Lewis Deschler (March 3, 1905 – July 12, 1976) was the first, and longest-serving,
Parliamentarian of the United States House of Representatives Parliamentarian has two principal meanings.
First, it may refer to a member or supporter of a Parliament, as in:
*Member of parliament
*Roundhead, supporter of the parliamentary cause in the English Civil War
Second, in countries that do not ref ...
. He started his term on January 1, 1928,
during the
70th United States Congress
The 70th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1927 ...
following the retirement of
Lehr Fess. Prior to the 70th Congress, the Parliamentarian position was referred to as the Clerk at the Speaker's Table.
Deschler served as the Parliamentarian from 1928 until his retirement on June 30, 1974, during the
93rd United States Congress.
He was an important advisor to many
congressmen during his employment, including advising
House Speaker
The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England.
Usage
The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerfo ...
Carl Albert on the tax fraud investigation of
Vice President Spiro Agnew and the impeachment of
President Richard Nixon. His tenure spanned 24 Congresses and over 46 years. Deschler was the first officer to become personally influential in his own right.
L. Mendel Rivers
Lucius Mendel Rivers (September 28, 1905 – December 28, 1970) was a Democratic U.S. Representative from South Carolina, representing the Charleston-based 1st congressional district for nearly 30 years. He was chairman of the House Armed Se ...
– a powerful figure in his own right who served for nearly 30 years, including as the
chairman
The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...
of the
House Armed Services Committee during the
Vietnam War – referred to Deschler as, "...the image of Congress."
Deschler was born in
Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States. Located along the Scioto River 45 miles (72 km) south of Columbus, Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio. It is the only city in Ross Count ...
. He went to
Miami University and
George Washington University. On July 12, 1976, Deschler died at the age of 71 while receiving treatment at
Bethesda Naval Hospital after a series of strokes.
During his retirement he resided in
Bethesda, Maryland. He is buried at Grandview Cemetery in Chillicothe, Ohio, where his gravestone is shaped like the
Washington Monument and prominently highlights his service as Parliamentarian.
References
1905 births
1976 deaths
Politicians from Chillicothe, Ohio
George Washington University alumni
Miami University alumni
Parliamentarians of the United States House of Representatives
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