76th United States Congress
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The Seventy-sixth 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 January 3, 1939 to January 3, 1941, during the seventh and eighth years of Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the Fifteenth Census of the United States in 1930. Both chambers had a Democratic majority. It is the most recent Congress to have held a third session.
Chaplain of the United States Senate ZeBarney Thorne Phillips delivering prayer to open the session
Major events
President Roosevelt signing the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, September 16, 1940.
- 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: Albert Einstein 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 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.
- 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: Democrat 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, 311 U.S. 32 (1940), 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 8 U.S.C. § 1402.
- 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
- April 3, 1939: Reorganization Act of 1939, Pub.L. 76–19, 53 Stat. 561
- August 2, 1939: Hatch Act of 1939 ("Hatch Political Activity Act", "An Act to Prevent Pernicious Political Activities"), ch. 410, 53 Stat. 1147
- November 4, 1939: Neutrality Act of 1939, ("Cash and Carry Act"), ch. 2, 54 Stat. 4
- June 29, 1940: Alien Registration Act (Smith Act), 3d sess. ch. 439, 54 Stat. 670
- August 22, 1940: Act of August 22, 1940, ch. 686, Pub.L. 76–768, 54 Stat. 789 (including Investment Company Act of 1940, Investment Advisers Act of 1940)
- September 16, 1940: Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, Pub.L. 76–783
Party summary
Senate
| Party (shading shows control) |
Total | Vacant | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (D) |
Farmer-Labor (FL) | Progressive (P) | Republican (R) | Independent (I) | |||
| End of the previous congress | 74 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 96 | 0 |
| Begin | 69 | 2 | 1 | 23 | 1 | 96 | 0 |
| End | 68 | 1 | 25 | ||||
| Final voting share | 70.8% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 26.0% | 1.0% | ||
| Beginning of the next congress | 66 | 2 | 1 | 26 | 1 | 96 | 0 |
House of Representatives
| Party (shading shows control) |
Total | Vacant | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (D) |
Farmer-Labor (FL) | American Labor (AL) | Wisconsin Progressive (P) | Republican (R) | |||
| End of the previous congress | 334 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 88 | 435 | 0 |
| Begin | 256 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 173 | 434 | 1 |
| End | 252 | 172 | 429 | 6 | |||
| Final voting share | 58.7% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.7% | 40.1% | ||
| Beginning of the next congress | 268 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 162 | 435 | 0 |
Leadership
Senate
Majority (Democratic) leadership
Minority (Republican) leadership
House
- Speaker: William B. Bankhead, until September 15, 1940 (died)
- Sam Rayburn, from September 16, 1940
Majority (Democratic) leadership
- Majority Leader: Sam Rayburn, until September 16, 1940
- John W. McCormack, from September 16, 1940
Minority (Republican) leadership
Members
Senate
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.
House of Representatives
The names of members are preceded by their district numbers.
Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of this Congress.
Senate
| State (class) |
Vacator | Reason for change | Successor | Date of successor's formal installation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois (2) |
J. Hamilton Lewis (D) | Died April 9, 1939. Successor appointed April 14, 1939 to continue the term. |
James M. Slattery (D) | April 14, 1939 |
| Kentucky (2) |
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. |
Happy Chandler (D) | October 10, 1939 |
| Idaho (2) |
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. |
John W. Thomas (R) | January 27, 1940 |
| Vermont (3) |
Ernest W. Gibson (R) | Died June 20, 1940. Successor appointed October 14, 1940 to continue the term. |
Ernest W. Gibson, Jr. (R) | October 14, 1940 |
| Minnesota (2) |
Ernest Lundeen (FL) | Died August 31, 1940. Successor appointed October 14, 1940 to continue the term. Successor lost election to finish the term. |
Joseph H. Ball (R) | October 14, 1940 |
| Nevada (1) |
