United States Postmaster General

The Postmaster General of the United States is the chief executive officer of the United States Postal Service; Megan Brennan is the current Postmaster General.

Appointed members of the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service select the Postmaster General and Deputy Postmaster General, who then join the Board.

Postmaster General of the United States Chief Executive Officer of the United States Postal Service
Incumbent Megan Brennan since February 1, 2015
United States Postal Service
Appointer	Board of Governors
Term length	Indefinite
Inaugural holder	Benjamin Franklin
Formation	1775
Deputy	Ronald A. Stroman
Salary	$276,840[1]
Website	about.usps.com/leadership

History

The office, in one form or another, is older than both the United States Constitution and the United States Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Franklin was appointed by the Continental Congress as the first Postmaster General in 1775, serving just over 15 months.

Until 1971, the postmaster general was the head of the Post Office Department (or simply "Post Office" until the 1820s).^[2] During that era, the postmaster general was appointed by the President of the United States, with the advice and consent of the United States Senate.^[3] From 1829 to 1971, the postmaster general was a member of the President's Cabinet.

The Cabinet post of Postmaster General was often given to a new President's campaign manager or other key political supporter, and was considered something of a sinecure. The Postmaster General was in charge of the governing party's patronage, and was a powerful position which held much influence within the party.

In 1971, the Post Office Department was re-organized into the United States Postal Service, an independent agency of the executive branch. Therefore, the Postmaster General is no longer a member of the Cabinet and is no longer in the line of presidential succession. The postmaster general is now appointed by nine "governors," appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The governors, along with the postmaster general and the deputy postmaster general, constitute the full Postal Service Board of Governors.^[3][4]

The Postmaster General is the second-highest paid U.S. government official, based on publicly available salary information, after the President of the United States.^[5]

Postmasters General under the Continental Congress

Samuel Osgood (1747–1813)

Postmasters general over the U.S. Post Office Department, 1789–1971

As non-Cabinet department, 1789–1829

As cabinet department, 1829–1971

Parties

  No party   Federalist   Democratic-Republican   Democratic   Whig   Republican

Postmasters General over the U.S. Postal Service, 1971–present

Note that, while the above table indicates the President under which each postmaster general served, these postmasters general were appointed by the governors of the Postal Service and not by the President.

Living former Postmasters General

As of November 2017, there are four living former Postmasters General, the oldest being Anthony M. Frank (1988–1992, born 1931). The most recent Postmaster General to die was Paul N. Carlin (1985-86), on April 25, 2018. The most recently serving Postmaster General to die was Marvin Travis Runyon (1992–2000), on May 3, 2004.

See also

• Postmaster General (disambiguation)
• John Henninger Reagan, the only Postmaster General of the Confederate States of America

Notes

1. ^ O'Keefe, Ed (May 10, 2011). "Salaries of top Postal Service executives revealed". Washington Post. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
2. ^ Publication 100 – The United States Postal Service: An American History 1775–2006. United States Postal Service, May 2007. Also available in PDF format.
3. ^ ^{a b} United States Postal Service. "Postmasters General". about.usps.com. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
4. ^ United States Postal Service. "About the Board of Governors". about.usps.com. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
5. ^ Michael B. Sauter and Jon C. Ogg. "The 10 Highest-Paid Government Jobs". 24/7WallSt.com. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
6. ^ "Wayback Machine". 2 February 2017.
7. ^ Since July 1, 1971, the Postmaster General has been appointed by and serves under the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service.

External links

• Official site
• Papers of Arthur E. Summerfield, Postmaster General, 1953–1961, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library