History / Offices

Postmaster General

38 people have held this office since Jul 26, 1775. Now: David P. Steiner.

Holders
38
15 R · 9 D · 5 U · 4 DR · 2 F · 1 I · 1 KN · 1 BD
Longest tenure
12 years
Gideon Granger
Current
15 months
David P. Steiner, since Jul 14, 2025
history/office/postmaster-generalEvery holder, newest first
+38
17751800182518501875190019251950197520002025Benjamin Franklin · 1775-07-26 – 1776-11-07Richard Bache · 1776-11-07 – 1782-01-28Ebenezer Hazard · 1782-01-28 – 1789-09-26Samuel Osgood · 1789-09-26 – 1791-08-12 · FederalistTimothy Pickering · 1791-08-12 – 1795-01-01 · FederalistJoseph Habersham · 1795-02-25 – 1801-11-28 · IndependentGideon Granger · 1801-11-28 – 1814-03-17 · Democratic-RepublicanReturn J. Meigs Jr. · 1814-03-17 – 1823-06-26 · Democratic-RepublicanJohn McLean · 1823-06-26 – 1829-03-04 · DemocratWilliam T. Barry · 1829-03-09 – 1835-04-10 · Democratic-RepublicanJohn Milton Niles · 1840-05-19 – 1841-03-04 · Democratic-RepublicanCave Johnson · 1845-03-06 – 1849-03-04 · DemocratJacob Collamer · 1849-03-08 – 1850-07-22 · RepublicanJames Campbell · 1853-03-07 – 1857-03-04 · DemocratMontgomery Blair · 1861-03-05 – 1864-09-24 · RepublicanWilliam Dennison Jr. · 1864-09-24 – 1866-07-25 · RepublicanJohn Creswell · 1869-03-05 – 1874-06-22 · RepublicanJames Noble Tyner · 1876-07-12 – 1877-03-03 · RepublicanThomas Lemuel James · 1881-03-05 – 1881-12-20 · RepublicanWalter Quintin Gresham · 1883-04-09 – 1884-09-04 · Know NothingWilliam Freeman Vilas · 1885-03-06 – 1888-01-06 · DemocratJohn Wanamaker · 1889-03-05 – 1893-03-04 · RepublicanWilliam Lyne Wilson · 1895-03-01 – 1897-03-05 · Bourbon DemocratRobert Wynne · 1904-10-10 – 1905-03-05 · RepublicanGeorge Bruce Cortelyou · 1905-03-06 – 1907-01-14 · RepublicanAlbert Sidney Burleson · 1913-03-05 – 1921-03-04 · DemocratWilliam Harrison Hays · 1921-03-05 – 1922-03-03 · RepublicanHubert Work · 1922-03-04 – 1923-03-04 · RepublicanHarry Stewart New · 1923-03-04 – 1929-03-03 · RepublicanJames Farley · 1933-03-04 – 1940-09-10 · DemocratLarry O'Brien · 1965-11-03 – 1968-04-10 · DemocratW. Marvin Watson · 1968-04-26 – 1969-01-20 · DemocratJohn E. Potter · 2001-06-01 – 2010-12-06 · RepublicanPatrick R. Donahoe · 2010-12-06 – 2015-02-01Megan Brennan · 2015-02-01 – 2020-06-15 · DemocratLouis DeJoy · 2020-06-16 – 2025-03-24 · RepublicanDavid P. Steiner · 2025-07-14 – presentJames Albert Gary · 1897-01-01 – 1898-01-01 · Republican
David P. Steiner
Jul 14, 2025 – present · 15 months · appointed by Donald Trump
Louis DeJoy R
Jun 16, 2020 – Mar 24, 2025 · 4.8 years · appointed by Phil Baker
Megan Brennan D
Feb 1, 2015 – Jun 15, 2020 · 5.4 years · appointed by Barack Obama
Patrick R. Donahoe
Dec 6, 2010 – Feb 1, 2015 · 4.2 years · appointed by Barack Obama
John E. Potter R
Jun 1, 2001 – Dec 6, 2010 · 9.5 years · appointed by George W. Bush
W. Marvin Watson D
Apr 26, 1968 – Jan 20, 1969 · 9 months · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson
Larry O'Brien D
Nov 3, 1965 – Apr 10, 1968 · 2.4 years · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson
James Farley D
Mar 4, 1933 – Sep 10, 1940 · 7.5 years · appointed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Harry Stewart New R
Mar 4, 1923 – Mar 3, 1929 · 6 years · appointed by Warren G. Harding
Hubert Work R
Mar 4, 1922 – Mar 4, 1923 · 12 months · appointed by Warren G. Harding
William Harrison Hays R
Mar 5, 1921 – Mar 3, 1922 · 12 months · appointed by Warren G. Harding
Albert Sidney Burleson D
Mar 5, 1913 – Mar 4, 1921 · 8 years · appointed by Woodrow Wilson
George Bruce Cortelyou R
Mar 6, 1905 – Jan 14, 1907 · 22 months · appointed by Theodore Roosevelt
Robert Wynne R
Oct 10, 1904 – Mar 5, 1905 · 5 months · appointed by Theodore Roosevelt
James Albert Gary R
Jan 1, 1897 – Jan 1, 1898 · 12 months · appointed by Grover Cleveland
William Lyne Wilson BD
Mar 1, 1895 – Mar 5, 1897 · 2 years · appointed by Grover Cleveland
John Wanamaker R
Mar 5, 1889 – Mar 4, 1893 · 4 years · appointed by Benjamin Harrison
William Freeman Vilas D
Mar 6, 1885 – Jan 6, 1888 · 2.8 years · appointed by Grover Cleveland
Walter Quintin Gresham KN
Apr 9, 1883 – Sep 4, 1884 · 17 months · appointed by Chester A. Arthur
Thomas Lemuel James R
Mar 5, 1881 – Dec 20, 1881 · 10 months · appointed by James A. Garfield
James Noble Tyner R
Jul 12, 1876 – Mar 3, 1877 · 8 months · appointed by Ulysses S. Grant
John Creswell R
Mar 5, 1869 – Jun 22, 1874 · 5.3 years · appointed by Ulysses S. Grant
William Dennison Jr. R
Sep 24, 1864 – Jul 25, 1866 · 22 months · appointed by Abraham Lincoln
Montgomery Blair R
Mar 5, 1861 – Sep 24, 1864 · 3.6 years · appointed by Abraham Lincoln
James Campbell D
Mar 7, 1853 – Mar 4, 1857 · 4 years · appointed by Franklin Pierce
Jacob Collamer R
Mar 8, 1849 – Jul 22, 1850 · 16 months · appointed by Zachary Taylor
Cave Johnson D
Mar 6, 1845 – Mar 4, 1849 · 4 years · appointed by James K. Polk
John Milton Niles DR
May 19, 1840 – Mar 4, 1841 · 9 months · appointed by Martin Van Buren
William T. Barry DR
Mar 9, 1829 – Apr 10, 1835 · 6.1 years · appointed by Andrew Jackson
John McLean D
Jun 26, 1823 – Mar 4, 1829 · 5.7 years · appointed by James Monroe
Return J. Meigs Jr. DR
Mar 17, 1814 – Jun 26, 1823 · 9.3 years · appointed by James Madison
Gideon Granger DR
Nov 28, 1801 – Mar 17, 1814 · 12 years · appointed by Thomas Jefferson
Joseph Habersham I
Feb 25, 1795 – Nov 28, 1801 · 6.8 years · appointed by George Washington
Timothy Pickering F
Aug 12, 1791 – Jan 1, 1795 · 3.4 years · appointed by George Washington
Samuel Osgood F
Sep 26, 1789 – Aug 12, 1791 · 23 months · appointed by George Washington
Ebenezer Hazard
Jan 28, 1782 – Sep 26, 1789 · 7.7 years
Richard Bache
Nov 7, 1776 – Jan 28, 1782 · 5.2 years
Benjamin Franklin
Jul 26, 1775 – Nov 7, 1776 · 15 months

Dates are from Wikidata, which has gaps for some historical offices. Consecutive terms of one person are merged.