563, Sess. 2, ch. 323, 56 Stat. 307
- June 5, 1942: Resolution— War between United States and Hungary, Pub. L. 77–564, Sess. 2, ch. 324, 56 Stat. 307
- June 5, 1942: Resolution— War between United States and Romania, Pub. L. 77–565, Sess. 2, ch. 325, 56 Stat. 307
- June 22, 1942: Resolution— United States Flag Code, including recognition of the Pledge of Allegiance, Pub. L. 77–623, Sess. 2, ch. 435, 56 Stat. 377
- October 2, 1942: Stabilization Act of 1942, Pub. L. 77–729, Sess. 2, ch. 578, 56 Stat. 765
Select committees
Leadership
Senate
- President: John Nance Garner (D), until January 20, 1941
- Henry A. Wallace (D), from January 20, 1941
- President pro tempore: Pat Harrison (D), until June 22, 1941
- Carter Glass (D), from July 10, 1941
Majority (Democratic) leadership
Minority (Republican) leadership
House of Representatives
- Speaker: Sam Rayburn (D)
Majority (Democratic) leadership
Minority (Republican) leadership
Party summary
Senate
2 Democrats
2 Republicans
1 Democrat and 1 Republican
1 Republican and 1 Independent
1 Republican and 1 Progressive
| Party (shading shows control) |
Total | Vacant | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (D) |
Farmer– Labor (FL) | Wisconsin Progressive (P) | Republican (R) | Independent (I) | |||
| End of previous congress | 68 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 1 | 96 | 0 |
| Begin | 66 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 1 | 96 | 0 |
| End | 64 | 30 | |||||
| Final voting share | 66.7% | 0.0% | 1.0% | 31.3% | 1.0% | ||
| Beginning of next congress | 57 | 0 | 1 | 38 | 0 | 96 | 0 |
House of Representatives
| Party (shading shows control) |
Total | Vacant | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (D) |
Farmer– Labor (FL) | American Labor (AL) | Wisconsin Progressive (P) | Republican (R) | Other | |||
| End of previous congress | 256 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 167 | 1 | 428 | 7 |
| Begin | 268 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 162 | 0 | 435 | 0 |
| End | 254 | 165 | 424 | 11 | ||||
| Final voting share | 59.9% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.7% | 38.9% | 0.0% | ||
| Beginning of next congress | 222 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 208 | 0 | 434 | 1 |
Members
Senate
Senators are 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 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1942; Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1944; and Class 1 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1946.
Currently, this is the last Congressional session in which the Democratic Party commanded all Senate seats from the South.
Currently, this is the second and last Congressional session in which Wyoming sent 3 democrats to Congress (senators Joesph C. O'Mahoney and Harry Schwartz, as well as representative at-large John J. McIntyre).
House of Representatives
Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of this Congress.
Senate
| State (class) |
Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation[b] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia (2) |
Matthew M. Neely (D) | Resigned January 12, 1941, after being elected Governor of West Virginia. Successor was appointed to serve until a special election, which he subsequently lost. In addition, successor took oath of office after the Senate resolved a challenge to the appointment. |
Joseph Rosier (D) | January 13, 1941 |
| Arkansas (2) |
John E. Miller (D) | Resigned March 31, 1941, after being appointed judge for the US District Court for the Western District of Arkansas. Successor was appointed to finish the term. |
G. Lloyd Spencer (D) | April 1, 1941 |
| Texas (2) |
Morris Sheppard (D) | Died April 9, 1941. Successor was appointed to serve until a special election. |
Andrew Jackson Houston (D) | April 21, 1941 |
| Mississippi (2) |
Pat Harrison (D) | Died June 22, 1941. Successor was appointed to serve until a special election. |
James Eastland (D) | June 30, 1941 |
| Texas (2) |
Andrew Jackson Houston (D) | Died June 26, 1941. Successor was elected to finish term. |
W. Lee O'Daniel (D) | August 4, 1941 |
| South Carolina (2) |
James F. Byrnes (D) | Resigned July 17, 1941, after being appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Successor was appointed to serve until a special election. |
Alva M. Lumpkin (D) | July 22, 1941 |
