The Postmaster General is the executive head of the United States Postal Service. He was from 1872 to 1971 the head of an executive department concerned with the postal service (the Post Office Department). During that period, he was a member of the President's Cabinet.

Postmasters General

Name Year appointed President(s) served under
Benjamin Franklin July 26, 1775 (Continental Congress)
Richard Bache November 7, 1776 (Continental Congress)
Ebenezer Hazard January 28, 1782 (Continental Congress)
Samuel Osgood September 26, 1789 Washington
Timothy Pickering August 12, 1791 Washington
Joseph Habersham February 25, 1795 Washington, Adams, Jefferson
Gideon Granger November 28, 1801 Jefferson, Madison
Return J. Meigs March 17, 1814 Madison, Monroe
John McLean June 26, 1823 Monroe, J. Q. Adams
William T. Barry March 9, 1829 Jackson
Amos Kendall May 1, 1835 Jackson, Van Buren
John M. Niles May 19, 1840 Van Buren
Francis Granger March 6, 1841 W. H. Harrison, Tyler
Charles A. Wickliffe September 13, 1841 Tyler
Cave Johnson March 6, 1845 Polk
Jacob Collamer March 8, 1849 Taylor
Nathan K. Hall July 23, 1850 Fillmore
Samuel D. Hubbard August 31, 1852 Fillmore
James Campbell March 7, 1853 Pierce
Aaron V. Brown March 6, 1857 Buchanan
Joseph Holt March 14, 1859 Buchanan
Horatio King February 12, 1861 Buchanan
Montgomery Blair March 5, 1861 Lincoln
William Dennison September 24, 1864 Lincoln, A. Johnson
Alexander W. Randall July 25, 1866 A. Johnson
John A. J. Creswell March 5, 1869 Grant
James W. Marshall July 3, 1874 Grant
Marshall Jewell August 24, 1874 Grant
James N. Tyner July 12, 1876 Grant
David M. Key March 12, 1877 Hayes
Thomas L. James March 5, 1881 Garfield, Arthur
Timothy O. Howe December 20, 1881 Arthur
Walter Q. Gresham April 3, 1883 Arthur
Frank Hatton October 14, 1884 Arthur
William F. Vilas March 6, 1885 Cleveland
Don M. Dickinson January 6, 1888 Cleveland
John Wanamaker March 5, 1889 B. Harrison
Wilson S. Bissell March 6, 1893 Cleveland
William L. Wilson March 1, 1895 Cleveland
James A. Gary March 5, 1897 McKinley
Charles Emory Smith April 21, 1898 McKinley, T. Roosevelt
Henry C. Payne January 9, 1902 T. Roosevelt
Robert J. Wynne October 10, 1904 T. Roosevelt
George B. Cortelyou March 6, 1905 T. Roosevelt
George von L. Meyer January 15, 1907 T. Roosevelt
Frank H. Hitchcock March 5, 1909 Taft
Albert S. Burleson March 5, 1913 Wilson
Will H. Hays March 5, 1921 Harding
Hubert Work March 4, 1922 Harding
Harry S. New February 27, 1923 Harding, Coolidge
Walter F. Brown March 5, 1929 Hoover
James A. Farley March 4, 1933 F. Roosevelt
Frank C. Walker September 10, 1940 F. Roosevelt, Truman
Robert E. Hannegan May 8, 1945 Truman
Jesse M. Donaldson December 16, 1947 Truman
Arthur E. Summerfield January 21, 1953 Eisenhower
J. Edward Day January 21, 1961 Kennedy
John A. Gronouski September 30, 1963 Kennedy, L. Johnson
Lawrence F. O'Brien November 3, 1965 L. Johnson
W. Marvin Watson April 26, 1968 L. Johnson
Winton W. Blount January 22, 1969 Nixon[1](July 1, 1971)
E. T. Klassen January 1, 1972 [1]
Benjamin F. Bailar February 16, 1975 [1]
William F. Bolger March 15, 1978 [1]
Paul N. Carlin January 1, 1985 [1]
Albert V. Casey January 7, 1986 [1]
Preston R. Tisch August 16, 1986 [1]
Anthony M. Frank March 1, 1988 [1]
Marvin T. Runyon July 6, 1992 [1]
William J. Henderson May 16, 1998 [1]
John E. Potter June 1, 2001 [1]

[1] Since July 1, 1971, the Postmaster General has been appointed by and serves under the Governors of the United States Postal Service.