Commissioners of the District of Columbia, 1874-1967
Q. Who were the Commissioners of the District, 1874-1967?
A. Three commissioners were appointed to govern the District after the abolition of the Territorial government in 1874. Legislation in 1878 (the Organic Act) made this permanent). The Board had three members, one of who was president of the Board. One member came from the Army Corps of Engineers. President Johnson reorganized District government in 1967.
Commissioners of the District
William Dennison 7/1/1874 to 7/1/1878
Henry T. Blow 7/1/1874 to 12/31/1874
John H. Ketcham 7/3/1874 to 6/30/1877
Seth Ledyard Phelps 1/18/1875 to 6/30/1878
Thomas B. Bryan 12/3/1877 to 7/1/1878
Boards of Commissioners 1878 to 1967
First
7/1/1878 to 11/29/1879:
Seth Ledyard Phelps, president
Josiah Dent
Maj. William Johnson Twining
Second
11/29/1879 to 5/13/1882:
Josiah Dent, president
Thomas Phillips Morgan
Maj. William Johnson Twining (d. May 5, 1882)
Third
5/13 to 7/17/1882:
Josiah Dent, president
Thomas Phillips Morgan
Maj. Garret J. Lydecker
Fourth
7/17/1882 to 3/8/1883:
Joseph Rodman West, president
Thomas Phillips Morgan
Maj. Garret J. Lydecker
Fifth
3/8/1883 to 7/22/1885:
Joseph Rodman West, president (to 3/29)
James Barker Edmonds (president from 3/29)
Maj. Garret J. Lydecker
Sixth
7/22/1885 to 1/1/1886:
James Barker Edmonds, president
William Benning Webb
Maj. Garret J. Lydecker
Seventh
1/1/1886 to 1/27/1888:
William Benning Webb, president
Samuel Edwin Wheatley
Col. William Ludlow
Eighth
1/27/1888 to 5/21/1889:
William Benning Webb, president
Samuel Edwin Wheatley
Maj. Charles Walker Raymond
Ninth
5/21/1889 to 2/14/1890:
John Watkinson Douglass, president
Lemon Galpin Hine
Maj. Charles Walker Raymond
Tenth
2/14/1890 to 10/1/1890:
John Watkinson Douglass, president
Lemon Galpin Hine
Lt. Col. Henry Martyn Robert
Eleventh
10/1/1890 to 10/15/1891:
John Watkinson Douglass, president
John Wesley Ross
Lt. Col. Henry Martyn Robert
Twelfth
10/15/1891 to 3/1/1893:
John Watkinson Douglass, president
John Wesley Ross
Capt. William Trent Rossell
Thirteenth
3/1/1893 to 5/8/1893:
John Wesley Ross, president
Myron Melville Parker
Capt. William Trent Rossell
Fourteenth
5/8/1893 to 3/10/1894:
John Wesley Ross, president
Myron Melville Parker
Capt. Charles Frances Powell
Fifteenth
3/10/1894 to 3/2/1897:
John Wesley Ross, president
George Truesdell
Capt. Charles Frances Powell
Sixteenth
3/2/1897 to 5/8/1897:
John Wesley Ross, president
George Truesdell
Capt. William Murray Black
Seventeenth
5/8/1897 to 6/1/1898:
John Wesley Ross, president
John Brewer Wight
Capt. William Murray Black
(Capt. Lansing H. Beach acted in Black’s stead 5/26/1898 to 6/1/1898)
Eighteenth
6/1/1898 to 5/9/1900:
John Brewer Wight, president
John Wesley Ross
Capt. Lansing Hoskins Beach
Nineteenth
5/9/1900 to 10/31/1901:
Henry Brown Floyd Macfarland, president
John Wesley Ross
Capt. Lansing Hoskins Beach
Twentieth
11/1/1901 to 7/29/1902:
Henry Brown Floyd Macfarland, president
John Wesley Ross (died 7/29/1902)
Maj. John Biddle
Twenty-first
10/16/1902 to 5/2/1907:
Henry Brown Floyd Macfarland, president
Henry Litchfield West
Maj. John Biddle
Twenty-second