| South Carolina (2) |
Alva M. Lumpkin (D) | Died August 1, 1941. Successor was appointed to serve until a special election. |
Roger C. Peace (D) | August 5, 1941 |
| Mississippi (2) |
James Eastland (D) | Appointee did not seek election to finish term. Successor was elected September 28, 1941, to finish term. |
Wall Doxey (D) | September 29, 1941 |
| South Carolina (2) |
Roger C. Peace (D) | Appointee did not seek election to finish term. Successor was elected November 4, 1941, to finish term. |
Burnet R. Maybank (D) | November 5, 1941 |
| Colorado (3) |
Alva B. Adams (D) | Died December 1, 1941. Successor was appointed to serve until the November 3, 1942, special election, which he won. |
Eugene Millikin (R) | December 20, 1941 |
| West Virginia (2) |
Joseph Rosier (D) | Appointee lost election November 17, 1942, to finish the term. Successor was elected to finish term. |
Hugh Shott (R) | November 18, 1942 |
| Minnesota (2) |
Joseph H. Ball (R) | Appointee did not seek election to finish term. Successor was elected November 17, 1942, to finish term. |
Arthur E. Nelson (R) | November 18, 1942 |
| Nevada (1) |
Berkeley L. Bunker (D) | Appointee lost election December 7, 1942, to finish the term. Successor was elected to finish term. |
James G. Scrugham (D) | December 7, 1942 |
House of Representatives
| District | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation[b] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma 7th | Sam C. Massingale (D) | Died January 17, 1941 | Victor Wickersham (D) | April 1, 1941 |
| New York 17th | Kenneth F. Simpson (R) | Died January 25, 1941 | Joseph C. Baldwin (R) | March 11, 1941 |
| Alabama 7th | Walter W. Bankhead (D) | Resigned February 1, 1941 | Carter Manasco (D) | June 24, 1941 |
| Maryland 6th | William D. Byron (D) | Died February 27, 1941 | Katharine Byron (D) | May 27, 1941 |
| Virginia 2nd | Colgate Darden (D) | Resigned March 1, 1941, to run for Governor of Virginia | Winder R. Harris (D) | April 8, 1941 |
| New York 42nd | Pius L. Schwert (D) | Died March 11, 1941 | John C. Butler (R) | April 22, 1941 |
| North Carolina 5th | Alonzo D. Folger (D) | Died April 30, 1941 | John H. Folger (D) | June 14, 1941 |
| New York 14th | Morris M. Edelstein (D) | Died June 4, 1941 | Arthur G. Klein (D) | July 29, 1941 |
| Wisconsin 1st | Stephen Bolles (R) | Died July 8, 1941 | Lawrence H. Smith (R) | August 29, 1941 |
| Pennsylvania 15th | Albert G. Rutherford (R) | Died August 10, 1941 | Wilson D. Gillette (R) | November 4, 1941 |
| Colorado 4th | Edward T. Taylor (D) | Died September 3, 1941 | Robert F. Rockwell (R) | December 9, 1941 |
| Mississippi 2nd | Wall Doxey (D) | Resigned September 28, 1941, after being elected to the US Senate | Jamie L. Whitten (D) | November 4, 1941 |
| California 17th | Lee E. Geyer (D) | Died October 11, 1941 | Cecil R. King (D) | August 25, 1942 |
| Massachusetts 7th | Lawrence J. Connery (D) | Died October 19, 1941 | Thomas J. Lane (D) | December 30, 1941 |
| Connecticut 5th | J. Joseph Smith (D) | Resigned November 4, 1941, after being appointed judge for the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut | Joseph E. Talbot (R) | January 20, 1942 |
| Pennsylvania 12th | J. Harold Flannery (D) | Resigned January 3, 1942, after becoming judge of common pleas for Luzerne County, PA | Thomas B. Miller (R) | May 19, 1942 |
| Pennsylvania 33rd | Joseph A. McArdle (D) | Resigned January 5, 1942, after being elected to the Pittsburgh City Council | Elmer J. Holland (D) | May 19, 1942 |
| Pennsylvania 11th | Patrick J. Boland (D) | Died May 18, 1942 | Veronica G. Boland (D) | November 3, 1942 |
| Washington 5th | Arthur D. Healey (D) | Resigned August 1, 1942, after being appointed judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington | Vacant until the next Congress | |
| Massachusetts 8th | Charles H. Leavy (D) | Resigned August 3, 1942, after being appointed judge for the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts | Vacant until the next Congress | |
| Ohio 15th | Robert T. Secrest (D) | Resigned August 3, 1942, after accepting a commission in the U.S. Navy | Vacant until the next Congress | |
| Ohio 13th | Albert D. Baumhart Jr. (R) | Resigned September 2, 1942, after accepting a commission in the U.S. Navy | Vacant until the next Congress | |