Key Pittman (D) | Died November 10, 1940. Successor appointed November 27, 1940 to continue the term. Successor lost nomination to finish the term. |
Berkeley L. Bunker (D) | November 27, 1940 |
| Illinois (2) |
James M. Slattery (D) | Interim appointee lost election November 21, 1940 to finish the term. | Charles W. Brooks (R) | November 22, 1940 |
| Washington (1) |
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. |
Monrad Wallgren (D) | December 19, 1940 |
House of Representatives
| District | Vacator | Reason for change | Successor | Date successor seated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland 5th | Vacant | Rep. Stephen W. Gambrill died in previous Congress | Lansdale Sasscer (D) | January 12, 1943 |
| Arkansas 4th | William B. Cravens (D) | Died January 13, 1939 | William F. Cravens (D) | September 12, 1939 |
| Pennsylvania 4th | J. Burrwood Daly (D) | Died March 12, 1939 | John E. Sheridan (D) | November 7, 1939 |
| Tennessee 6th | Clarence W. Turner (D) | Died March 23, 1939 | W. Wirt Courtney (D) | May 11, 1939 |
| Maryland 1st | Thomas A. Goldsborough (D) | Resigned April 5, 1939 after being appointed associate justice of the District Court of the United States for the District of Columbia | David J. Ward (D) | June 8, 1939 |
| New York 34th | Bert Lord (R) | Died May 24, 1939 | Edwin A. Hall (R) | November 7, 1939 |
| Georgia 4th | Emmett M. Owen (D) | Died June 21, 1939 | A. Sidney Camp (D) | August 1, 1939 |
| Wisconsin 3rd | Harry W. Griswold (R) | Died July 4, 1939 | Vacant until the next Congress | |
| Tennessee 3rd | Sam D. McReynolds (D) | Died July 11, 1939 | Estes Kefauver (D) | September 13, 1939 |
| California 18th | Thomas M. Eaton (R) | Died September 16, 1939 | Vacant until the next Congress | |
| South Carolina 1st | Thomas S. McMillan (D) | Died September 29, 1939 | Clara G. McMillan (D) | November 7, 1939 |
| Ohio 22nd | Chester C. Bolton (R) | Died October 29, 1939 | Frances P. Bolton (R) | February 27, 1940 |
| Tennessee 2nd | J. Will Taylor (R) | Died November 14, 1939 | John Jennings, Jr. (R) | December 30, 1939 |
| Puerto Rico At-large | Santiago Iglesias (Coalitionist) | Died December 5, 1939 | Bolívar Pagán (Socialist) | December 26, 1939 |
| Colorado 3rd | John A. Martin (D) | Died December 23, 1939 | William E. Burney (D) | November 5, 1940 |
| Michigan 5th | Carl E. Mapes (R) | Died December 12, 1939 | Bartel J. Jonkman (R) | February 19, 1940 |
| New York 14th | William I. Sirovich (D) | Died December 17, 1939 | Morris M. Edelstein (D) | February 6, 1940 |
| Ohio 17th | William A. Ashbrook (D) | Died January 1, 1940 | J. Harry McGregor (R) | February 27, 1940 |
| Nebraska 1st | George H. Heinke (R) | Died January 2, 1940 | John H. Sweet (R) | April 19, 1940 |
| Tennessee 9th | Clift Chandler (D) | Resigned January 2, 1940 after being elected Mayor of Memphis | Clifford Davis (D) | February 15, 1940 |
| New York 31st | Wallace E. Pierce (R) | Died January 3, 1940 | Clarence E. Kilburn (R) | February 13, 1940 |
| New York 22nd | Edward W. Curley (D) | Died January 6, 1940 | Walter A. Lynch (D) | February 20, 1940 |
| Iowa 6th | Cassius C. Dowell (R) | Died February 4, 1940 | Robert K. Goodwin (R) | March 5, 1940 |
| Maine 2nd | Clyde Smith (R) | Died April 8, 1940 | Margaret Chase Smith (R) | June 3, 1940 |
| Georgia 8th | W. Benjamin Gibbs (D) | Died August 7, 1940 | Florence Reville Gibbs (D) | October 1, 1940 |
| New Jersey 8th | George N. Seger (R) | Died August 26, 1940 | Vacant until the next Congress | |
| Alabama 7th | William B. Bankhead (D) | Died September 15, 1940 | Zadoc L. Weatherford (D) | November 5, 1940 |
| North Carolina 1st | Lindsay C. Warren (D) | Resigned October 31, 1940 after being appointed Comptroller General of the United States | Herbert C. Bonner (D) | November 5, 1940 |
| Texas 18th | John Marvin Jones (D) | Resigned November 20, 1940 to become judge of the United States Court of Claims | Vacant until the next Congress | |
| Louisiana 2nd | Paul H. Maloney (D) | Resigned December 15, 1940 to become Collector of Internal Revenue for New Orleans District | Vacant until the next Congress | |
| Washington 2nd | Monrad Wallgren (D) | Resigned December 19, 1940 after being elected to the US Senate | Vacant until the next Congress | |
| Missouri 11th | Thomas C. Hennings, Jr. (D) | Resigned December 31, 1940 to become candidate for Circuit Attorney of St. Louis | Vacant until the next Congress | |
Committees
Lists of committees and their party leaders.
