The Sixty-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1911 to March 4, 1913, during the third and fourth years of William H. Taft's presidency.
The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Twelfth Census of the United States in 1900. Additional House seats were assigned to the two new states of New Mexico and Arizona. The size of the House was to be 435 starting with the new Congress coming into session in 1913. The Senate had a Republican majority, and the House had a Democratic majority.
April 27, 1911: Following the resignation and death of William P. Frye, a compromise is reached to rotate the office of President pro tempore of the United States Senate.
April 30, 1911: Great Fire of 1911
May 15, 1911: The Supreme Court declared Standard Oil to be an "unreasonable" monopoly under the Sherman Antitrust Act and ordered the company to be dissolved.
April 15, 1912: The RMS Titanic sank.
June 5, 1912: U.S. Marines landed in Cuba.
June 18, 1912: The Republican National Convention nominated incumbent President William Taft in Chicago, defeating a challenge by former President Theodore Roosevelt, whose delegates bolted the convention.
June 25, 1912: The Democratic National Convention nominated New Jersey Gov. Woodrow Wilson in Baltimore.
August 5, 1912: Dissident Republicans formed the Progressive or Bull Moose Party, and nominated former President Theodore Roosevelt as their presidential candidate.
October 30, 1912: Vice President James S. Sherman died.
November 5, 1912: U.S. presidential election, 1912: Woodrow Wilson (D) beat incumbent William Howard Taft (R) and Theodore Roosevelt (P).
August 8, 1911: Public Law 62-5, Pub.L. 62–5 (set House of Representatives size at 435 members)
August 24, 1912: Lloyd–La Follette Act, ch. 389, §6, 37 Stat. 539
February 13, 1913: Carlin Act
March 1, 1913: Webb–Kenyon Act
March 1, 1913: Railway Evaluation Act
March 3, 1913: Publicity In Taking Evidence Act
March 3, 1913: Virus-Serum-Toxin Act
March 3, 1913: Gould Amendment
March 4, 1913: Arlington Memorial Amphitheater Act
March 4, 1913: Road and Trails Fund Act
March 4, 1913: Burnett Act
March 4, 1913: Weeks–McLean Act
March 4, 1913: Federal Revenue Sharing Act
March 4, 1913: Rivers and Harbors Act of 1913
March 4, 1913: Burnt Timber Act
March 4, 1913: Labor Department Act, 37 Stat. 736
May 13, 1912: 17th Amendment passed Congress and sent to the states for ratification. It would create a popularly elected U.S. Senate instead of the original process of appointment by state legislatures.
February 3, 1913: 16th Amendment was ratified, authorizing the Federal government to impose and collect income taxes.
States admitted and territories created
January 6, 1912: New Mexico admitted to the Union.
February 14, 1912: Arizona admitted to the Union
August 24, 1912: Alaska Territory created.
Democratic (D): 230 (majority)
Republican (R): 162
Socialist (S): 1
Independent (I): 1
TOTAL members: 394
President: James S. Sherman, until October 30, 1912; thereafter vacant
Presidents pro tempore: William P. Frye (R), until April 27, 1911.
For the remainder of this Congress, the office rotated among five Senators. The Senate at that time was split between progressive Republicans, conservative Republicans, and Democrats. Each put forth a candidate, and the ballots were deadlocked until August 1911 when a compromise was reached. Democrat Augustus Bacon served for one day on August 14, 1911, and thereafter he and four Republicans rotated holding the seat for the remainder of the Congress. These Republicans were: Charles Curtis, Jacob H. Gallinger, Frank B. Brandegee, and Henry Cabot Lodge.
Republican Conference Chairman: Shelby Moore Cullom
Democratic Caucus Chair: Thomas S. Martin
Republican Conference Secretary: Charles Curtis
Democratic Caucus Secretary: William E. Chilton
Speaker: Champ Clark (D)
Majority Leader: Oscar Underwood
Majority Whip: vacant
Democratic Caucus Chairman: Albert S. Burleson
Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: James Tilghman Lloyd
Minority Leader: James R. Mann
Minority Whip: John W. Dwight
Republican Conference Chair: Frank Dunklee Currier
Skip to House of Representatives, below
At this time, most Senators were elected by the state legislatures every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. A few senators were elected directly by the residents of the state. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election.
The names of members of the House of Representatives are preceded by their district numbers.
There were 20 changes: 6 deaths, 2 resignations, 1 invalidated election, 6 appointees replaced by electees, 4 seats added from new states, and 1 seat vacant from the previous Congress. Democrats had a 4-seat net gain, and no other parties had a net change.
