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72nd United States Congress

The 72nd 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.[1][2] It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1931, to March 4, 1933, during the last two years of Herbert Hoover's presidency. The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1910 United States census. The Senate had a Republican majority. The House started with a very slim Republican majority, but by the time it first met in December 1931, the Democrats had gained a majority through special elections.

72nd United States Congress
71st ←
→ 73rd
United States Capitol (1906)
March 4, 1931 – March 4, 1933
Members96 senators
435 representatives
5 non-voting delegates
Senate majorityRepublican
(with tie-breaking VP)
Senate PresidentCharles Curtis (R)
House majorityRepublican, then Democratic
House SpeakerJohn N. Garner (D)
Sessions
1st: December 7, 1931 – July 16, 1932
2nd: December 2, 1932 – March 3, 1933

Major events

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See also: 1931 in the United States, 1932 in the United States, and 1933 in the United States

Major legislation

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Main article: List of United States federal legislation § 72nd United States Congress

Constitutional amendments

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Party summary

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The count below identifies party affiliations at the beginning of the first session of this Congress, and includes members from vacancies and newly admitted states, when they were first seated. Changes resulting from subsequent replacements are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.

Senate

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Republicans controlled the Senate through a VP-tie-breaking majority.

Party
(shading shows control) 		Total Vacant
Democratic
(D) 		Farmer–
Labor
(FL)		Republican
(R)
End of previous congress 42 1 53 96 0
Begin 47 1 48 96 0
End 46 951
Final voting share 48.4% 1.1% 50.5%
Beginning of next congress 58 1 36 95 1

House of Representatives

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Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
 Total
Democratic Farmer–Labor Republican Vacant
End of previous Congress 166 1 265 432 3
Begin 216 1 217 434 1
March 16, 1931 215 433 2
April 9, 1931 216 432 3
May 12, 1931 216 216 433 2
May 26, 1931 215 216 432 3
May 29, 1931 214 431 4
July 4, 1931 215 430 5
July 13, 1931 213 429 6
July 18, 1931 214 428 7
July 28, 1931 212 427 8
September 9, 1931 213 428 7
September 29, 1931 214 214 429 6
October 13, 1931 215 430 5
October 18, 1931 214 429 6
October 22, 1931 214 213 428 7
November 3, 1931 217 215 433 2
November 6, 1931 214 432 3
November 24, 1931 218 433 2
December 1, 1931
Beginning of first session 		219 1 214 434 1
January 5, 1932 220 435 0
January 29, 1932 213 434 1
February 4, 1932 218 432 3
March 2, 1932 219 433 2
March 15, 1932 220 434 1
April 1, 1932 212 433 2
April 5, 1932 221 211
April 21, 1932 210 432 3
April 26, 1932 211 433 2
May 31, 1932 210 432 3
June 14, 1932 220 431 4
July 23, 1932 219 430 5
August 14, 1932 220 431 4
October 5, 1932 219 430 5
October 7, 1932 218 429 6
November 6, 1932 217 428 7
November 8, 1932 220 212 433 2
November 29, 1932 211 432 3
December 3, 1932 210 431 4
December 13, 1932 219 430 5
January 7, 1933 209 429 6
January 8, 1933 208 428 7
January 28, 1933 220 429 6
February 16, 1933 206 427 8
Final voting share 51.4% 0.2% 48.4%
Non-voting members 0 0 2 5 0
Beginning of next Congress 311 5 117 433 2

Leadership

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President of the Senate
Charles Curtis (R)

Senate

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Majority (Republican)

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Minority (Democratic)

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House of Representatives

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John N. Garner 
House Speaker John Garner (D)

Note: Republican Nicholas Longworth, the Speaker of the House in the previous Congress, was Speaker-presumptive with his party's mere three-seat majority. However, Longworth died on April 9, 1931, and by the time the 72nd Congress convened in December 1931, Democrats had gained four seats from Republicans through special elections following deaths, thus becoming the majority party in the House. Democrat John Garner was subsequently elected as Speaker.[4]

Majority (Democratic)

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Minority (Republican)

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Members

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This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives are listed by district.