Senate
- Agriculture and Forestry
- Aquatic Life (Special)
- Appropriations
- Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate
- Banking and Currency
- Campaign Expenditures Investigation (Special)
- Civil Service
- Civil Service Laws (Special)
- Civil Service System (Special)
- Claims
- Commerce
- Court Reorganization and Judicial Procedure (Special)
- District of Columbia
- Education and Labor
- Investigation Violations of Free Speech and the Rights of Labor
- Enrolled Bills
- Expenditures in Executive Departments
- Finance
- Foreign Relations
- Government Organization (Select)
- Immigration
- Immigration and Naturalization
- Indian Affairs
- Interoceanic Canals
- Interstate Commerce
- Judiciary
- Library
- Manufactures
- Military Affairs
- Mines and Mining
- Naval Affairs
- Patents
- Pensions
- Post Office and Post Roads
- Printing
- Privileges and Elections
- Public Buildings and Grounds
- Public Lands and Surveys
- Rules
- Senatorial Campaign Expenditures (Special)
- Small Business Enterprises (Special)
- Taxation of Government Securities and Salaries (Special)
- Territories and Insular Affairs
- Unemployment and Relief (Select)
- Whole
- Wildlife Resources (Special)
- Wool Production (Special)
House of Representatives
- Accounts
- Agriculture
- Anthracite Emergency Program (Special)
- Appropriations
- Banking and Currency
- Census
- Civil Service
- 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 Executive Departments
- Flood Control
- Foreign Affairs
- Immigration and Naturalization
- Indian Affairs
- Insular Affairs
- Interstate and Foreign Commerce
- Invalid Pensions
- Irrigation and Reclamation
- Labor
- Memorials
- Merchant Marine and Fisheries
- Military Affairs
- Mines and Mining
- Naval Affairs
- Patents
- Pensions
- Post Office and Post Roads
- Public Buildings and Grounds
- Public Lands
- Revision of Laws
- Rivers and Harbors
- Roads
- Rules
- Standards of Official Conduct
- Territories
- War Claims
- Ways and Means
- Whole
Joint committees
- Conditions of Indian Tribes (Special)
- Disposition of (Useless) Executive Papers
- Eradication of the Meditteranean Fruit Fly
- Forestry
- The Library
- To Investigate Phosphate Resource of the United States
- Taxation
- Tennessee Valley Authority
Employees
- 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, starting November 1, 1940
- Librarian of Congress: Herbert Putnam (until 1939), Archibald MacLeish (starting 1939)
- Public Printer of the United States: Augustus E. Giegengack
Senate
- Chaplain: ZeBarney Thorne Phillips (Episcopal)
- Curator: [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
- Historian: [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
- Parliamentarian: Charles Watkins
- Secretary for the Majority: [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
- Secretary for the Minority: [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
- Secretary: Edwin A. Halsey
- Sergeant at Arms: Chesley W. Jurney
House of Representatives
- Chaplain: James Shera Montgomery (Methodist)
- Clerk: South Trimble
- Historian: [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
- Parliamentarian: Lewis Deschler
- Postmaster: Finis E. Scott
- Reading Clerks: [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
- Sergeant at Arms: Kenneth Romney
See also
- United States elections, 1938 (elections leading to this Congress)
- United States elections, 1940 (elections during this Congress, leading to the next Congress)
References
- House of Representatives Session Calendar for the 76th Congress (PDF).
- Official Congressional Directory for the 76th Congress, 1st Session.
- Official Congressional Directory for the 76th Congress, 1st Session (Revision).
- Official Congressional Directory for the 76th Congress, 3rd Session.
- Official Congressional Directory for the 76th Congress, 3rd Session (Revision).
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