There have been 101 Speaker-terms in the House of Representatives since 1820. Six Speakers served two separate terms each, making 95 individuals who have held that office through 2013.
During that time 93 terms were of one year of less; two terms were two years or less; three were three years, one was five years, and one (John Martin) lasted nineteen years. Until 1967, no one served longer than three years in a term. “Term-limits” has not affected the long-term tradition of one-term Speakers.
During most of the nineteenth century the ten-term average age of Speakers beginning their terms was usually less than forty years. Since then the ten-term average has been above forty. (See also Presidents of the Senate)
Length of Speakers Terms 1820-2012
Age of Speakers 1820-2012
| Term(s) | Name | Residence | Party | Age at election |
Term Years |
| 1820-1823 | Benjamin Ames | Bath | D-R | 41 | 1 |
| 1824-1825 | Benjamin Greene | South Berwick | N-R | 60 | 1 |
| 1825-1828 | John Ruggles | Thomaston | D-R1 | 36 | 3 |
| 1829-1830 | George Evans | Gardiner | N-R | 31 | 1 |
| 1830-1831 | Daniel Goodenow | York | N-R | 36 | 1 |
| 1831-1832 | John Ruggles (resigned) | Thomaston | D-R1 | 42 | 1 |
| 1832-1833 | Benjamin White | Monmouth | D | 40 | 1 |
| 1833-1834 | Nathan Clifford | Newfield | D | 29 | 1 |
| 1835-1835 | Thomas Davee5 | Blanchard | D | 37 | 0 |
| 1835-1836 | Jonathan Cilley | Thomaston | D2 | 32 | 2 |
| 1837-1838 | Hannibal Hamlin | Hampden | D | 27 | 1 |
| 1838-1839 | Elisha H. Allen | Bangor | Whig | 33 | 1 |
| 1839-1840 | Hannibal Hamlin | Hampden | D | 33 | 1 |
| 1841-1842 | Josiah S. Little | Portland | Whig3 | 39 | 1 |
| 1842-1843 | Charles Andrews | Turner | D | 27 | 1 |
| 1843-1844 | David Dunn | Poland | D | 31 | 1 |
| 1845-1846 | Moses MacDonald | Limerick | D | 30 | 1 |
| 1846-1847 | Ebenezer Knowlton | Montville | D4 | 30 | 1 |
| 1847-1848 | Hugh D. McLellan | Gorham | D | 41 | 1 |
| 1849-1850 | Samuel Belcher | Farmington | D | 34 | 1 |
| 1851-1852 | George P. Sewall | Old Town | D | 40 | 1 |
| 1853-1854 | John C. Talbot, Jr. | Lubec | D | 36 | 1 |
| 1854-1855 | Noah Smith, Jr. | Calais | Whig | 54 | 1 |
| 1855-1856 | Sidney Perham | Woodstock | R | 35 | 1 |
| 1856-1857 | Josiah S. Little | Portland | D3 | 1 | 1 |
| 1857- 1858 | Charles A. Spofford | Deer Isle | D | 34 | 1 |
| 1858-1859 | Josiah H. Drummond | Waterville | R | 30 | 1 |
| 1859-1860 | William T. Johnson | Augusta | R | 43 | 1 |
| 1860-1861 | Frederick A. Pike | Calais | R | 42 | 1 |
| 1861-1862 | James G. Blaine | Augusta | R | 31 | 1 |
| 1863-1864 | Nelson Dingley, Jr. | Auburn | R | 30 | 1 |
| 1865-1866 | W. A. P. Dillingham | Waterville | R | 40 | 1 |
| 1866-1867 | James M. Stone | Kennebunk | R | 39 | 1 |
| 1867-1868 | Lewis Barker | Stetson | R | 48 | 1 |
| 1868-1869 | Theodore C. Woodman | Bucksport | R | 52 | 1 |
| 1869-1870 | Josiah Drummond | Waterville | R | 41 | 1 |
| 1870-1871 | Reuben Foster | Waterville | R | 36 | 1 |
| 1871-1872 | Edwin B. Smith | Saco | R | 38 | 1 |
| 1872-1873 | Frederick Robie | Gorham | R | 49 | 1 |
| 1873-1874 | Edmund F. Webb | Waterville | R | 37 | 3 |
| 1874-1875 | William W. Thomas, Jr. | Portland | R | 34 | 1 |
| 1876-1877 | Frederick Robie | Gorham | R | 53 | 1 |
| 1877-1878 | Edward B. Nealley | Bangor | R | 39 | 1 |
| 1878-1879 | Henry Lord | Bangor | R | 30 | 1 |
| 1879-1880 | Melvin P. Frank | Portland | D | 37 | 1 |
| 1880-1881 | George E. Weeks | Augusta | R | 41 | 1 |
| 1881-1882 | Liberty A. Hutchinson | Lewiston | R | 36 | 1 |
| 1883-1884 | J. Manchester Haynes | Augusta | R | 43 | 1 |
| 1885-1886 | Charles Hamlin | Bangor | R | 47 | 1 |
| 1887-1888 | Charles E. Littlefield | Rockland | R | 35 | 1 |
| 1889-1890 | Frederick N. Dow | Portland | R | 48 | 1 |
| 1891-1892 | Andrew P. Wiswell | Ellsworth | R | 38 | 1 |
| 1893-1894 | Albert R. Savage | Auburn | R | 45 | 1 |
| 1895-1896 | Llewellyn Powers | Houlton | R | 58 | 1 |
