The Federal Power Commission (FPC) was an independent commission of the United States government, originally organized on June 23, 1930, with five members nominated by the

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

and confirmed by the Senate. The FPC was originally created in 1920 by the Federal Water Power Act, which provided for the licensing by the FPC of

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...

projects on the land or navigable water owned by the federal government. The FPC has since been replaced by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The FPC also regulated interstate electric utilities and the

natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbon d ...

industry. In June 1939, President Roosevelt appointed Leland Olds to the FPC, who served as chairman from January 1940 until 1949. Under Olds’ leadership, the FPC successfully pressured electric utilities to extend power into neglected rural areas and to lower electricity rates to increase use. Olds' insistence on enforcing the

Natural Gas Act of 1938 The Natural Gas Act of 1938 was the first occurrence of the United States federal government regulating the natural gas industry. It was focused on regulating the rates charged by interstate natural gas transmission companies. In the years prior t ...

raised the ire of the oil industry in Texas and led to the end of his tenure at the FPC.

Robert Caro Robert Allan Caro (born October 30, 1935) is an American journalist and author known for his biographies of United States political figures Robert Moses and Lyndon B. Johnson. After working for many years as a reporter, Caro wrote '' The Power ...

's book '' Master of the Senate'' describes how Lyndon B. Johnson defeated Olds' re-appointment by orchestrating a smear campaign. The tactics involved having the staff of the House Un-American Activities Committee dig up old writings, which were then taken out of context to create a false image of Olds as a

communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, ...

. The subcommittee in charge of reappointment was stacked against Leland and coached by Johnson.

James G. Watt James Gaius Watt (born January 31, 1938) is a public servant who served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior from 1981 to 1983. He has been described as "anti-environmentalist", and was one of Ronald Reagan's most controversial cabinet appointments ...

was another prominent FPC commissioner, who conducted prayer meetings prior to the FPC sessions.

Chairmen

From its founding in 1920 until its first reform in 1930, the FPC did not have its own commissioners; rather, it was chaired ex officio by the Secretaries of War, Interior, and

Agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...

. The first "Chairman" in that sense was Woodrow Wilson's Secretary of War,

Newton D. Baker Newton Diehl Baker Jr. (December 3, 1871 – December 25, 1937) was an American lawyer, Georgist,Noble, Ransom E. "Henry George and the Progressive Movement." The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, vol. 8, no. 3, 1949, pp. 259–269. w ...

. Before 1930, five Secretaries of War, five Secretaries of the Interior, and five Secretaries of Agriculture held title at the FPC. Following the 1930 reforms, FPC had its own commissioners, with the following commissioners holding the title of Chairman of the Federal Power Commission:

Past Chairmen

* George Otis Smith December 22, 1930 - July 18, 1933 * Frank R. McNinch July 19, 1933 - September 30, 1937 * Clyde L. Seavey September 30, 1937 - December 31, 1939 * Leland Olds January 1, 1940 - June 22, 1944 * Basil Manly September 21, 1944 - September 14, 1945 * Leland Olds December 14, 1945 - January 1, 1947 * Nelson Lee Smith January 1, 1947 - May 24, 1950 * Mon C. Wallgren May 24, 1950 - October 1, 1951 * Thomas C. Buchanan January 5, 1952 - May 15, 1953 * Jerome K. Kuykendall May 15, 1953 - August 31, 1961 * Joseph C. Swidler September 1, 1961 - December 30, 1965 *

Lee C. White Lee Calvin White (September 1, 1923 – October 31, 2013) was an advisor to both President Kennedy and Johnson, most notably on civil rights matters. Early life and education White studied electrical engineering at the University of Nebraska g ...

March 2, 1966 - July 31, 1969 * John N. Nassikas August 1, 1969 - June 22, 1975 * Richard L. Dunham October 20, 1975 - August 9, 1977 * Charles B. Curtis August 10, 1977 - September 30, 1977 (through renaming to FERC)

Past Commissioners

November 11, 1975 - August 30, 1977 * Richard L. Dunham October 20, 1975 - August 9, 1977 * John H. Holloman September 3, 1975 - August 4, 1977 * Don S. Smith December 13, 1973 - June 30, 1979 * William L. Springer June 14, 1973 - December 1, 1975 * Rush Moody Jr. November 19, 1971 - March 15, 1975 * Pinkney Walker May 26, 1971 - December 31, 1972 * John N. Nassikas August 1, 1969 - October 20, 1975 * Albert Buch Brooke Jr. October 16, 1968 - March 31, 1975 * John A. Carver Jr. September 13, 1966 - June 15, 1972 *

March 2, 1966 - July 31, 1969 * Carl E. Bagge May 27, 1965 - December 31, 1970 * David S. Black August 30, 1963 - September 13, 1966 * Harold C. Woodward March 30, 1962 - August 4, 1964 * Charles R. Ross September 29, 1961 - September 25, 1968 * Lawrence J. O’Connor Jr. August 14, 1961 - August 30, 1971 * Joseph C. Swidler June 28, 1961 - December 30, 1965 * Howard Morgan June 28, 1961 - June 22, 1963 * Paul A. Sweeney July 15, 1960 - April 15, 1961 * John B. Hussey June 23, 1958 - March 17, 1960 * Arthur Kline June 23, 1956 - August 13, 1961 * Wiliam R. Connole June 23, 1955 - June 22, 1958 * Fredrick Stueck July 9, 1954 - July 15, 1961 * Seaborn L. Digby August 17, 1953 - June 22, 1958 * Jerome K. Kuykendall May 15, 1953 - August 31, 1961 * Dale E. Doty May 22, 1952 - June 22, 1954 * Mon C. Wallgren November 2, 1949 - October 1, 1951 * Thomas C. Buchanan June 14, 1948 - May 15, 1953 * Richard Sachse November 1, 1945 - June 22, 1947 * Harrington Wimberly October 5, 1945 - June 22, 1958 * Nelson Lee Smith October 26, 1943 - June 22, 1956 * Leland Olds July 7, 1939 - June 22, 1944 * John W. Scott June 24, 1937 - June 15, 1945 * Clyde L. Seavey August 13, 1934 - August 5, 1943 * Basil Manly June 24, 1933 - October 1, 1945 *

Herbert J. Drane Herbert Jackson Drane (June 20, 1863 – August 11, 1947) was a U.S. Representative from Florida. Born in Franklin, Kentucky, Drane attended the public schools of Louisville, Kentucky, and Brevards Academy at Franklin, Kentucky. He moved to Ma ...

June 16, 1933 - June 22, 1937 * Ralph B. Williamson December 31, 1930 - December 10, 1932 * Frank R. McNinch December 27, 1930 - June 22, 1934 * George Otis Smith December 22, 1930 - October 31, 1933 * Claude L. Draper December 22, 1930 - June 22, 1956 * Marcell Garsaud December 22, 1930 - June 22, 1932

Relevant laws

*46 Stat. 797 *41 Stat. 1063 *16 United States Code 791-823, the Federal Water Power Act

Dissolution

On October 1, 1977, the FPC was replaced by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.42 U.S.C. § 7172.

References