1. History

2. Postmasters General under the Continental Congress

3. Postmasters general over the U.S. Post Office Department, 1789–1971
    As non-Cabinet department, 1789–1829  As cabinet department, 1829–1971 

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

5. Living former Postmasters General

6. ADDRESS

7. See also

8. Notes

9. External links

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.

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{{when|date=July 2017}} 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

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

As non-Cabinet department, 1789–1829

As cabinet department, 1829–1971

Parties

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

ADDRESS

Ms Megan J. Brennan Postmaster General

Email megan.j.brennan@usps.gov

Telephone +1 (202) 268-2608

Postal Address 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, D.C. 20260M

See also

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

Notes

External links

• Official site
• [https://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/listofholdingshtml/finding_aids_s.html Papers of Arthur E. Summerfield, Postmaster General, 1953–1961, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library]

• Valerie Amos
• Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos
• Valerie Anand
• Valerie and her week of wonders
• Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
• Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (film)
• Valerie Ann Amos
• Valerie Ann Amos, Baroness Amos
• Valerie Barlow
• Valerie Bertinelli
• Valerie Brisco-Hooks
• Valerie Brown
• Valerie Buhagiar
• Valerie Chacon
• Valerie Chow
• Valerie Cooper
• Valerie Crunchant
• Valerie Curtin
• Valerie Davey
• Valerie Dionne
• Valerie Dore
• Valerie Eliot
• Valerie Faris
• Valerie Felicity Frizzle
• Valerie F. Frizzle