76th United States Congress

Major events

Main article: 1939 in the United States, 1940 in the United States, 1941 in the United States

• April 9, 1939: African-American singer Marian Anderson performs before 75,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., after having been denied the use both of Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution, and of a public high school by the federally controlled District of Columbia.
• August 2, 1939: Leo Szilard wrote to President Franklin Roosevelt about developing the atomic bomb using uranium. This led to the creation of the Manhattan Project.
• September 5, 1939: World War II: The United States declares its neutrality in the war.
• November 4, 1939: World War II: President Roosevelt ordered the United States Customs Service to implement the Neutrality Act of 1939, allowing cash-and-carry purchases of weapons to non-belligerent nations.
• November 15, 1939: President Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of the Jefferson Memorial.
• April 1, 1940: April Fools' Day was also the census date for the 16th U.S. Census.
• May 16, 1940: World War II: President Roosevelt, addressed a joint session of Congress, asking for an extraordinary credit of approximately $900 million to finance construction of at least 50,000 airplanes per year.
• June 5, 1940: World War II: The United States Senate passes bill S4025 which allows the Department of Defense to sell outdated equipment to belligerents in wartime. In practice this allows the Roosevelt administration to sell certain navy vessels to Great Britain. The vote is watched closely by both the United Kingdom and Nazi Germany. The Nazis hope that the bill does not pass, the British hope that it will. The bill passes 67-18 in the United States Senate.
• June 10, 1940: World War II: President Roosevelt denounced Italy's actions with his "Stab in the Back" speech during the graduation ceremonies of the University of Virginia.
• July 10, 1940: World War II: The United States Senate votes to confirm Frank Knox as Secretary of the Navy. The British hope he will be confirmed as he was openly sympathetic to them. Islationist Senators such as Burton K. Wheeler and Ellison D. Smith vote against the confirmation.
• August 4, 1940: World War II: Gen. John J. Pershing, in a nationwide radio broadcast, urges all-out aid to Britain in order to defend the Americas, while Charles Lindbergh speaks to an isolationist rally at Soldier Field in Chicago.
• September, 1940: The Army's 45th Infantry Division (previously a National Guard Division in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Oklahoma), was activated and ordered into federal service for 1 year, to engage in a training program in Ft. Sill and Louisiana, prior to serving in World War II.
• September 2, 1940: World War II: An agreement between America and Great Britain was announced to the effect that 50 U.S. destroyers needed for escort work would be transferred to Great Britain. In return, America gained 99-year leases on British bases in the North Atlantic, West Indies and Bermuda.
• September 26, 1940: World War II: The United States imposed a total embargo on all scrap metal shipments to Japan.
• October 16, 1940: The draft registration of approximately 16 million men began in the United States.
• October 29, 1940: The Selective Service System lottery was held in Washington, D.C.
• November 5, 1940: U.S. presidential election, 1940: Democratic incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt defeated Republican challenger Wendell Willkie and became the United States's first and only third-term president.
• November 12, 1940: Case of Hansberry v. Lee, , decided, allowing a racially restrictive covenant to be lifted.
• December 17, 1940: President Roosevelt, at his regular press conference, first outlined his plan to send aid to Great Britain that will become known as Lend-Lease.
• December 29, 1940: Franklin D. Roosevelt, in a fireside chat to the nation, declared that the United States must become "the great arsenal of democracy."
• January 13, 1941: All persons born in Puerto Rico after this day were declared U.S. citizens by birth, through federal law .
• January 20, 1941: Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes swore in President Roosevelt for a third term.
• January 27, 1941: World War II: U.S. Ambassador to Japan Joseph C. Grew passed on to Washington a rumor overheard at a diplomatic reception about a planned surprise attack upon Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
• February 4, 1941: World War II: The United Service Organization (USO) was created to entertain American troops.

Hearings

• January 23, 1941: Aviator Charles Lindbergh testified before the Congress and recommends that the United States negotiate a neutrality pact with Adolf Hitler.

Major legislation

Main article: List of United States federal legislation, 1901–2001#76th United States Congress

• April 3, 1939: Reorganization Act of 1939, ,
• August 2, 1939: Hatch Act of 1939 ("Hatch Political Activity Act", "An Act to Prevent Pernicious Political Activities"), ch. 410,
• November 4, 1939: Neutrality Act of 1939, ("Cash and Carry Act"), ch. 2,
• June 29, 1940: Alien Registration Act (Smith Act), 3d sess. ch. 439,
• August 22, 1940: Act of August 22, 1940, ch. 686, , (including Investment Company Act of 1940, Investment Advisers Act of 1940)
• September 16, 1940: Selective Training and Service Act of 1940,

Party summary

Senate

House of Representatives

Leadership

Senate

• President: John N. Garner (D)
• President pro tempore: Key Pittman (D), until November 10, 1940 (died)
  • William H. King (D), from November 19, 1940

Majority (Democratic) leadership

• Majority Leader: Alben W. Barkley
• Majority Whip: Sherman Minton
• Democratic Caucus Secretary: Joshua B. Lee

Minority (Republican) leadership

• Minority Leader: Charles McNary
• Republican Conference Secretary: Frederick Hale
• National Senatorial Committee Chair: John G. Townsend Jr.

House of Representatives

• Speaker: William B. Bankhead (D), until September 15, 1940 (died)
  • Sam Rayburn (D), from September 16, 1940

Majority (Democratic) leadership

• Majority Leader: Sam Rayburn, until September 16, 1940
  • John W. McCormack, from September 16, 1940
• Democratic Whip: Patrick J. Boland
• Democratic Caucus Chairman: John W. McCormack, until September 16, 1940
• Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Patrick H. Drewry

Minority (Republican) leadership

• Minority Leader: Joseph William Martin Jr.
• Republican Whip: Harry Lane Englebright
• Republican Conference Chairman: Roy O. Woodruff
• Republican Campaign Committee Chairman: J. William Ditter

Members

Senate

Main article: List of United States senators in the 76th Congress

Senators were popularly elected statewide 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 ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1940; Class 2 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1942; and Class 3 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1944.

