Women in Party Leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives, 1949–Present
Nearly three dozen women in congressional history have been elected by their peers into the Democratic and Republican Party leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives. The first was Connecticut Representative Chase Going Woodhouse, who served a single term as Secretary of the Democratic Caucus in the 81st Congress (1949–1951). Illinois Representative Lynn Martin became the first Republican woman elected to a House leadership position when she won the vice chair post in the Republican Conference in the 99th–100th Congresses (1985–1989). California Representative Nancy Pelosi is the highest-ranking woman in congressional history—having served as House Democratic Whip and House Democratic Leader, prior to being elected Speaker of the House in 2007.
| Congress | Name | Caucus/Conference | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 81st (1949–1951) | |||
| 81st (1949–1951) | WOODHOUSE, Chase Going | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
| 83rd (1953–1955) | |||
| 83rd (1953–1955) | KELLY, Edna Flannery | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
| 84th (1955–1957) | |||
| 84th (1955–1957) | KELLY, Edna Flannery | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
| 86th (1959–1961) | |||
| 86th (1959–1961) | SULLIVAN, Leonor Kretzer | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
| 87th (1961–1963) | |||
| 87th (1961–1963) | SULLIVAN, Leonor Kretzer | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
| 88th (1963–1965) | |||
| 88th (1963–1965) | KELLY, Edna Flannery 1 | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
| 88th (1963–1965) | SULLIVAN, Leonor Kretzer | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
| 89th (1965–1967) | |||
| 89th (1965–1967) | SULLIVAN, Leonor Kretzer | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
| 90th (1967–1969) | |||
| 90th (1967–1969) | SULLIVAN, Leonor Kretzer | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
| 91st (1969–1971) | |||
| 91st (1969–1971) | SULLIVAN, Leonor Kretzer | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
| 92nd (1971–1973) | |||
| 92nd (1971–1973) | SULLIVAN, Leonor Kretzer | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
| 93rd (1973–1975) | |||
| 93rd (1973–1975) | SULLIVAN, Leonor Kretzer | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
| 94th (1975–1977) | |||
| 94th (1975–1977) | MINK, Patsy Takemoto | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
| 95th (1977–1979) | |||
| 95th (1977–1979) | CHISHOLM, Shirley Anita | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
| 96th (1979–1981) | |||
| 96th (1979–1981) | CHISHOLM, Shirley Anita | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
| 97th (1981–1983) | |||
| 97th (1981–1983) | FERRARO, Geraldine Anne | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
| 98th (1983–1985) | |||
| 98th (1983–1985) | FERRARO, Geraldine Anne | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
| 99th (1985–1987) | |||
| 99th (1985–1987) | MARTIN, Lynn Morley | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
| 99th (1985–1987) | OAKAR, Mary Rose | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
| 100th (1987–1989) | |||
| 100th (1987–1989) | MARTIN, Lynn Morley | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
| 100th (1987–1989) | OAKAR, Mary Rose | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
| 102nd (1991–1993) | |||
| 102nd (1991–1993) | KENNELLY, Barbara Bailey | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 103rd (1993–1995) | |||
| 103rd (1993–1995) | KENNELLY, Barbara Bailey | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 104th (1995–1997) | |||
| 104th (1995–1997) | KENNELLY, Barbara Bailey | Democratic Caucus | Vice Chair |
| 104th (1995–1997) | MOLINARI, Susan | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
| 104th (1995–1997) | VUCANOVICH, Barbara Farrell | Republican Conference | Secretary |
| 105th (1997–1999) | |||
| 105th (1997–1999) | DUNN, Jennifer Blackburn | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
| 105th (1997–1999) | DUNN, Jennifer Blackburn | Republican Conference | Secretary |
| 105th (1997–1999) | KENNELLY, Barbara Bailey | Democratic Caucus | Vice Chair |
| 105th (1997–1999) | MOLINARI, Susan | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
| 106th (1999–2001) | |||
| 106th (1999–2001) | FOWLER, Tillie Kidd | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
| 106th (1999–2001) | PRYCE, Deborah D. | Republican Conference | Secretary |
| 106th (1999–2001) | WATERS, Maxine | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 107th (2001–2003) | |||
| 107th (2001–2003) | CUBIN, Barbara L. | Republican Conference | Secretary |
| 107th (2001–2003) | PELOSI, Nancy | Democratic Caucus | Whip |
| 107th (2001–2003) | PRYCE, Deborah D. | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