| Iowa 9th | Vincent F. Harrington (D) | Resigned September 5, 1942, after accepting a commission as major in the United States Army | Harry E. Narey (R) | November 3, 1942 |
| California 3rd | Frank H. Buck (D) | Died September 17, 1942 | Vacant until the next Congress | |
| Maryland 2nd | William Purington Cole Jr. (D) | Resigned October 26, 1942, after being appointed judge for the U.S. Customs Court | Vacant until the next Congress | |
| Pennsylvania 25th | Charles I. Faddis (D) | Resigned December 4, 1942, to enter the US Army | Vacant until the next Congress | |
| Illinois 4th | Harry P. Beam (D) | Resigned December 6, 1942, after being elected judge for the municipal court of Chicago | Vacant until the next Congress | |
| Illinois 6th | A. F. Maciejewski (D) | Resigned December 6, 1942 | Vacant until the next Congress | |
| Missouri 6th | Philip A. Bennett (R) | Died December 7, 1942 | Vacant until the next Congress | |
| Nevada at-large | James G. Scrugham (D) | Resigned December 7, 1942, after being elected to the U.S. Senate | Vacant until the next Congress | |
Committees
Lists of committees and their party leaders for members of the House and Senate committees can be found through the Official Congressional Directory at the bottom of this article. The directory after the pages of terms of service lists committees of the Senate, House (Standing with Subcommittees, Select and Special) and Joint and, after that, House/Senate committee assignments. 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.
Senate
|
House of Representatives
|
Joint committees
- United States Congress Joint Committee to Arrange the Inauguration for President-elect|Arrange the Inauguration for President-elect (Chairman: Sen. Matthew M. Neely)
- Conditions of Indian Tribes (Special)
- United States Congress Joint Committee on the Disposition of Executive Papers|Disposition of (Useless) Executive Papers
- United States Congress Joint Committee on the Eradication of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly|Eradication of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly
- Forestry (Chairman: Sen. John H. Bankhead II; Vice Chairman: Rep. Hampton P. Fulmer)
- United States Congress Joint Committee on Government Organization (Chairman: Sen. James F. Byrnes)
- The Library (Chairman: Sen. Alben W. Barkley)
- Printing (Chairman: Sen. Carl Hayden; Vice Chairman: Rep. Pete Jarman)
- United States Congress Joint Committee on Reduction of Nonessential Federal Expenditures|Reduction of Nonessential Federal Expenditures
- Taxation (Chairman: Sen. Pat Harrison then Rep. Robert L. Doughton; Vice Chairman: Sen. Walter F. George)
- United States Congress Joint Committee on to Investigate Phosphate Resource of the United States|To Investigate Phosphate Resource of the United States (Chairman: J. Hardin Peterson)
Caucuses
- Democratic (House)
- Democratic (Senate)
Employees
Legislative branch agency directors
Senate
- Secretary: Edwin A. Halsey
- Librarian: Ruskin McArdle
- Secretary for the Majority: Leslie Biffle
- Secretary for the Minority: Carl A. Loeffler
- Sergeant at Arms: Chesley W. Jurney
- Parliamentarian: Charles Watkins
- Chaplain: ZeBarney Thorne Phillips (Episcopal), until May 1942
- Frederick Brown Harris (Methodist), after October 10, 1942
House of Representatives
- Clerk: South Trimble
- Sergeant at Arms: Kenneth Romney
- Parliamentarian: Lewis Deschler
- Reading Clerks: Roger M. Calloway (D) and Alney E. Chaffee (R)
- Doorkeeper: Joseph J. Sinnott
- Postmaster: Finis E. Scott
- Chaplain: James Shera Montgomery (Methodist)
See also
- 1940 United States elections (elections leading to this Congress)
- 1942 United States elections (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)
Notes
- U.S. Vice President John N. Garner's term as President of the Senate ended at noon January 20, 1941, when Henry A. Wallace's term began.
References
- House of Representatives Session Calendar for the 77th Congress (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 20, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- Official Congressional Directory for the 77th Congress, 1st Session.
- Official Congressional Directory for the 77th Congress, 1st Session (Revision).
- Official Congressional Directory for the 77th Congress, 2nd Session.
- Official Congressional Directory for the 77th Congress, 2nd Session (Revision).
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