5/2/1907 to 12/21/1908:
Henry Brown Floyd Macfarland, president
Henry Litchfield West
Capt. Jay J. Morrow
Twenty-third
12/21/1908 to 3/15/1909:
Henry Brown Floyd Macfarland, president
Henry Litchfield West
Maj. Spencer Cosby
Twenty-fourth
3/15/1909 to 1/24/1910:
Henry Brown Floyd Macfarland, president
Henry Litchfield West
Maj. William Voorhees Judson
Twenty-fifth
1/24/1910 to 2/28/1913:
Cuno Hugo Rudolph, president
John Alexander Johnston
Lt. Col. William Voorhees Judson
Twenty-sixth
2/28/1913 to 7/19/1913:
Cuno Hugo Rudolph, president
John Alexander Johnston
Lt. Col. Chester Harding
Twenty-seventh
7/19/1913 to 10/31/1914:
Oliver Peck Newman, president
Frederick Lincoln Siddons
Lt. Col. Chester Harding
Twenty-eighth
10/31/1914 to 1/26/1915:
Oliver Peck Newman, president
Frederick Lincoln Siddons
Maj. Charles Willauer Kutz
Twenty-ninth
1/26/1915 to 7/16/1917:
Oliver Peck Newman, president
Louis Brownlow
Maj. Charles Willauer Kutz
Thirtieth
7/16/1917 to 10/9/1917:
Oliver Peck Newman, president
Louis Brownlow
Brig. Gen. John George David Knight
Thirty-first
10/9/1917 to 12/16/1918:
Louis Brownlow, president
William Gwynn Gardiner
Brig. Gen. John George David Knight
Thirty-second
12/16/1918 to 9/17/1920:
Louis Brownlow, president
William Gwynn Gardiner
Brig. Gen. Charles Willauer Kutz
Thirty-third
9/17/1920 to 9/25/1920:
Col. Charles Willauer Kutz, acting president
John Thilman Hendrick
Thirty-fourth
9/25/1920 to 3/4/1921:
John Thilman Hendrick, president
Col. Charles Willauer Kutz
Mable Thorp Boardman
Thirty-fifth
3/15/1921 to 10/6/1921:
Cuno Hugo Rudolph, president
James Frederick Oyster
Col. Charles Willauer Kutz
Thirty-sixth
10/6/1921 to 6/25/1923:
Cuno Hugo Rudolph, president
James Frederick Oyster
Col. Charles Keller
Thirty-seventh
6/25/1923 to 5/19/1925
Cuno Hugo Rudolph, president
James Frederick Oyster (died 5/19/1925)
Maj. James Franklin Bell
Thirty-eighth
6/5/1925 to 8/2/1926
Cuno Hugo Rudolph, president
Frederick A. Fenning
Maj. James Franklin Bell
Thirty-ninth
8/4/1926 to 12/4/1926:
Cuno Hugo Rudolph, president
Proctor L. Dougherty
Maj. James Franklin Bell
Fortieth
12/4/1926 to 6/23/1927:
Proctor L. Dougherty, president
Sidney F. Taliaferro
Maj. James Franklin Bell
Forty-first
6/23/1927 to 4/10/1930:
Proctor L. Dougherty, president
Sidney F. Taliaferro
Col. William B. Ladue
Forty-second
4/10/1930 to 7/21/1930:
Dr. Luther H. Reichelderfer, president
Herbert B. Crosby
Col. William B. Ladue
Forty-third
7/21/1930 to 11/16/1933:
Dr. Luther H. Reichelderfer, president
Herbert B. Crosby
Maj. John C. Gotwals
Forty-fourth
11/16/1933 to 8/22/1934:
Melvin C. Hazen, president
George E. Allen
Maj. John C. Gotwals
Forty-fifth
8/22/1934 to 2/5/1937:
Melvin C. Hazen, president
George E. Allen
Col. Daniel I. Sultan
Forty-sixth
2/5/1937 to 8/31/1938:
Melvin C. Hazen, president
George E. Allen (resigned 8/31/1938)
Col. Daniel I. Sultan
Forty-seventh
8/31/1938 to 9/7/1938:
Melvin C. Hazen, president
Col. Daniel I. Sultan
Forty-eighth
9/7/1938 to 6/29/1938:
Melvin C. Hazen, president
Lt. Col. David McCoach, Jr.
Forty-ninth
6/29/1939 to /16/1940:
Melvin C. Hazen, president
George E. Allen (resigned 4/15/1940)
Lt. Col. David McCoach, Jr.
