United States House of Representatives: History, Art, & Archives
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89th Congress (1965–1967)

Congressional Profile

Total Membership:

  • 435 Representatives
  • 1 Resident Commissioner

Party Divisions:*

  • 295 Democrats
  • 140 Republicans

*Party division totals are based on election day results.

  • Election Statistics, 1964 [PDF]
John William McCormack/tiles/non-collection/s/speaker_mccormack_2005_016_045.xml Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives
About this object Massachusetts Representative John McCormack served five terms as Speaker of the House.

Congress Overview

The House Democratic majority grew by 36 seats, Senate Democrats retained their two-thirds’ majority, and Lyndon Johnson won election to his first full presidential term in the landslide 1964 elections. The 89th Congress (1965–1967) passed a huge burst of domestic legislation that protected voting rights, promoted education, cared for the elderly, helped clean up the water and the air, promoted the arts and humanities, advanced automobile and highway safety, and extended a helping hand to the economically disadvantaged. President Johnson dubbed this ambitious agenda “The Great Society.”

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 89th Congress [PDF]
  • Learn more about the House of Representatives with an interactive map

Learn more about the People of the People's House

Committee Information

Leadership & Officers

Speaker of the House:
John W. McCormack (D–Massachusetts)
Majority Leader:
Carl B. Albert (D–Oklahoma)
Minority Leader:
Gerald R. Ford (R–Michigan)
Democratic Whip:
Thomas Hale Boggs (D–Louisiana)
Republican Whip:
Leslie C. Arends (R–Illinois)
Democratic Caucus Chairman:
Eugene Keogh (D–New York)
Republican Conference Chairman:
Melvin Laird (R–Wisconsin)
Clerk of the House:
Ralph R. Roberts
Sergeant at Arms:
Zeake W. Johnson
Chaplain of the House:
Bernard Braskamp – Presbyterian
Doorkeeper:
William M. Miller
Postmaster:
H. H. Morris
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 89th Congress [PDF]

Session Dates

Saturday/Sunday Sessions

Joint Meetings, Joint Sessions, & Inaugurations

Related Collection Object

President Johnson’s 1965 State of the Union Address
President Johnson’s 1965 State of the Union Address
1965-01-04
On January 4, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson delivered the first evening State of the Union address broadcast on television. The timing of the speech, as well as the use of mass media, illustrated to the …
Congressional Delegation to Visit Alabama
Congressional Delegation to Visit Alabama
1965-02-04
In February of 1965, following the arrest of Martin Luther King, Jr., a multiracial, bipartisan Congressional delegation traveled to Selma, Alabama. The 14 Congressmen were on a fact-finding trip to observe …

Related House Records

Letter Opposing Voting Rights
Letter Opposing Voting Rights
July 9, 1965
This letter from Charles Geiser was sent to the Honorable Emanuel Celler, a Representative from New York and the Chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary, in July 1965. Congress was considering …
Telegram to Martin Luther King, Jr.
Telegram to Martin Luther King, Jr.
March 18, 1965
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Emanuel Celler sent this telegram to Reverend Walter Fauntroy on March 18, 1965. Fauntroy later served as a Delegate in the House, representing the District of Columbia, …
Thomas Foley Oath of Office
Thomas Foley Oath of Office
January 4, 1965
This is an example of the oath of office that is typically signed by Members of the House of Representatives at the beginning of each Congress. In the oath, Members vow to uphold the Constitution and faithfully …

Related Historical Highlights

The First Major NASA Appropriation for the "Moonshot Program"
The First Major NASA Appropriation for the "Moonshot Program"
May 06, 1965
The House voted in favor of a $5.18 billion authorization for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) "Moonshot Program."
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
August 03, 1965
On this date, by a vote of 328 to 74, the House approved the Voting Rights Act (VRA)—a landmark in the long civil rights movement.
The Highway Safety Act of 1966
The Highway Safety Act of 1966
August 18, 1966
The House of Representatives passed the Highway Safety Act of 1966.
Office of the Historian: history@mail.house.gov
Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk: art@mail.house.gov, archives@mail.house.gov