[[List of United States senators from Alabama|Alabama]]

: 2. John H. Bankhead II (D) : 3. J. Lister Hill (D)

[[List of United States senators from Arizona|Arizona]]

: 1. Henry F. Ashurst (D) : 3. Carl Hayden (D)

[[List of United States senators from Arkansas|Arkansas]]

: 2. John E. Miller (D) : 3. Hattie Caraway (D)

[[List of United States senators from California|California]]

: 1. Hiram W. Johnson (R) : 3. Sheridan Downey (D)

[[List of United States senators from Colorado|Colorado]]

: 2. Edwin C. Johnson (D) : 3. Alva B. Adams (D)

[[List of United States senators from Connecticut|Connecticut]]

: 1. Francis T. Maloney (D) : 3. John A. Danaher (R)

[[List of United States senators from Delaware|Delaware]]

: 1. John G. Townsend Jr. (R) : 2. James H. Hughes (D)

[[List of United States senators from Florida|Florida]]

: 1. Charles O. Andrews (D) : 3. Claude Pepper (D)

[[List of United States senators from Georgia|Georgia]]

: 2. Richard Russell Jr. (D) : 3. Walter F. George (D)

[[List of United States senators from Idaho|Idaho]]

: 2. William Edgar Borah (R), until January 19, 1940 :: John Thomas (R), from January 27, 1940 : 3. D. Worth Clark (D)

[[List of United States senators from Illinois|Illinois]]

: 2. James Hamilton Lewis (D), until April 9, 1939 :: James M. Slattery (D), April 14, 1939 – November 21, 1940 :: Charles W. Brooks (R), from November 22, 1940 : 3. Scott W. Lucas (D)

[[List of United States senators from Indiana|Indiana]]

: 1. Sherman Minton (D) : 3. Frederick Van Nuys (D)

[[List of United States senators from Iowa|Iowa]]

: 2. Clyde L. Herring (D) : 3. Guy M. Gillette (D)

[[List of United States senators from Kansas|Kansas]]

: 2. Arthur Capper (R) : 3. Clyde M. Reed (R)

[[List of United States senators from Kentucky|Kentucky]]

: 2. Marvel M. Logan (D), until October 3, 1939 :: Happy Chandler (D), from October 10, 1939 : 3. Alben Barkley (D)

[[List of United States senators from Louisiana|Louisiana]]

: 2. Allen J. Ellender (D) : 3. James H. Overton (D)

[[List of United States senators from Maine|Maine]]

: 1. Frederick Hale (R) : 2. Wallace H. White Jr. (R)

[[List of United States senators from Maryland|Maryland]]

: 1. George L. P. Radcliffe (D) : 3. Millard Tydings (D)

[[List of United States senators from Massachusetts|Massachusetts]]

: 1. David I. Walsh (D) : 2. Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. (R)

[[List of United States senators from Michigan|Michigan]]

: 1. Arthur H. Vandenberg (R) : 2. Prentiss M. Brown (D)

[[List of United States senators from Minnesota|Minnesota]]

: 1. Henrik Shipstead (FL) : 2. Ernest Lundeen (FL), until August 31, 1940 :: Joseph H. Ball (R), from October 14, 1940

[[List of United States senators from Mississippi|Mississippi]]

: 1. Theodore G. Bilbo (D) : 2. Pat Harrison (D)

[[List of United States senators from Missouri|Missouri]]

: 1. Harry S. Truman (D) : 3. Bennett Champ Clark (D)

[[List of United States senators from Montana|Montana]]

: 1. Burton K. Wheeler (D) : 2. James E. Murray (D)

[[List of United States senators from Nebraska|Nebraska]]

: 1. Edward R. Burke (D) : 2. George W. Norris (I)

[[List of United States senators from Nevada|Nevada]]

: 1. Key Pittman (D), until November 10, 1940 :: Berkeley L. Bunker (D), from November 27, 1940 : 3. Patrick A. McCarran (D)

[[List of United States senators from New Hampshire|New Hampshire]]

: 2. Styles Bridges (R) : 3. Charles W. Tobey (R)

[[List of United States senators from New Jersey|New Jersey]]

: 1. William Warren Barbour (R) : 2. William H. Smathers (D)

[[List of United States senators from New Mexico|New Mexico]]

: 1. Dennis Chávez (D) : 2. Carl Hatch (D)

[[List of United States senators from New York|New York]]

: 1. James M. Mead (D) : 3. Robert F. Wagner (D)

[[List of United States senators from North Carolina|North Carolina]]

: 2. Josiah William Bailey (D) : 3. Robert R. Reynolds (D)

[[List of United States senators from North Dakota|North Dakota]]

: 1. Lynn Frazier (R-NPL) : 3. Gerald Nye (R)

[[List of United States senators from Ohio|Ohio]]

: 1. A. Victor Donahey (D) : 3. Robert A. Taft (R)

[[List of United States senators from Oklahoma|Oklahoma]]

: 2. Joshua B. Lee (D) : 3. Elmer Thomas (D)

[[List of United States senators from Oregon|Oregon]]

: 2. Charles L. McNary (R) : 3. Rufus C. Holman (R)

[[List of United States senators from Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]]

: 1. Joseph F. Guffey (D) : 3. James J. Davis (R)

[[List of United States senators from Rhode Island|Rhode Island]]

: 1. Peter G. Gerry (D) : 2. Theodore F. Green (D)

[[List of United States senators from South Carolina|South Carolina]]

: 2. James F. Byrnes (D) : 3. Ellison D. Smith (D)

[[List of United States senators from South Dakota|South Dakota]]

: 2. William J. Bulow (D) : 3. John Chandler Gurney (R)

[[List of United States senators from Tennessee|Tennessee]]

: 1. Kenneth D. McKellar (D) : 2. Tom Stewart (D)

[[List of United States senators from Texas|Texas]]

: 1. Thomas T. Connally (D) : 2. Morris Sheppard (D)

[[List of United States senators from Utah|Utah]]

: 1. William H. King (D) : 3. Elbert D. Thomas (D)

[[List of United States senators from Vermont|Vermont]]

