85th United States Congress
1957–1959 U.S. Congress
| 85th United States Congress | |
|---|---|
84th ← → 86th | |
 United States Capitol (1956) | |
January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1959 | |
| Members | 96 senators 435 representatives |
| Senate majority | Democratic |
| Senate President | Richard Nixon (R) |
| House majority | Democratic |
| House Speaker | Sam Rayburn (D) |
| Sessions | |
| 1st: January 3, 1957 – August 30, 1957 2nd: January 7, 1958 – August 24, 1958 | |
The 85th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 1957, to January 3, 1959, during the fifth and sixth years of Dwight Eisenhower's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1950 United States census.
Both chambers had a Democratic majority.
To date, this is the earliest Congress with a member still living, Merwin Coad.
Major events
- January 5, 1957: President Eisenhower announced the Eisenhower Doctrine in a special message to Congress
- January 20, 1957: Inauguration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower for a second term
- August 21, 1957: President Eisenhower announced a 2-year suspension of nuclear testing
- August 28, 1957: Senator Strom Thurmond set a record for the longest filibuster with his 24-hour, 18-minute speech against the Civil Rights Act of 1957
- September 24, 1957: Little Rock Crisis: President Eisenhower sent federal troops to Arkansas to provide safe passage into Central High School for the Little Rock Nine.
- October 4, 1957: The Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth
- October 21, 1957: The U.S. military sustained its first combat fatality in Vietnam
- November 7, 1957: Gaither Report called for more American missiles and fallout shelters
- November 25, 1957: President Eisenhower suffers from a stroke
- January 31, 1958: U.S. launched its first satellite, Explorer 1
- July 15, 1958: U.S intervenes in the Lebanon Crisis, the first major application of the Eisenhower Doctorine.
- October 1, 1958: NASA started operations
Major legislation
- August 14, 1957: Airways Modernization Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 85–133, 71 Stat. 349
- September 2, 1957: Price-Anderson Nuclear Industries Indemnity Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 85–256, 71 Stat. 576
- September 9, 1957: Civil Rights Act of 1957, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 85–315, 71 Stat. 634
- July 29, 1958: National Aeronautics and Space Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 85–568, 72 Stat. 426
- 1958: Transportation Act of 1958, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 85–625
- August 23, 1958: Federal Aviation Act of 1958, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 85–726, 72 Stat. 731
- August 28, 1958: EURATOM Cooperation Act of 1958, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 85–846, 72 Stat. 1084
- August 28, 1958: Military Construction Appropriation Act (Advanced Research Projects Agency), Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 85–852, 72 Stat. 1096
- September 2, 1958: National Defense Education Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 85–864, 72 Stat. 1580
- 1958: Department of Defense Reorganization Act, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 85–899
- 1958: Pasatore-Walter Immigration Act
States admitted
- January 3, 1959: Alaska was admitted as the 49th state.
Party summary
Senate
| Party (shading shows control) | Total | Vacant | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (D) | Republican (R) | |||
| End of previous congress | 47 | 49 | 96 | 0 |
| Begin | 49 | 47 | 96 | 0 |
| End | 50 | 45 | 95 | 1 |
| Final voting share | 52.6% | 47.4% | ||
| Beginning of next congress | 64 | 34 | 98 | 0 |
House of Representatives
| Party (shading shows control) | Total | Vacant | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (D) | Republican (R) | |||
| End of previous congress | 228 | 200 | 428 | 7 |
| Begin | 233 | 200 | 433 | 2 |
| End | 232 | 193 | 425 | 10 |
| Final voting share | 54.6% | 45.4% | ||
| Beginning of next congress | 282 | 153 | 435 | 0 |
Leadership
Senate President
Richard Nixon (R)
Senate President pro tempore
Carl Hayden (D)
House Speaker
Sam Rayburn (D)
Senate
Majority (Democratic) leadership
- Majority Leader and Conference Chairman: Lyndon B. Johnson
- Majority Whip: Mike Mansfield
- Democratic Caucus Secretary: Thomas C. Hennings Jr.
Minority (Republican) leadership
- Minority Leader: William Knowland
- Minority Whip: Everett Dirksen
- Republican Conference Chairman: Leverett Saltonstall
- Republican Conference Secretary: Milton Young
- National Senatorial Committee Chair: Everett Dirksen
- Policy Committee Chairman: Styles Bridges
House of Representatives
- Speaker: Sam Rayburn (D)
Majority (Democratic) leadership
- Majority Leader: John W. McCormack
- Majority Whip: Carl Albert
- Democratic Caucus Chairman: Melvin Price
- Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Michael J. Kirwan
Minority (Republican) leadership
- Minority Leader: Joseph W. Martin Jr.