Sorted Chronologically by date of vacancy
House vacancies are only filled by elections. State laws regulate when (and if) there will be special elections.
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
Additional Accommodations for the Library of Congress (Select)
Agriculture and Forestry
Appropriations
Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate
Canadian Relations
Census
Civil Service and Retrenchment
Claims
Coast and Insular Survey
Coast Defenses
Commerce
Conservation of National Resources
Corporations Organized in the District of Columbia
Cuban Relations
Disposition of Useless Papers in the Executive Departments
Distributing Public Revenue Among the States (Select)
District of Columbia
Education and Labor
Election of William Lorimer (Select)
Engrossed Bills
Enrolled Bills
Establish a University in the United States (Select)
Examine the Several Branches in the Civil Service
Expenditures in the Department of Agriculture
Expenditures in the Department of Commerce and Labor
Expenditures in the Interior Department
Expenditures in the Department of Justice
Expenditures in the Navy Department
Expenditures in the Post Office Department
Expenditures in the Department of State
Expenditures in the Treasury Department
Expenditures in the War Department
Finance
Fisheries
Five Civilized Tribes of Indians
Foreign Relations
Forest Reservations and the Protection of Game
Geological Survey
Immigration
Immigration and Naturalization
Impeachment of Robert H. Archibald (Select)
Indian Affairs
Industrial Expositions
Interoceanic Canals
Interstate Commerce
Irrigation and Reclamation
Judiciary
Library
Manufactures
Military Affairs
Mines and Mining
Mississippi River and its Tributaries (Select)
National Banks
Naval Affairs
Pacific Islands and Puerto Rico
Pacific Railroads
Patents
Pensions
Philippines
Post Office and Post Roads
Printing
Private Land Claims
Privileges and Elections
Public Buildings and Grounds
Public Health and National Quarantine
Public Lands
Railroads
Revision of the Laws
Revolutionary Claims
Rules
Standards, Weights and Measures
Tariff Regulation (Select)
Territories
Third Degree Ordeal
Transportation and Sale of Meat Products (Select)
Transportation Routes to the Seaboard
Trespassers upon Indian Lands (Select)
Whole
Woman Suffrage
Accounts
Agriculture
Alcoholic Liquor Traffic
Appropriations
American Sugar Refining Company (Special)
Banking and Currency
Census
Claims
Coinage, Weights and Measures
Disposition of Executive Papers
District of Columbia
Education
Election of the President, Vice President and Representatives in Congress
Elections
Enrolled Bills
Expenditures in the Agriculture Department
Expenditures in the Commerce and Labor Departments
Expenditures in the Interior Department
Expenditures in the Justice Department
Expenditures in the Navy Department
Expenditures in the Post Office Department
Expenditures in the State Department
Expenditures in the Treasury Department
Expenditures in the War Department
Expenditures on Public Buildings
Foreign Affairs
Immigration and Naturalization
Indian Affairs
Industrial Arts and Expositions
Insular Affairs
Interstate and Foreign Commerce
Invalid Pensions
Irrigation of Arid Lands
Labor
Levees and Improvements of the Mississippi River
Merchant Marine and Fisheries
Mileage
Military Affairs
Mines and Mining
Naval Affairs
Patents
Pensions
Post Office and Post Roads
Public Buildings and Grounds
Public Lands
Railways and Canals
Reform in the Civil Service
Revision of Laws
Rivers and Harbors
Rules
Standards of Official Conduct
Territories
War Claims
Ways and Means
Whole
Conditions of Indian Tribes (Special)
Disposition of (Useless) Executive Papers
Federal Aid in Construction of Post Roads
Investigations of Conditions in Alaska
Investigate the General Parcel Post
Postage on 2nd Class Mail Matter and Compensation for Transportation of Mail
Second Class Mail Matter and Compensation for Rail Mail Service
Architect of the Capitol: Elliott Woods
Librarian of Congress: Herbert Putnam
Public Printer of the United States: Samuel B. Donnelly
Chaplain: Ulysses G.B. Pierce, Unitarian
Secretary: Charles G. Bennett of New York
Sergeant at Arms:
Daniel M. Ransdell of Indiana
E. Livingston Cornelius of Maryland, elected December 10, 1912
Clerk: South Trimble of Kentucky
Chaplain: Henry N. Couden, Universalist
Clerk at the Speaker’s Table: Charles R. Crisp
Doorkeeper: Joseph J. Sinnott of Virginia
Postmaster: William M. Dunbar of Georgia
Sergeant at Arms:
W. Stokes Jackson of Indiana, died June 1912.
Charles F. Riddell of Indiana, elected July 18, 1912.
