At the start of the 61st Congress, Henry Bingham was the Dean of the House, meaning he was the longest-serving Member of the House at the time. Bingham stood in the chamber’s well and administered the oath of office to Speaker Joe Cannon. The House first began the tradition of the Dean administering a Speaker’s oath in the 1819. Cameras caught the moment when other Members and floor staffers turned from their work to watch the ritual unfold.