| 107th (2001–2003) | WATERS, Maxine | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 108th (2003–2005) | |||
| 108th (2003–2005) | PELOSI, Nancy | Democratic Caucus | Leader |
| 108th (2003–2005) | PRYCE, Deborah D. | Republican Conference | Chair |
| 108th (2003–2005) | WATERS, Maxine | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 109th (2005–2007) | |||
| 109th (2005–2007) | PELOSI, Nancy | Democratic Caucus | Leader |
| 109th (2005–2007) | PRYCE, Deborah D. | Republican Conference | Chair |
| 109th (2005–2007) | WATERS, Maxine | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 110th (2007–2009) | |||
| 110th (2007–2009) | GRANGER, Kay | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
| 110th (2007–2009) | PELOSI, Nancy | U.S. House of Representatives | Speaker of the House |
| 110th (2007–2009) | WATERS, Maxine | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 111th (2009–2011) | |||
| 111th (2009–2011) | PELOSI, Nancy | U.S. House of Representatives | Speaker of the House |
| 111th (2009–2011) | RODGERS, Cathy McMorris | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
| 112th (2011–2013) | |||
| 112th (2011–2013) | DEGETTE, Diana | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 112th (2011–2013) | PELOSI, Nancy | Democratic Caucus | Leader |
| 112th (2011–2013) | RODGERS, Cathy McMorris | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
| 112th (2011–2013) | SCHAKOWSKY, Janice D. | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 112th (2011–2013) | WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Debbie | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 112th (2011–2013) | WATERS, Maxine | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 113th (2013–2015) | |||
| 113th (2013–2015) | DEGETTE, Diana | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 113th (2013–2015) | FOXX, Virginia Ann | Republican Conference | Secretary |
| 113th (2013–2015) | JENKINS, Lynn | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
| 113th (2013–2015) | PELOSI, Nancy | Democratic Caucus | Leader |
| 113th (2013–2015) | RODGERS, Cathy McMorris | Republican Conference | Chair |
| 113th (2013–2015) | SCHAKOWSKY, Janice D. | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 113th (2013–2015) | SEWELL, Terri | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 113th (2013–2015) | WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Debbie | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 114th (2015–2017) | |||
| 114th (2015–2017) | DEGETTE, Diana | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 114th (2015–2017) | FOXX, Virginia Ann | Republican Conference | Secretary |
| 114th (2015–2017) | JENKINS, Lynn | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
| 114th (2015–2017) | PELOSI, Nancy | Democratic Caucus | Leader |
| 114th (2015–2017) | RODGERS, Cathy McMorris | Republican Conference | Chair |
| 114th (2015–2017) | SCHAKOWSKY, Janice D. | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 114th (2015–2017) | SEWELL, Terri | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 114th (2015–2017) | SINEMA, Kyrsten | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 114th (2015–2017) | WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Debbie | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 115th (2017–2019) | |||
| 115th (2017–2019) | DEGETTE, Diana | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 115th (2017–2019) | PELOSI, Nancy | Democratic Caucus | Leader |
| 115th (2017–2019) | RODGERS, Cathy McMorris | Republican Conference | Chair |
| 115th (2017–2019) | SÁNCHEZ, Linda T. | Democratic Caucus | Vice Chair |
| 115th (2017–2019) | SCHAKOWSKY, Janice D. | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 115th (2017–2019) | SEWELL, Terri | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 115th (2017–2019) | SINEMA, Kyrsten | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 115th (2017–2019) | WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Debbie | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 116th (2019–2021) | |||
| 116th (2019–2021) | CHENEY, Liz | Republican Conference | Chair |
| 116th (2019–2021) | CLARK, Katherine M. | Democratic Caucus | Vice Chair |
| 116th (2019–2021) | JACKSON LEE, Sheila | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 116th (2019–2021) | PELOSI, Nancy | U.S. House of Representatives | Speaker of the House |
| 116th (2019–2021) | SCHAKOWSKY, Janice D. | Democratic Caucus | Senior Chief Deputy Whip |
| 116th (2019–2021) | SEWELL, Terri | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
| 116th (2019–2021) | WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Debbie | Democratic Caucus | Chief Deputy Whip |
Footnotes
1Kelly and Sullivan shared the Secretary post during the 88th Congress, with Kelly serving in the second session.