Senate

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Senators were elected 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. In this Congress, Class 1 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1934; Class 2 meant their term began with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1936; and Class 3 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1932.

House of Representatives

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The names of members of the House of Representatives elected statewide on the general ticket or otherwise at-large, are preceded by an "At-large," and the names of those elected from districts, whether plural or single member, are preceded by their district numbers.

Changes in membership

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Senate

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  • Replacements: 11
  • Deaths: 6
  • Resignations: 1
  • Interim appointments: 5
  • Total seats with changes: 8
Senate changes
State
(class) 		Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[b]
Vermont
(1) 		Frank C. Partridge (R) Interim appointee lost nomination to finish the term.
Successor elected March 31, 1931. 		Warren Austin (R) April 1, 1931
New Jersey
(2) 		Dwight Morrow (R) Died October 5, 1931.
Successor was appointed and later elected. 		William W. Barbour (R) December 1, 1931
Arkansas
(3) 		Thaddeus H. Caraway (D) Died November 6, 1931.
Successor was appointed to finish the term. 		Hattie Caraway (D) November 13, 1931
Georgia
(2) 		William J. Harris (D) Died April 18, 1932.
Successor was appointed to finish the term. 		John S. Cohen (D) April 25, 1932
Colorado
(3) 		Charles W. Waterman (R) Died August 27, 1932.
Successor was appointed to finish the term. 		Walter Walker (D) September 26, 1932
Washington
(3) 		Wesley L. Jones (R) Died November 19, 1932 having just lost re-election.
Successor was appointed to finish the term. 		Elijah S. Grammer (R) November 22, 1932
Colorado
(3) 		Walter Walker (D) Interim appointee lost election to finish term.
Successor elected November 8, 1932. 		Karl C. Schuyler (R) December 7, 1932
North Carolina
(3) 		Cameron A. Morrison (D) Interim appointee lost election to finish term.
Successor elected November 8, 1932. 		Robert R Reynolds (D) December 5, 1932
Georgia
(2) 		John S. Cohen (D) Interim appointee lost election to finish term.
Successor elected January 12, 1933. 		Richard Russell Jr. (D) January 12, 1933
Missouri
(3) 		Harry B. Hawes (D) Incumbent retired and then resigned early February 3, 1933.
Successor appointed having already been elected. 		Bennett Champ Clark (D) February 3, 1933
Montana
(2) 		Thomas J. Walsh (D) Died March 2, 1933
Seat remained vacant until next Congress 		Vacant

