- House Service & Seniority
- Party Divisions
- Session Dates of Congress
- Saturday & Sunday Legislative Days
- Joint Meetings, Joint Sessions, & Inaugurations
- Presidents, Vice Presidents, & Coinciding Sessions of Congress
- Presidential Vetoes
- List of Individuals Impeached by the House of Representatives
- List of Individuals Expelled, Censured, or Reprimanded in the U.S. House of Representatives
Congress Profiles
81st Congress (1949–1951)
Congressional Profile
Total Membership:
- 435 Representatives
- 2 Delegates
- 1 Resident Commissioner
Party Divisions:*
- 263 Democrats
- 171 Republicans
- 1 American-Labor
*Party division totals are based on election day results.
- Election Statistics, 1948 [PDF]
About this object
Congress Overview
When Democrats regained control of Congress in the 1948 elections, President Harry Truman outlined to the 81st Congress (1949–1951) the “Fair Deal,” an ambitious follow-up to New Deal programs of the 1930s. But Truman’s domestic agenda became a Cold War casualty after the Soviet Union successfully tested its atomic bomb, China came under communist control, and a Soviet spy ring was uncovered. Congress enacted internal security legislation. It also approved U.S. entry in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), anchoring an alliance intended to protect Western Europe from Soviet aggression. In June 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea.
Historical Highlights
- President Harry S. Truman's Fair Deal Proposal to a Joint Session of Congress
- The First Meeting of the House in Its Temporary Quarters in the Ways and Means Committee Room
- The Fair Labor Standards Act Amendments of 1949
See more Historical Highlights.
Member Information
- Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, (1774–2005), Official Annotated Membership Roster by State with Vacancy and Special Election Information for the 81st Congress [PDF]
- Learn more about the House of Representatives with an interactive map
Learn more about the People of the People's House
Leadership & Officers
- Speaker of the House:
-
Sam Rayburn (D–Texas)
- Majority Leader:
-
John W. McCormack (D–Massachusetts )
- Minority Leader:
-
Joseph W. Martin, Jr. (R–Massachusetts )
- Democratic Whip:
-
J. Percy Priest (D–Tennessee)
- Republican Whip:
-
Leslie C. Arends (R–Illinois)
- Democratic Caucus Chairman:
-
Francis E. Walter (D–Pennsylvania)
- Republican Conference Chairman:
-
Roy O. Woodruff (R–Michigan)
- Clerk of the House:
-
Ralph R. Roberts
- Sergeant at Arms:
-
Joseph H. Callahan 1
- Chaplain of the House:
-
Bernard Braskamp – Presbyterian
James Shera Montgomery – Methodist
- Doorkeeper:
-
William M. Miller 2
- Postmaster:
-
Finis E. Scott
- Parliamentarian:
-
Lewis Deschler
To view complete lists of individuals who have served in these leadership and official positions since the 1st Congress, visit the People section
Legislative Activities
- Résumés of Congressional Activity:
- Résumés of Congressional Activity for the 81st Congress [PDF]
Footnotes
1Elected January 3, 1949.
2Elected January 3, 1949
- For information on the current Congress, please visit the Office of the Clerk’s website.