- Minority Whip: Leslie C. Arends
- Republican Conference Chairman: Charles B. Hoeven
- Policy Committee Chairman: Joseph W. Martin Jr.
- Republican Campaign Committee Chairman: Richard M. Simpson
Caucuses
Members
Senate
Senators are popularly elected statewide every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election. Senators in each state are listed by class. In this Congress, Class 1 meant their term ended with this Congress, facing re-election in 1958; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1960; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, facing re-election in 1962.
House of Representatives
Changes in membership
Senate
| State (class) | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (3) | Vacant | Retired. Successor elected in 1956, but took seat late to prevent Governor from appointing a rival to be his successor as N.Y. Attorney General | Jacob Javits (R) | January 9, 1957 |
| Texas (1) | Price Daniel (D) | Resigned January 14, 1957, after being elected Governor of Texas. Successor appointed January 15, 1957. | William A. Blakley (D) | January 15, 1957 |
| Texas (1) | William A. Blakley (D) | Interim appointee retired when successor elected. Successor elected April 28, 1957. | Ralph Yarborough (D) | April 29, 1957 |
| Wisconsin (1) | Joseph McCarthy (R) | Died May 2, 1957. Successor elected August 27, 1957. | William Proxmire (D) | August 28, 1957 |
| West Virginia (2) | Matthew M. Neely (D) | Died January 18, 1958. Successor appointed January 25, 1958. | John D. Hoblitzell Jr. (R) | January 25, 1958 |
| North Carolina (2) | W. Kerr Scott (D) | Died April 16, 1958. Successor appointed April 19, 1958, and then elected November 4, 1958. | B. Everett Jordan (D) | April 19, 1958 |
| West Virginia (2) | John D. Hoblitzell Jr. (R) | Interim appointee lost special election. Successor elected November 4, 1958. | Jennings Randolph (D) | November 5, 1958 |
| California (1) | William F. Knowland (R) | Resigned early January 2, 1959. | Vacant | Not filled this term |
House of Representatives
| District | Vacated by | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico at-large | Vacant | Rep. Antonio M. Fernández died during previous congress. | Joseph Montoya (D) | April 9, 1957 |
| New Jersey 2 | Vacant | Rep. T. Millet Hand died during previous congress. | Milton W. Glenn (R) | November 5, 1957 |
| Illinois 7 | James Bowler (D) | Died July 18, 1957. | Roland V. Libonati (D) | December 31, 1957 |
| Pennsylvania 13 | Samuel K. McConnell Jr. (R) | Resigned September 1, 1957, after becoming Executive Director of the United Cerebral Palsy Associations | John A. Lafore Jr. (R) | November 5, 1957 |
| Georgia 7 | Henderson L. Lanham (D) | Died November 10, 1957. | Harlan E. Mitchell (D) | January 8, 1958 |
| Pennsylvania 21 | Augustine B. Kelley (D) | Died November 20, 1957. | John H. Dent (D) | January 21, 1958 |
| New York 37 | W. Sterling Cole (R) | Resigned December 1, 1957, after becoming Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency. | Howard W. Robison (R) | January 14, 1958 |
| Tennessee 8 | Jere Cooper (D) | Died December 18, 1957. | Fats Everett (D) | February 1, 1958 |
| Pennsylvania 4 | Earl Chudoff (D) | Resigned January 5, 1958, after being elected judge of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas No. 1. | Robert N.C. Nix Sr. (D) | May 20, 1958 |
| New Jersey 14 | Vincent J. Dellay (R) | Changed political affiliation some time in 1958. | Vincent J. Dellay (D) | ????, 1958 |
| Illinois 14 | Russell W. Keeney (R) | Died January 11, 1958. | Vacant | Not filled this term. |
| Minnesota 1 | August H. Andresen (R) | Died January 14, 1958. | Al Quie (R) | February 18, 1958 |
| Wisconsin 1 | Lawrence H. Smith (R) | Died January 22, 1958. | Not filled this term. | |
| New Mexico at-large | John J. Dempsey (D) | Died March 11, 1958. | Not filled this term. | |
| Louisiana 8 | George S. Long (D) | Died March 22, 1958. | Not filled this term. | |
| Illinois 4 | William E. McVey (R) | Died August 10, 1958. | Not filled this term. | |
| Pennsylvania 28 | Herman P. Eberharter (D) | Died September 9, 1958. | Not filled this term. | |
| Ohio 17 | J. Harry McGregor (R) | Died October 7, 1958. | Not filled this term. | |
| Illinois 20 | Sid Simpson (R) | Died October 26, 1958. | Not filled this term. | |
| Massachusetts 13 | Richard B. Wigglesworth (R) | Resigned November 13, 1958. | Not filled this term. | |
| New York 4 | Henry J. Latham (R) | Resigned December 31, 1958, after becoming a judge of the New York Supreme Court. | Not filled this term. | |
Committees
Lists of committees and their party leaders for members of the House and Senate committees can be found through the Official Congressional Directory at the bottom of this article. The directory after the pages of terms of service lists committees of the Senate, House (Standing with Subcommittees, Select and Special) and Joint and, after that, House/Senate committee assignments. On the committees section of the House and Senate in the Official Congressional Directory, the committee's members on the first row on the left side shows the chairman of the committee and on the right side shows the ranking member of the committee.