: 1. Warren Austin (R) : 3. Ernest Willard Gibson (R), until June 20, 1940 :: Ernest W. Gibson Jr. (R), from June 24, 1940

[[List of United States senators from Virginia|Virginia]]

: 1. Harry F. Byrd (D) : 2. Carter Glass (D)

[[List of United States senators from Washington|Washington]]

: 1. Lewis B. Schwellenbach (D), until December 16, 1940 :: Monrad Wallgren (D), from December 19, 1940 : 3. Homer Bone (D)

[[List of United States senators from West Virginia|West Virginia]]

: 1. Rush D. Holt Sr. (D) : 2. Matthew M. Neely (D)

[[List of United States senators from Wisconsin|Wisconsin]]

: 1. Robert M. La Follette Jr. (P) : 3. Alexander Wiley (R)

[[List of United States senators from Wyoming|Wyoming]]

: 1. Joseph C. O'Mahoney (D) : 2. Henry H. Schwartz (D)

]]

House of Representatives

Main article: List of United States representatives in the 76th Congress

The names of representatives are preceded by their district numbers.

[[List of United States representatives from Alabama|Alabama]]

: . Frank W. Boykin (D) : . George M. Grant (D) : . Henry B. Steagall (D) : . Sam Hobbs (D) : . Joe Starnes (D) : . Pete Jarman (D) : . William B. Bankhead (D), until September 15, 1940 :: Zadoc L. Weatherford (D). from November 5, 1940 : . John J. Sparkman (D) : . Luther Patrick (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Arizona|Arizona]]

: . John R. Murdock (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Arkansas|Arkansas]]

: . Ezekiel C. Gathings (D) : . Wilbur Mills (D) : . Clyde T. Ellis (D) : . William B. Cravens (D), until January 13, 1939 :: William Fadjo Cravens (D), from September 12, 1939 : . David D. Terry (D) : . William F. Norrell (D) : . Wade H. Kitchens (D)

[[List of United States representatives from California|California]]

: . Clarence F. Lea (D) : . Harry L. Englebright (R) : . Frank H. Buck (D) : . Franck R. Havenner (P) : . Richard J. Welch (R) : . Albert E. Carter (R) : . John H. Tolan (D) : . Jack Z. Anderson (R) : . Bertrand W. Gearhart (R) : . Alfred J. Elliott (D) : . John Carl Hinshaw (R) : . Jerry Voorhis (D) : . Charles Kramer (D) : . Thomas F. Ford (D) : . John M. Costello (D) : . Leland M. Ford (R) : . Lee E. Geyer (D) : . Thomas M. Eaton (R), until September 16, 1939 : . Harry R. Sheppard (D) : . Edouard V. M. Izac (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Colorado|Colorado]]

: . Lawrence Lewis (D) : . Fred N. Cummings (D) : . John A. Martin (D), until December 23, 1939 :: William E. Burney (D), from November 5, 1940 : . Edward T. Taylor (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Connecticut|Connecticut]]

: . William J. Miller (R) : . Thomas R. Ball (R) : . James A. Shanley (D) : . Albert E. Austin (R) : . J. Joseph Smith (D) : . B. J. Monkiewicz (R)

[[List of United States representatives from Delaware|Delaware]]

: . George S. Williams (R)

[[List of United States representatives from Florida|Florida]]

: . J. Hardin Peterson (D) : . Robert A. Green (D) : . Millard F. Caldwell (D) : . Pat Cannon (D) : . Joe Hendricks (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Georgia|Georgia]]

: . Hugh Peterson (D) : . Edward E. Cox (D) : . Stephen Pace (D) : . Emmett M. Owen (D), until June 21, 1939 :: Albert Sidney Camp (D), from August 1, 1939 : . Robert Ramspeck (D) : . Carl Vinson (D) : . Malcolm C. Tarver (D) : . W. Benjamin Gibbs (D), until August 7, 1940 :: Florence R. Gibbs (D), from October 1, 1940 : . B. Frank Whelchel (D) : . Paul Brown (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Idaho|Idaho]]

: . Compton I. White (D) : . Henry Dworshak (R)

[[List of United States representatives from Illinois|Illinois]]

: . Arthur W. Mitchell (D) : . Raymond S. McKeough (D) : . Edward A. Kelly (D) : . Harry P. Beam (D) : . Adolph J. Sabath (D) : . A. F. Maciejewski (D) : . Leonard W. Schuetz (D) : . Leo Kocialkowski (D) : . James McAndrews (D) : . Ralph E. Church (R) : . Chauncey W. Reed (R) : . Noah M. Mason (R) : . Leo E. Allen (R) : . Anton J. Johnson (R) : . Robert B. Chiperfield (R) : . Everett M. Dirksen (R) : . Leslie C. Arends (R) : . Jessie Sumner (R) : . William H. Wheat (R) : . James M. Barnes (D) : . Frank W. Fries (D) : . Edwin M. Schaefer (D) : . Laurence F. Arnold (D) : . Claude V. Parsons (D) : . Kent E. Keller (D) : . John C. Martin (D) : . Thomas V. Smith (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Indiana|Indiana]]

: . William T. Schulte (D) : . Charles A. Halleck (R) : . Robert A. Grant (R) : . George W. Gillie (R) : . Forest Harness (R) : . Noble J. Johnson (R) : . Gerald W. Landis (R) : . John W. Boehne Jr. (D) : . Eugene B. Crowe (D) : . Raymond S. Springer (R) : . William H. Larrabee (D) : . Louis Ludlow (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Iowa|Iowa]]

: . Thomas E. Martin (R) : . William S. Jacobsen (D) : . John W. Gwynne (R) : . Henry O. Talle (R) : . Karl M. LeCompte (R) : . Cassius C. Dowell (R), until February 4, 1940 :: Robert K. Goodwin (R), from March 5, 1940 : . Ben F. Jensen (R) : . Fred C. Gilchrist (R) : . Vincent F. Harrington (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Kansas|Kansas]]

: . William P. Lambertson (R) : . Ulysses S. Guyer (R) : . Thomas Daniel Winter (R) : . Edward Herbert Rees (R) : . John Mills Houston (D) : . Frank Carlson (R) : . Clifford R. Hope (R)