Fiftieth
4/16/1940 to 5/20/1941:
Melvin C. Hazen, president
John Russell Young
Lt. Col. David McCoach, Jr. (recalled to the Army 5/19/1941)
Fifty-first
5/20/1941 to 7/29/1941:
Melvin C. Hazen, president (died 7/15/1941)
John Russell Young
Col. Charles Willauer Kutz
Fifty-second
7/29/41 to 5/10/1943:
John Russell Young, president
Guy Mason
Col. Charles Willauer Kutz
Fifty-third
5/10/43 to 12/11/1944:
John Russell Young, president
Guy Mason
Col. Charles Willauer Kutz
Fifty-fourth
12/11/1944 to 9/25/1945:
John Russell Young, president
Guy Mason
Col. Charles Willauer Kutz (retired to inactive status)
Fifty-fifth
9/25/1945 to 5/17/1946:
John Russell Young, president
Guy Mason
Brig. Gen. Gordon R. Young
Fifty-sixth
5/17/1946 to 2/3/1948:
John Russell Young, president
Guy Mason
Brig. Gen. Gordon R. Young
Fifty-seventh
2/3/1948 to 6/15/1949:
John Russell Young, president
Guy Mason
Brig. Gen. Gordon R. Young
Fifty-eighth
6/15/1949 to 3/12/1951:
John Russell Young, president
Guy Mason
Brig. Gen. Gordon R. Young
Fifty-ninth
3/12/1951 to 6/1/1951:
John Russell Young, president
F. Joseph Donohue
Brig. Gen. Gordon R. Young
Sixtieth
6/1/1951 to 6/2/1952:
John Russell Young, president
F. Joseph Donohue
Col. Bernard L. Robinson
Sixty-first
6/2/1952 to 1/2/1953:
F. Joseph Donohue, president
Renah F. Camalier
Brig. Gen. Bernard L. Robinson
Sixty-second
1/2/1953 to 4/6/1953:
F. Joseph Donohue, president
Renah F. Camalier
Brig. Gen. Louis W. Prentiss
Sixty-third
4/6/1953 to 12/10/1954:
Samuel Spencer, president
Renah F. Camalier
Brig. Gen. Louis W. Prentiss
Sixty-fourth
12/10/1954 to 6/2/1955:
Samuel Spencer, president
Renah F. Camalier
Col. Thomas A. Lane
Sixty-fifth
6/2/1955 to 4/6/1956:
Samuel Spencer, president
Robert E. McLaughlin
Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Lane
Sixty-sixth
4/6/1956 to 8/1/1957:
Robert E. McLaughlin, president
David B. Karrick
Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Lane
Sixty-seventh
8/1/1957 to 7/1/1958:
Robert E. McLaughlin, president
David B. Karrick
Col. Alvin C. Welling
Sixty-eighth
7/1/1958 to 5/25/1959:
Robert E. McLaughlin, president
David B. Karrick
Col. Alvin C. Welling
Sixty-ninth
5/25/1959 to 8/1/1960:
Robert E. McLaughlin, president
David B. Karrick (resigned 7/22/1960)
Col. Alvin C. Welling
Seventieth
8/1/1960 to 9/6/1960:
Robert E. McLaughlin, president
Col. Frederick J. Clarke
Seventy-first
9/6/1960 to 3/3/1961:
Robert E. McLaughlin, president
Mark Sullivan, Jr. (resigned 3/2/1961)
Col. Frederick J. Clarke
Seventy-second
3/3/1961 to 7/27/1961:
Walter N. Tobriner, president
Robert E. McLaughlin
Brig. Gen. Frederick J. Clarke
Seventy-third
7/27/1961 to 7/8/1963:
Walter N. Tobriner, president
John B. Duncan
Brig. Gen. Frederick J. Clarke
Seventy-fourth
7/8/1963 to 4/21/1964:
Walter N. Tobriner, president
John B. Duncan
Brig. Gen. Charles M. Duke
Seventy-fifth
4/21/1964 to 8/11/1964:
Walter N. Tobriner, president
John B. Duncan
Brig. Gen. Charles M. Duke
Seventy-sixth
8/11/1964 to 12/14/1966:
Walter N. Tobriner, president
John B. Duncan
Brig. Gen. Charles M. Duke
Seventy-seventh:
12/14/1966 to 11/3/1967:
Walter N. Tobriner, president
John B. Duncan
Brig. Gen. Robert E. Mathe
Matthew Gilmore July 2001/July 2014