Senate
| House of Representatives
|
Joint committees
- Atomic Energy (Chairman: Rep. Carl T. Durham; Vice Chairman: Sen. Clinton P. Anderson)
- Conditions of Indian Tribes (Special)
- Construction of a Building for a Museum of History and Technology for the Smithsonian
- Defense Production (Chairman: Sen. A. Willis Robertson; Vice Chairman: Rep. Paul Brown)
- Disposition of Executive Papers
- Economic (Chairman: Rep. Wright Patman; Vice Chairman: Sen. John J. Sparkman)
- Immigration and Nationality Policy (Chairman: Vacant; Vice Chairman: Vacant)
- Legislative Budget
- The Library (Chairman: Rep. Omar Burleson; Vice Chairman: Sen. Theodore F. Green)
- Navajo-Hopi Indian Administration
- Printing (Chairman: Sen. Carl Hayden; Vice Chairman: Rep. Omar Burleson)
- Reduction of Nonessential Federal Expenditures (Chairman: Sen. Harry F. Byrd; Vice Chairman: Rep. Clarence Cannon)
- Taxation (Chairman: Rep. Jere Cooper; Vice Chairman: Sen. Harry F. Byrd)
- Washington (DC) Metropolitan Problems
Employees
Legislative branch agency directors
- Architect of the Capitol: J. George Stewart
- Attending Physician of the United States Congress: George Calver
- Comptroller General of the United States: Joseph Campbell
- Librarian of Congress: Lawrence Quincy Mumford
- Public Printer of the United States: Raymond Blattenberger
Senate
- Chaplain: Frederick Brown Harris, Methodist
- Parliamentarian: Charles Watkins
- Secretary: Felton McLellan Johnston
- Librarian: Richard D. Hupman
- Secretary for the Majority: Robert G. Baker
- Secretary for the Minority: J. Mark Trice
- Sergeant at Arms: Joseph C. Duke
House of Representatives
- Clerk: Ralph R. Roberts
- Doorkeeper: William Mosley "Fishbait" Miller
- Parliamentarian: Lewis Deschler
- Postmaster: H. H. Morris
- Reading Clerks: George J. Maurer (D) and Alney E. Chaffee (R) (until 1957) then Joe Bartlett (R) (starting 1957)
- Sergeant at Arms: Zeake W. Johnson Jr.
- Chaplain: Bernard Braskamp (Presbyterian)
See also
- 1956 United States elections (elections leading to this Congress)
- 1958 United States elections (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)
Notes
- ^ a b When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.
References
- Gould, Lewis L. (2005). The Most Exclusive Club. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books Group. ISBN 0-465-02778-4.
- Remini, Robert V. (2006). The House. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0-06-088434-7.
- "Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress". U.S. Congress. 2005. Archived from the original on June 1, 2006. Retrieved June 1, 2006.
- "Congressional History". U.S. House of Representatives. 2006. Archived from the original on June 1, 2006. Retrieved June 1, 2006.
- "Statistics and Lists". U.S. Senate. 2006. Archived from the original on June 1, 2006. Retrieved June 1, 2006.
- House of Representatives Session Calendar for the 85th Congress (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 20, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- Official Congressional Directory for the 85th Congress, 1st Session. 1957.
- Official Congressional Directory for the 85th Congress, 2nd Session. 1958.
- Pocket Congressional Directory for the 85th Congress. U. S. Govt. Print. Off.; for sale by the Supt. of Docs., U. S. Govt. Print. Off. 1957.