| 1897-1898 | Seth L. Larrabee | Portland | R | 41 | 1 |
| 1899-1900 | Isaiah K. Stetson | Bangor | R | 40 | 1 |
| 1901-1902 | Joseph H. Manley | Augusta | R | 58 | 1 |
| 1903-1904 | Oscar F. Fellows | Bucksport | R | 45 | 1 |
| 1905-1906 | Morrill N. Drew | Portland | R | 42 | 1 |
| 1907-1908 | Donald A. H. Powers | Houlton | R | 56 | 1 |
| 1909-1910 | George G. Weeks | Fairfield | R | 48 | 1 |
| 1911-1912 | Frank A. Morey | Lewiston | D | 47 | 1 |
| 1913-1914 | John A. Peters | Ellsworth | R | 48 | 1 |
| 1915-1916 | Herbert W. Trafton | Ft. Fairfield | D | 50 | 1 |
| 1917-1918 | William L. Bonney | Bowdoinham | R | 50 | 1 |
| 1919-1920 | Frank G. Farrington | Augusta | R | 46 | 1 |
| 1921-1922 | Charles P. Barnes | Houlton | R | 51 | 1 |
| 1923-1924 | Frank H. Holley | Anson | R | 42 | 1 |
| 1925-1926 | William Tudor Gardiner | Gardiner | R | 32 | 1 |
| 1927-1928 | Burleigh Martin | Augusta | R | 38 | 1 |
| 1929-1930 | Robert Hale | Portland | R | 39 | 1 |
| 1931-1932 | E. D. Merrill | Dover-Foxcroft | R | 65 | 1 |
| 1933-1934 | Franz U. Burkett | Portland | R | 45 | 1 |
| 1935-1936 | Nathaniel Tompkins | Houlton | R | 55 | 1 |
| 1937-1938 | George E. Hill | South Portland | R | 33 | 1 |
| 1939-1940 | D. W. Philbrick | Cape Elizabeth | R | 42 | 1 |
| 1941-1942 | George D. Varney | Berwick | R | 37 | 1 |
| 1943-1944 | F. Ardine Richardson | Strong | R | 47 | 1 |
| 1945-1946 | George B. Barnes | Houlton | R | 40 | 1 |
| 1947-1948 | John F. Ward | Millinocket | R | 42 | 1 |
| 1949-1950 | Nathaniel M. Haskell | Portland | R | 36 | 1 |
| 1951-1952 | William S. Silsby | Aurora | R | 48 | 1 |
| 1953-1954 | Roswell P. Bates | Orono | R | 41 | 1 |
| 1955-1956 | Willis A. Trafton, Jr. | Auburn | R | 36 | 1 |
| 1957-1960 | Joseph T. Edgar | Bar Harbor | R | 46 | 3 |
| 1961-1962 | Vinal G. Good | Sebago | R | 54 | 1 |
| 1963-1964 | David J. Kennedy | Milbridge | R | 55 | 1 |
| 1965-1966 | Dana Childs | Portland | D | 42 | 1 |
| 1967-1972 | David J. Kennedy | Milbridge | R | 55 | 5 |
| 1973-1974 | Richard D. Hewes | Cape Elizabeth | R | 46 | 1 |
| 1975-1994 | John L. Martin6 | Eagle Lake | D | 33 | 19 |
| 1994-1996 | Dan A. Gwadosky7 | Fairfield | D | 39 | 2 |
| 1997-1998 | Elizabeth H. Mitchell | Vassalboro | D | 56 | 1 |
| 1999-2000 | G. Steven Rowe | Portland | D | 45 | 1 |
| 2001-2002 | Michael V. Saxl | Portland | D | 33 | 1 |
| 2003-2004 | Patrick Colwell | Gardiner | D | 51 | 1 |
| 2005-2006 | John Richardson | Brunswick | D | 48 | 1 |
| 2007-2008 | Glenn Cummings | Portland | D | 45 | 1 |
| 2009-2010 | Hannah M. Pingree | North Haven | D | 32 | 1 |
| 2011-2012 | Robert Nutting | Oakland | R | 63 | 1 |
| 2013- | Mark Eves | North Berwick | D | 35 |
1So listed in Mundy. Who Was Who in America states Mr. Ruggles was elected to the U.S. Senate as a Democrat; the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress indicates he was elected as a Jacksonian.
2So listed in Mundy and the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Shown on original Library list as Jackson Democrat.
3Mundy indicates that Mr. Little became a Democrat in the 1850’s on the breakup of the Whig party.
4So listed in Mundy, who also indicates that Mr. Knowlton was converted to Republicanism by the slavery question. The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress states that he was elected to Congress as a Republican.
5 (Resigned February 26, 1835)
6 (Resigned as Speaker February 3, 1994)
7 (Elected Speaker February 3, 1994)
Party affiliations: D-R = Democratic-Republican; N-R = National Republican; D = Democrat; R = Republican
Sources:
House and Senate Register. Maine State Legislature.
Mundy, James H. Speakers of the Maine House of Representatives from 1820. Augusta: Clerk of the House, c1981.
Speakers of the Maine House of Representatives.http://www.maine.gov/legis/lawlib/speak.htm (accessed January 2, 2013)