[[List of United States representatives from Kentucky|Kentucky]]

: . Noble J. Gregory (D) : . Beverly M. Vincent (D) : . Emmet O'Neal (D) : . Edward W. Creal (D) : . Brent Spence (D) : . Virgil Chapman (D) : . Andrew J. May (D) : . Joe B. Bates (D) : . John M. Robsion (R)

[[List of United States representatives from Louisiana|Louisiana]]

: . Joachim O. Fernández (D) : . Paul H. Maloney (D), until December 15, 1940 : . Robert L. Mouton (D) : . Overton Brooks (D) : . Newt V. Mills (D) : . John K. Griffith (D) : . René L. DeRouen (D) : . A. Leonard Allen (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Maine|Maine]]

: . James C. Oliver (R) : . Clyde H. Smith (R), until April 8, 1940 :: Margaret Chase Smith (R), from June 3, 1940 : . Ralph Owen Brewster (R)

[[List of United States representatives from Maryland|Maryland]]

: . T. Alan Goldsborough (D), until April 5, 1939 :: David Jenkins Ward (D), from June 8, 1939 : . William P. Cole Jr. (D) : . Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. (D) : . Ambrose J. Kennedy (D) : . Lansdale G. Sasscer (D), from February 3, 1939 : . William D. Byron (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Massachusetts|Massachusetts]]

: . Allen T. Treadway (R) : . Charles Clason (R) : . Joseph E. Casey (D) : . Pehr G. Holmes (R) : . Edith Nourse Rogers (R) : . George J. Bates (R) : . Lawrence J. Connery (D) : . Arthur D. Healey (D) : . Robert Luce (R) : . George H. Tinkham (R) : . Thomas A. Flaherty (D) : . John W. McCormack (D) : . Richard B. Wigglesworth (R) : . Joseph W. Martin Jr. (R) : . Charles L. Gifford (R)

[[List of United States representatives from Michigan|Michigan]]

: . Rudolph G. Tenerowicz (D) : . Earl C. Michener (R) : . Paul W. Shafer (R) : . Clare E. Hoffman (R) : . Carl Mapes (R), until December 12, 1939 :: Bartel J. Jonkman (R), from February 19, 1940 : . William W. Blackney (R) : . Jesse P. Wolcott (R) : . Fred L. Crawford (R) : . Albert J. Engel (R) : . Roy O. Woodruff (R) : . Fred Bradley (R) : . Frank Hook (D) : . Clarence J. McLeod (R) : . Louis C. Rabaut (D) : . John D. Dingell Sr. (D) : . John Lesinski Sr. (D) : . George A. Dondero (R)

[[List of United States representatives from Minnesota|Minnesota]]

: . August H. Andresen (R) : . Elmer Ryan (D) : . John G. Alexander (R) : . Melvin Maas (R) : . Oscar Youngdahl (R) : . Harold Knutson (R) : . Herman Carl Andersen (R) : . William Pittenger (R) : . Rich T. Buckler (FL)

[[List of United States representatives from Mississippi|Mississippi]]

: . John E. Rankin (D) : . Wall Doxey (D) : . William M. Whittington (D) : . Aaron L. Ford (D) : . Ross A. Collins (D) : . William M. Colmer (D) : . Dan R. McGehee (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Missouri|Missouri]]

: . Milton A. Romjue (D) : . William L. Nelson (D) : . Richard M. Duncan (D) : . C. Jasper Bell (D) : . Joseph B. Shannon (D) : . Reuben T. Wood (D) : . Dewey Short (R) : . Clyde Williams (D) : . Clarence Cannon (D) : . Orville Zimmerman (D) : . Thomas C. Hennings Jr. (D), until December 31, 1940 : . Charles Arthur Anderson (D) : . John J. Cochran (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Montana|Montana]]

: . Jacob Thorkelson (R) : . James F. O'Connor (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Nebraska|Nebraska]]

: . George H. Heinke (R), until January 2, 1940 :: John Hyde Sweet (R), from April 19, 1940 : . Charles F. McLaughlin (D) : . Karl Stefan (R) : . Carl Curtis (R) : . Harry B. Coffee (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Nevada|Nevada]]

: . James G. Scrugham (D)

[[List of United States representatives from New Hampshire|New Hampshire]]

: . Arthur B. Jenks (R) : . Foster Waterman Stearns (R)

[[List of United States representatives from New Jersey|New Jersey]]

: . Charles A. Wolverton (R) : . Walter S. Jeffries (R) : . William H. Sutphin (D) : . D. Lane Powers (R) : . Charles A. Eaton (R) : . Donald H. McLean (R) : . J. Parnell Thomas (R) : . George N. Seger (R), until August 26, 1940 : . Frank C. Osmers Jr. (R) : . Fred A. Hartley Jr. (R) : . Albert L. Vreeland (R) : . Robert Kean (R) : . Mary T. Norton (D) : . Edward J. Hart (D)

[[List of United States representatives from New Mexico|New Mexico]]

: . John J. Dempsey (D)

[[List of United States representatives from New York|New York]]

: . Leonard W. Hall (R) : . William B. Barry (D) : . Joseph L. Pfeifer (D) : . Thomas H. Cullen (D) : . Marcellus H. Evans (D) : . Andrew L. Somers (D) : . John J. Delaney (D) : . Donald L. O'Toole (D) : . Eugene J. Keogh (D) : . Emanuel Celler (D) : . James A. O'Leary (D) : . Samuel Dickstein (D) : . Christopher D. Sullivan (D) : . William I. Sirovich (D), until December 17, 1939 :: Morris Michael Edelstein (D), from February 6, 1940 : . Michael J. Kennedy (D) : . James H. Fay (D) : . Bruce F. Barton (R) : . Martin J. Kennedy (D) : . Sol Bloom (D) : . Vito Marcantonio (AL) : . Joseph A. Gavagan (D) : . Edward W. Curley (D), until January 6, 1940 :: Walter A. Lynch (D), from February 20, 1940 : . Charles A. Buckley (D) : . James M. Fitzpatrick (D) : . Ralph A. Gamble (R) : . Hamilton Fish III (R) : . Lewis K. Rockefeller (R) : . William T. Byrne (D) : . E. Harold Cluett (R) : . Frank Crowther (R) : . Wallace E. Pierce (R), until January 3, 1940 :: Clarence E. Kilburn (R), from February 13, 1940 : . Francis D. Culkin (R) : . Fred J. Douglas (R) : . Bert Lord (R), until May 24, 1939 :: Edwin Arthur Hall (R), from November 7, 1939 : . Clarence E. Hancock (R) : . John Taber (R) : . W. Sterling Cole (R) : . Joseph J. O'Brien (R) : . James W. Wadsworth Jr. (R) : . Walter G. Andrews (R) : . J. Francis Harter (R) : . Pius Schwert (D) : . Daniel A. Reed (R) : . Matthew J. Merritt (D) : . Caroline O'Day (D)