House of Representatives

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  • Replacements: 23
  • Deaths: 24
  • Resignations: 7
  • Contested election: 1
  • Total seats with changes: 32
House changes
District Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[b]
Wisconsin 1st Vacant Representative Henry A. Cooper (R) died in previous congress. Thomas R. Amlie (R) October 13, 1931
Louisiana 8th James B. Aswell (D) Died March 16, 1931 John H. Overton (D) May 12, 1931
Ohio 1st Nicholas Longworth (R) Died April 9, 1931 John B. Hollister (R) November 3, 1931
New York 7th Matthew V. O'Malley (D) Died May 26, 1931. Because Congress was not in session at the time of his death, O'Malley never took his oath of office or exercised any of the duties of a Congressman. He was, nevertheless, serving in office from the beginning of his term on March 4, 1931. John J. Delaney (D) November 3, 1931
Ohio 20th Charles A. Mooney (D) Died May 29, 1931 Martin L. Sweeney (D) November 3, 1931
Pennsylvania 2nd George S. Graham (R) Died July 4, 1931 Edward L. Stokes (R) November 3, 1931
Georgia 1st Charles G. Edwards (D) Died July 13, 1931 Homer C. Parker (D) September 9, 1931
Michigan 8th Bird J. Vincent (R) Died July 18, 1931 Michael J. Hart (D) November 3, 1931
Missouri 7th Samuel C. Major (D) Died July 28, 1931 Robert D. Johnson (D) September 29, 1931
New Jersey 5th Ernest R. Ackerman (R) Died October 18, 1931 Percy H. Stewart (D) December 1, 1931
New Hampshire 1st Fletcher Hale (R) Died October 22, 1931 William N. Rogers (D) January 5, 1932
Texas 14th Harry M. Wurzbach (R) Died November 6, 1931 Richard M. Kleberg (D) November 24, 1931
Pennsylvania 20th James R. Leech (R) Resigned January 29, 1932, to become a member of the United States Board of Tax Appeals Howard W. Stull (R) April 26, 1932
Mississippi 7th Percy Quin (D) Died February 4, 1932 Lawrence R. Ellzey (D) March 15, 1932
Georgia 6th Samuel Rutherford (D) Died February 4, 1932 Carlton Mobley (D) March 2, 1932
Indiana 8th Albert H. Vestal (R) Died April 1, 1932 Seat remained vacant until next Congress.
Illinois 8th Peter C. Granata (R) Lost contested election April 5, 1932 Stanley H. Kunz (D) April 5, 1932
Puerto Rico at-large Félix Córdova Dávila resigned April 11, 1932, to become Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico José Lorenzo Pesquera April 15, 1932
Massachusetts 8th Frederick W. Dallinger (R) Resigned October 1, 1932 Seat remained vacant until next Congress.
Pennsylvania 18th Edward M. Beers (R) Died April 21, 1932 Joseph F. Biddle (R) November 8, 1932
Pennsylvania 6th George A. Welsh (R) Resigned May 31, 1932, to become judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Robert L. Davis (R) November 8, 1932
Tennessee 7th Edward E. Eslick (D) Died June 14, 1932 Willa McCord Blake Eslick (D) August 14, 1932
Virginia 10th Henry St. George Tucker III (D) Died July 23, 1932 Joel W. Flood (D) November 8, 1932
Maryland 4th J. Charles Linthicum (D) Died October 5, 1932 Ambrose J. Kennedy (D) November 8, 1932
Georgia 3rd Charles R. Crisp (D) Resigned October 7, 1932, to become a member of the US Tariff Commission Bryant T. Castellow (D) November 8, 1932
Illinois 22nd Charles A. Karch (D) Resigned November 6, 1932 Seat remained vacant until next Congress.
Michigan 9th James C. McLaughlin (R) Died November 29, 1932 Seat remained vacant until next Congress.
Connecticut 3rd John Q. Tilson (R) Resigned December 3, 1932 Seat remained vacant until next Congress.
Texas 8th Daniel E. Garrett (D) Died December 13, 1932 Joe H. Eagle (D) January 28, 1933
Oregon 2nd Robert R. Butler (R) Died January 7, 1933 Seat remained vacant until next Congress.
Pennsylvania 24th Samuel A. Kendall (R) Died January 8, 1933 Seat remained vacant until next Congress.
Minnesota 10th Godfrey G. Goodwin (R) Died February 16, 1933 Seat remained vacant until next Congress.

Committees

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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.

Joint committees

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Caucuses

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Employees

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Legislative branch agency directors

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Senate

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House of Representatives

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Huey Long (D-Louisiana) was elected in November 1930 to a Senate term beginning March 4, 1931; however, he chose not to assume office until January 25, 1932, when his term as governor of Louisiana ended.[5]
  2. ^ a b When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.

References

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  1. ^ Herring, E. Pendleton (1933). "Second Session of the Seventy-second Congress, December 5, 1932, to March 4, 1933". American Political Science Review. 27 (3): 404–422. doi:10.2307/1947439. ISSN 0003-0554.
  2. ^ Herring, E. Pendleton (1932). "First Session of the Seventy-second Congress, December 7, 1931, to July 16, 1932". American Political Science Review. 26 (5): 846–874. doi:10.2307/1947141. ISSN 0003-0554.
  3. ^ "Women in the Senate". senate.gov. Washington, D.C.: Office of the Secretary of the Senate. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  4. ^ Glass, Andrew (December 7, 2009). "The 72nd Congress convenes, Dec. 7, 1931". politico.com. Arlington, Virginia: Politico. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  5. ^ "Dictionary of Louisiana Biography: Dictionary L". lahistory.org. Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Louisiana Historical Association. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  • Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
  • Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
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