Lewis Deschler (March 3, 1905 – July 12, 1976) was the first, and longest-serving, Parliamentarian of the United States House of Representatives . He started his term on January 1, 1928,[ 1] during the 70th United States Congress following the retirement of Lehr Fess . Prior to the 70th Congress, the Parliamentarian position was referred to as the Clerk at the Speaker's Table.[ 1]
Deschler served as the Parliamentarian from 1928 until his retirement on June 30, 1974, during the 93rd United States Congress .[ 1] He was an important advisor to many congressmen during his employment, including advising House Speaker Carl Albert on the tax fraud investigation of Vice President Spiro Agnew [ 2] and the impeachment of President Richard Nixon . His tenure spanned 24 Congresses and over 46 years. Deschler was the first officer to become personally influential in his own right.[ 3] South Carolina Representative L. Mendel Rivers – a powerful figure in his own right who served for nearly 30 years, including as the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee during the Vietnam War – referred to Deschler as, "...the image of Congress."[ 3]
Deschler was born in Chillicothe, Ohio . He went to Miami University and George Washington University . On July 12, 1976, Deschler died at the age of 71 while receiving treatment at Bethesda Naval Hospital after a series of strokes.[ 4] During his retirement he resided in Bethesda, Maryland . He is buried at Grandview Cemetery in Chillicothe, Ohio, where his gravestone is shaped like the Washington Monument and prominently highlights his service as Parliamentarian.
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