[[List of United States representatives from North Carolina|North Carolina]]

: . Lindsay C. Warren (D), until October 31, 1940 :: Herbert Covington Bonner (D), from November 5, 1940 : . John H. Kerr (D) : . Graham A. Barden (D) : . Harold D. Cooley (D) : . Alonzo D. Folger (D) : . Carl T. Durham (D) : . J. Bayard Clark (D) : . William O. Burgin (D) : . Robert L. Doughton (D) : . Alfred L. Bulwinkle (D) : . Zebulon Weaver (D)

[[List of United States representatives from North Dakota|North Dakota]]

: . William Lemke (R-NPL) : . Usher L. Burdick (R-NPL)

[[List of United States representatives from Ohio|Ohio]]

: . Charles H. Elston (R) : . William E. Hess (R) : . Harry N. Routzohn (R) : . Robert Franklin Jones (R) : . Cliff Clevenger (R) : . James G. Polk (D) : . Clarence J. Brown (R) : . Frederick Cleveland Smith (R) : . John F. Hunter (D) : . Thomas A. Jenkins (R) : . Harold K. Claypool (D) : . John M. Vorys (R) : . Dudley A. White (R) : . Dow W. Harter (D) : . Robert T. Secrest (D) : . James Seccombe (R) : . William A. Ashbrook (D), until January 1, 1940 :: J. Harry McGregor (R), from February 27, 1940 : . Earl R. Lewis (R) : . Michael J. Kirwan (D) : . Martin L. Sweeney (D) : . Robert Crosser (D) : . Chester C. Bolton (R), until October 29, 1939 :: Frances P. Bolton (R), from February 27, 1940 : . George H. Bender (R) : . L. L. Marshall (R)

[[List of United States representatives from Oklahoma|Oklahoma]]

: . Wesley E. Disney (D) : . John Conover Nichols (D) : . Wilburn Cartwright (D) : . Lyle Boren (D) : . A. S. Mike Monroney (D) : . Jed J. Johnson (D) : . Sam C. Massingale (D) : . Phil Ferguson (D) : . Will Rogers (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Oregon|Oregon]]

: . James W. Mott (R) : . Walter M. Pierce (D) : . Homer D. Angell (R)

[[List of United States representatives from Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]]

: . Leon Sacks (D) : . James P. McGranery (D) : . Michael J. Bradley (D) : . J. Burrwood Daly (D), until March 12, 1939 :: John E. Sheridan (D), from November 7, 1939 : . Fred C. Gartner (R) : . Francis J. Myers (D) : . George P. Darrow (R) : . James Wolfenden (R) : . Charles L. Gerlach (R) : . J. Roland Kinzer (R) : . Patrick J. Boland (D) : . J. Harold Flannery (D) : . Ivor D. Fenton (R) : . Guy L. Moser (D) : . Albert G. Rutherford (R) : . Robert F. Rich (R) : . J. William Ditter (R) : . Richard M. Simpson (R) : . John C. Kunkel (R) : . Benjamin Jarrett (R) : . Francis E. Walter (D) : . Chester H. Gross (R) : . James E. Van Zandt (R) : . J. Buell Snyder (D) : . Charles I. Faddis (D) : . Louis E. Graham (R) : . Harve Tibbott (R) : . Robert G. Allen (D) : . Robert L. Rodgers (R) : . Robert J. Corbett (R) : . John McDowell (R) : . Herman P. Eberharter (D) : . Joseph A. McArdle (D) : . Matthew A. Dunn (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Rhode Island|Rhode Island]]

: . Charles Risk (R) : . Harry Sandager (R)

[[List of United States representatives from South Carolina|South Carolina]]

: . Thomas S. McMillan (D), until September 29, 1939 :: Clara Gooding McMillan (D), from November 7, 1939 : . Hampton P. Fulmer (D) : . Butler B. Hare (D) : . Joseph R. Bryson (D) : . James P. Richards (D) : . John L. McMillan (D)

[[List of United States representatives from South Dakota|South Dakota]]

: . Karl E. Mundt (R) : . Francis Case (R)

[[List of United States representatives from Tennessee|Tennessee]]

: . B. Carroll Reece (R) : . J. Will Taylor (R), until November 14, 1939 :: John Jennings Jr. (R), from December 30, 1939 : . Samuel D. McReynolds (D), until July 11, 1939 :: Estes Kefauver (D), from September 13, 1939 : . Albert Gore Sr. (D) : . Jo Byrns Jr. (D) : . Clarence W. Turner (D), until March 23, 1939 :: W. Wirt Courtney (D), from May 11, 1939 : . Herron C. Pearson (D) : . Jere Cooper (D) : . Walter Chandler (D), until January 2, 1940 :: Clifford Davis (D), from February 15, 1940

[[List of United States representatives from Texas|Texas]]

: . Wright Patman (D) : . Martin Dies Jr. (D) : . Lindley Beckworth (D) : . Sam Rayburn (D) : . Hatton W. Sumners (D) : . Luther Alexander Johnson (D) : . Nat Patton (D) : . Albert Thomas (D) : . Joseph J. Mansfield (D) : . Lyndon B. Johnson (D) : . William R. Poage (D) : . Fritz G. Lanham (D) : . Ed Gossett (D) : . Richard M. Kleberg (D) : . Milton H. West (D) : . R. Ewing Thomason (D) : . Clyde L. Garrett (D) : . John Marvin Jones (D), until November 20, 1940 : . George H. Mahon (D) : . Paul J. Kilday (D) : . Charles L. South (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Utah|Utah]]

: . Abe Murdock (D) : . J. W. Robinson (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Vermont|Vermont]]

: . Charles A. Plumley (R)

[[List of United States representatives from Virginia|Virginia]]

: . S. Otis Bland (D) : . Colgate W. Darden Jr. (D) : . Dave E. Satterfield Jr. (D) : . Patrick H. Drewry (D) : . Thomas G. Burch (D) : . Clifton A. Woodrum (D) : . A. Willis Robertson (D) : . Howard W. Smith (D) : . John W. Flannagan Jr. (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Washington|Washington]]

: . Warren G. Magnuson (D) : . Monrad C. Wallgren (D), until December 19, 1940 : . Martin F. Smith (D) : . Knute Hill (D) : . Charles H. Leavy (D) : . John M. Coffee (D)

[[List of United States representatives from West Virginia|West Virginia]]

: . A. C. Schiffler (R) : . Jennings Randolph (D) : . Andrew Edmiston Jr. (D) : . George W. Johnson (D) : . John Kee (D) : . Joe L. Smith (D)

[[List of United States representatives from Wisconsin|Wisconsin]]

: . Stephen Bolles (R) : . Charles Hawks Jr. (R) : . Harry W. Griswold (R), until July 4, 1939 : . John C. Schafer (R) : . Lewis D. Thill (R) : . Frank Bateman Keefe (R) : . Reid F. Murray (R) : . Joshua L. Johns (R) : . Merlin Hull (P) : . Bernard J. Gehrmann (P)

[[List of United States representatives from Wyoming|Wyoming]]

: . Frank O. Horton (R)

Non-voting members

: . Anthony J. Dimond (D) : . Samuel Wilder King (R) : . Joaquin Miguel Elizalde (I) : . Santiago Iglesias Pantín (Coalitionist), until December 5, 1939 :: Bolívar Pagán (Resident Commissioner) (Soc.), from December 26, 1939

Changes in membership

The count below reflects changes from the beginning of this Congress.

Senate

SORT by the date the seat became vacant

|- | Illinois (2) | nowrap | J. Hamilton Lewis (D) | Died April 9, 1939. Successor appointed April 14, 1939, to continue the term. | nowrap | James M. Slattery (D) | April 14, 1939

|- | Kentucky (2) | nowrap | M. M. Logan (D) | Died October 3, 1939. Successor appointed October 10, 1939, to continue the term. Successor elected November 5, 1940, to finish the term. | nowrap | Happy Chandler (D) | October 10, 1939

|- | Idaho (2) | nowrap | William E. Borah (R) | Died January 19, 1940. Successor appointed January 27, 1940, to continue the term. Successor elected November 5, 1940, to finish the term. | nowrap | John Thomas (R) | January 27, 1940

|- | Vermont (3) | nowrap | Ernest W. Gibson (R) | Died June 20, 1940. Successor appointed June 24, 1940, to continue the term. | nowrap | Ernest W. Gibson Jr. (R) | June 24, 1940

|- | Minnesota (2) | nowrap | Ernest Lundeen (FL) | Died August 31, 1940. Successor appointed October 14, 1940, to continue the term. Successor lost election to finish the term. | nowrap | Joseph H. Ball (R) | October 14, 1940

|- | Nevada (1) | nowrap | Key Pittman (D) | Died November 10, 1940. Successor appointed November 27, 1940, to continue finish the term, also appointed to serve in the next term. | nowrap | Berkeley L. Bunker (D) | November 27, 1940

|- | Illinois (2) | nowrap | James M. Slattery (D) | Interim appointee lost election November 21, 1940, to finish the term. | nowrap | Charles W. Brooks (R) | November 22, 1940

|- | Washington (1) | nowrap | Lewis B. Schwellenbach (D) | Resigned December 16, 1940, to become judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. Successor appointed December 19, 1940, to finish the term. | nowrap | Monrad Wallgren (D) | December 19, 1940

|}

House of Representatives

Sorted Chronologically by date of vacancy

|- | | Vacant | | Lansdale Sasscer (D)

| | | William B. Cravens (D) | | William F. Cravens (D)

| | | J. Burrwood Daly (D) | | John E. Sheridan (D)

| | | Clarence W. Turner (D) | | W. Wirt Courtney (D)

| | | Thomas A. Goldsborough (D) | | David J. Ward (D)

| | | Bert Lord (R) | | Edwin A. Hall (R)

| | | Emmett M. Owen (D) | | A. Sidney Camp (D)

| | | Harry W. Griswold (R) |- | | | Sam D. McReynolds (D) | | Estes Kefauver (D)

| | | Thomas M. Eaton (R) |- | | | Thomas S. McMillan (D) | | Clara G. McMillan (D)

| | | Chester C. Bolton (R) | | Frances P. Bolton (R)

| | | J. Will Taylor (R) | | John Jennings Jr. (R)

| | Santiago Iglesias (Coalitionist) | Bolívar Pagán (Socialist)

| | | John A. Martin (D) | | William E. Burney (D)

| | | Carl E. Mapes (R) | | Bartel J. Jonkman (R)

| | | William I. Sirovich (D) | | Morris M. Edelstein (D)

| | | William A. Ashbrook (D) | | J. Harry McGregor (R)

| | | George H. Heinke (R) | | John H. Sweet (R)

| | | Clift Chandler (D) | | Clifford Davis (D)

| | | Wallace E. Pierce (R) | | Clarence E. Kilburn (R)

| | | Edward W. Curley (D) | | Walter A. Lynch (D)

| | | Cassius C. Dowell (R) | | Robert K. Goodwin (R)

| | | Clyde Smith (R) | | Margaret Chase Smith (R)

| | | W. Benjamin Gibbs (D) | | Florence Reville Gibbs (D)

| | | George N. Seger (R) |- | | | William B. Bankhead (D) | | Zadoc L. Weatherford (D)

| | | Lindsay C. Warren (D) | | Herbert C. Bonner (D)

| | | John Marvin Jones (D) |- | | | Paul H. Maloney (D) |- | | | Monrad Wallgren (D) |- | | | Thomas C. Hennings Jr. (D) |}

Committees

Senate

• Agriculture and Forestry (Chairman: Ellison D. Smith; Ranking Member: George W. Norris)
• Aquatic Life (Special)
• Appropriations (Chairman: Carter Glass; Ranking Member: Frederick Hale)
• Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate (Chairman: James F. Byrnes; Ranking Member: John G. Townsend Jr.)
• Banking and Currency (Chairman: Robert F. Wagner; Ranking Member: John G. Townsend Jr.)
• Campaign Expenditures Investigation (Special) (Chairman: Guy M. Gillette)
• Civil Service (Chairman: William J. Bulow; Ranking Member: Wallace H. White Jr.)
• Civil Service Laws (Special)
• Civil Service System (Special)
• Claims (Chairman: Edward R. Burke; Ranking Member: Arthur Capper)
• Commerce (Chairman: Josiah W. Bailey; Ranking Member: Charles L. McNary)
• Court Reorganization and Judicial Procedure (Special)
• District of Columbia (Chairman: William H. King; Ranking Member: Arthur Capper)
• Education and Labor (Chairman: Elbert D. Thomas; Ranking Member: William E. Borah then Robert M. La Follette Jr.)
  • Investigation Violations of Free Speech and the Rights of Labor
• Enrolled Bills (Chairman: Hattie W. Caraway; Ranking Member: Arthur H. Vandenberg)
• Expenditures in Executive Departments (Chairman: Frederick Van Nuys; Ranking Member: James J. Davis)
• Finance (Chairman: Pat Harrison; Ranking Member: Robert M. La Follette Jr.)
• Foreign Relations (Chairman: Key Pittman; Ranking Member: William E. Borah then Hiram W. Johnson)
• Government Organization (Select)
• Immigration (Chairman: Richard B. Russell; Ranking Member: Hiram W. Johnson)
• Indian Affairs (Chairman: Elmer Thomas; Ranking Member: Lynn J. Frazier)
• Interoceanic Canals (Chairman: Bennett Champ Clark; Ranking Member: Styles Bridges)
• Interstate Commerce (Chairman: Burton K. Wheeler; Ranking Member: Wallace H. White Jr.)
• Irrigation and Reclamation (Chairman: John H. Bankhead II; Ranking Member: Charles L. McNary)
• Judiciary (Chairman: Henry F. Ashurst; Ranking Member: William E. Borah then George W. Norris)
• Library (Chairman: Alben W. Barkley; Ranking Member: Ernest W. Gibson then Charles L. McNary)
• Manufactures (Chairman: John H. Overton; Ranking Member: Robert M. La Follette Jr.)
• Military Affairs (Chairman: Morris Sheppard; Ranking Member: Warren R. Austin)
• Mines and Mining (Chairman: Joseph F. Guffey; Ranking Member: Lynn J. Frazier)
• Naval Affairs (Chairman: David I. Walsh; Ranking Member: Frederick Hale)
• Patents (Chairman: Homer T. Bone; Ranking Member: George W. Norris)
• Pensions (Chairman: Sherman Minton; Ranking Member: Lynn J. Frazier)
• Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: Kenneth McKellar; Ranking Member: Lynn J. Frazier)
• Printing (Chairman: Carl Hayden; Ranking Member: Arthur H. Vandenberg)
• Privileges and Elections (Chairman: Walter F. George; Ranking Member: Warren R. Austin)
• Public Buildings and Grounds (Chairman: Tom Connally; Ranking Member: Frederick Hale)
• Public Lands and Surveys (Chairman: Alva B. Adams; Ranking Member: Gerald P. Nye)
• Rules (Chairman: Matthew M. Neely; Ranking Member: Frederick Hale)
• Senatorial Campaign Expenditures (Special)
• Small Business Enterprises (Special)
• Taxation of Government Securities and Salaries (Special)
• Territories and Insular Affairs (Chairman: Millard E. Tydings; Ranking Member: Gerald P. Nye)
• Unemployment and Relief (Select)
• Whole
• Wildlife Resources (Special) (Chairman: Vacant; Ranking Member: Vacant)
• Wool Production (Special) (Chairman: Alva B. Adams)

House of Representatives

• Accounts (Chairman: Lindsay C. Warren; Ranking Member: James Wolfenden)
• Agriculture (Chairman: J. Marvin Jones; Ranking Member: Clifford R. Hope)
• Anthracite Emergency Program (Special)
• Appropriations (Chairman: Edward T. Taylor; Ranking Member: John Taber)
• Banking and Currency (Chairman: Henry B. Steagall; Ranking Member: Jesse P. Wolcott)
• Census (Chairman: Matthew A. Dunn; Ranking Member: J. Roland Kinzer)
• Civil Service (Chairman: Robert Ramspeck; Ranking Member: Edith Nourse Rogers)
• Claims (Chairman: Ambrose J. Kennedy; Ranking Member: Ulysses S. Guyer)
• Coinage, Weights and Measures (Chairman: Andrew Somers; Ranking Member: Clarence E. Hancock)
• Conservation of Wildlife Resources (Select) (Chairman: A. Willis Robertson)
• Disposition of Executive Papers (Chairman: Alfred J. Elliott; Ranking Member: Bertrand W. Gearhart)
• District of Columbia (Chairman: Jennings Randolph; Ranking Member: Everett Dirksen)
• Education (Chairman: William H. Larrabee; Ranking Member: George A. Dondero)
• Election of the President, Vice President and Representatives in Congress (Chairman: Caroline O'Day; Ranking Member: George H. Tinkham)
• Elections No.#1 (Chairman: Milton West; Ranking Member: Clarence E. Hancock)
• Elections No.#2 (Chairman: Joseph A. Gavagan; Ranking Member: Ulysses S. Guyer)
• Elections No.#3 (Chairman: John H. Kerr; Ranking Member: Charles L. Gifford)
• Enrolled Bills (Chairman: Claude Parsons; Ranking Member: Charles Aubrey Eaton)
• Expenditures in the Executive Departments (Chairman: John J. Cochran; Ranking Member: Charles L. Gifford)
• Flood Control (Chairman: William M. Whittington; Ranking Member: Harry Lane Englebright)
• Foreign Affairs (Chairman: Sol Bloom; Ranking Member: Hamilton Fish III)
• Government Organization (Select) (Chairman: N/A)
• Immigration and Naturalization (Chairman: Samuel Dickstein; Ranking Member: J. Will Taylor)
• Indian Affairs (Chairman: Will Rogers; Ranking Member: Fred C. Gilchrist)
• Insular Affairs (Chairman: Leo Kocialkowski; Ranking Member: Richard J. Welch)
• Interstate and Foreign Commerce (Chairman: Clarence F. Lea; Ranking Member: Carl E. Mapes)
• Invalid Pensions (Chairman: John Lesinski; Ranking Member: Owen Brewster)
• Investigate Interstate Migration of Destitute Citizens (Select) (Chairman: N/A)
• Investigate the National Labor Relations Board (Special) (Chairman: N/A)
• Irrigation and Reclamation (Chairman: Compton I. White; Ranking Member: Fred A. Hartley Jr.)
• Judiciary (Chairman: Hatton W. Sumners; Ranking Member: Ulysses S. Guyer)
• Labor (Chairman: Mary Teresa Norton; Ranking Member: Richard J. Welch)
• Library (Chairman: Kent E. Keller; Ranking Member: Allen T. Treadway)
• Memorials (Chairman: Alfred Bulwinkle; Ranking Member: Frank Crowther)
• Merchant Marine and Fisheries (Chairman: S. Otis Bland; Ranking Member: Richard J. Welch)
• Military Affairs (Chairman: Andrew J. May; Ranking Member: Walter G. Andrews)
• Mines and Mining (Chairman: Joe L. Smith; Ranking Member: Harry Lane Englebright)
• Naval Affairs (Chairman: Carl Vinson; Ranking Member: Melvin J. Maas)
• Patents (Chairman: Charles Kramer; Ranking Member: Fred A. Hartley Jr.)
• Pensions (Chairman: N/A; Ranking Member: N/A)
• Post Office and Post Roads (Chairman: N/A; Ranking Member: Fred A. Hartley Jr.)
• Printing (Chairman: N/A; Ranking Member: Robert F. Rich)
• Public Buildings and Grounds (Chairman: Fritz G. Lanham; Ranking Member: J. Will Taylor)
• Public Lands (Chairman: Rene L. DeRouen; Ranking Member: Harry Lane Englebright)
• Revision of Laws (Chairman: Eugene J. Keogh; Ranking Member: Jesse P. Wolcott)
• Rivers and Harbors (Chairman: Joseph J. Mansfield; Ranking Member: George N. Seger)
• Roads (Chairman: Wilburn Cartwright; Ranking Member: Jesse P. Wolcott)
• Rules (Chairman: Adolph J. Sabath; Ranking Member: Joseph W. Martin Jr.)
• Standards of Official Conduct
• Territories (Chairman: Robert A. Green; Ranking Member: Harry Lane Englebright)
• War Claims (Chairman: Reuben T. Wood; Ranking Member: Clare E. Hoffman)
• Ways and Means (Chairman: Robert L. Doughton; Ranking Member: Allen T. Treadway)
• World War Veterans' Legislation (Chairman: John E. Rankin; Ranking Member: Edith Nourse Rogers)
• Whole

Joint committees

• Conditions of Indian Tribes (Special)
• Disposition of (Useless) Executive Papers
• Eradication of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly
• Forestry
• The Library (Chairman: Sen. Alben W. Barkley)
• To Investigate Phosphate Resource of the United States (Chairman: N/A; Vice Chairman: Rep. J. Hardin Peterson)
• Printing (Chairman: N/A; Vice Chairman: Sen. Carl Hayden)
• Taxation (Chairman: Rep. Robert L. Doughton; Vice Chairman: Sen. Pat Harrison)
• Tennessee Valley Authority (Chairman: Sen. A. Victor Donahey; Vice Chairman: N/A)

Caucuses

• Democratic (House)
• Democratic (Senate)

Employees

[[List of federal agencies in the United States#United States Congress|Legislative branch agency]] directors

• Architect of the Capitol: David Lynn
• Attending Physician of the United States Congress: George Calver
• Comptroller General of the United States: vacant, until April 11, 1939
  • Fred H. Brown, April 11, 1939 - June 19, 1940
  • vacant, June 19, 1940 - November 1, 1940
  • Lindsay C. Warren, from November 1, 1940
• Librarian of Congress: Herbert Putnam, until 1939
  • Archibald MacLeish, from 1939
• Public Printer of the United States: Augustus E. Giegengack

Senate

• Chaplain: ZeBarney Thorne Phillips (Episcopal)
• Parliamentarian: Charles Watkins
• Secretary for the Majority: Leslie Biffle
• Secretary for the Minority: Carl A. Loeffler
• Secretary: Edwin A. Halsey
• Librarian: Ruskin McArdle
• Sergeant at Arms: Chesley W. Jurney

House of Representatives

• Chaplain: James Shera Montgomery (Methodist)
• Clerk: South Trimble
• Parliamentarian: Lewis Deschler
• Postmaster: Finis E. Scott
• Doorkeeper: Joseph J. Sinnott
• Reading Clerks: Roger M. Calloway (D) and Alney E. Chaffee (R)
• Sergeant at Arms: Kenneth Romney

In popular culture

• It appears in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

Notes

References

References

1. Riddick, Floyd M.. (1939). "First Session of the Seventy-sixth Congress, January 3 to August 5, 1939". American Political Science Review.
2. Riddick, Floyd M.. (1941). "Third Session of the Seventy-sixth Congress, January 3, 1940, to January 3, 1941". American Political Science Review.
3. "Voteview {{!".
4. "Voteview {{!".