59th United States Congress
The 59th 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, D.C. from March 4, 1905, to March 4, 1907, during the fifth and sixth years of Theodore Roosevelt's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1900 United States census. Both chambers had a Republican majority.
Major events
- March 4, 1905: President Theodore Roosevelt began his second term.
Major legislation
- May 28, 1906: Foreign Dredge Act of 1906
- June 8, 1906: Antiquities Act
- June 29, 1906: Hepburn Act
- June 30, 1906: Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, ch. 3915,
- June 30, 1906: Meat Inspection Act
- 1906: The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching chartered.
- March 2, 1907: Expatriation Act of 1907,
Party summary
Senate
House of Representatives
Leaders
Senate leadership
Presiding
- President: Charles W. Fairbanks
- President pro tempore: William P. Frye
- Republican Conference Chairman: William B. Allison
- Democratic Caucus Chair: Arthur Pue Gorman, until June 4, 1906
- * Joseph Clay Stiles Blackburn, afterwards
- Democratic Caucus Secretary: Edward W. Carmack
House leadership
Presiding
- Speaker: Joseph G. Cannon
Majority (Republican) leadership
- Majority Leader: Sereno E. Payne
- Majority Whip: James E. Watson
- Republican Conference Chair: William Peters Hepburn
Minority (Democratic) leadership
- Minority Leader: John Sharp Williams
- Minority Whip: James T. Lloyd
- Democratic Caucus Chairman: Robert Lee Henry
- Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: James M. Griggs
Members
Senate
At this time, senators were elected by the state legislatures 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, In this Congress, Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, requiring reelection in 1906; Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, requiring reelection in 1908; and Class 1 meant their term began in this Congress, requiring reelection in 1910.[List of [United States senators from Alabama|Alabama]]
Arkansas">List of United States senators from Arkansas">Arkansas
California">List of United States senators from California">California
Colorado">List of United States senators from Colorado">Colorado
Connecticut">List of United States senators from Connecticut">Connecticut
Delaware">List of United States senators from Delaware">Delaware
Florida">List of United States senators from Florida">Florida
Georgia">List of United States senators from Georgia">Georgia
Idaho">List of United States senators from Idaho">Idaho
Illinois">List of United States senators from Illinois">Illinois
Indiana">List of United States senators from Indiana">Indiana
Iowa">List of United States senators from Iowa">Iowa
Kansas">List of United States senators from Kansas">Kansas
Kentucky">List of United States senators from Kentucky">Kentucky
Louisiana">List of United States senators from Louisiana">Louisiana
Maine">List of United States senators from Maine">Maine
Maryland">List of United States senators from Maryland">Maryland
Massachusetts">List of United States senators from Massachusetts">Massachusetts
Michigan">List of United States senators from Michigan">Michigan
Minnesota">List of United States senators from Minnesota">Minnesota
Mississippi">List of United States senators from Mississippi">Mississippi
Missouri">List of United States senators from Missouri">Missouri
Montana">List of United States senators from Montana">Montana
Nebraska">List of United States senators from Nebraska">Nebraska
Nevada">List of United States senators from Nevada">Nevada
New Hampshire">List of United States senators from New Hampshire">New Hampshire
New Jersey">List of United States senators from New Jersey">New Jersey
New York">List of United States senators from New York">New York
North Carolina">List of United States senators from North Carolina">North Carolina
North Dakota">List of United States senators from North Dakota">North Dakota
Ohio">List of United States senators from Ohio">Ohio
Oregon">List of United States senators from Oregon">Oregon
Pennsylvania">List of United States senators from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania
Rhode Island">List of United States senators from Rhode Island">Rhode Island
South Carolina">List of United States senators from South Carolina">South Carolina
South Dakota">List of United States senators from South Dakota">South Dakota
Tennessee">List of United States senators from Tennessee">Tennessee
Texas">List of United States senators from Texas">Texas
Utah">List of United States senators from Utah">Utah
Vermont">List of United States senators from Vermont">Vermont
Virginia">List of United States senators from Virginia">Virginia
Washington">List of United States senators from Washington">Washington
West Virginia">List of United States senators from West Virginia">West Virginia
Wisconsin">List of United States senators from Wisconsin">Wisconsin
Wyoming">List of United States senators from Wyoming">Wyoming
House of Representatives
[List of [United States representatives from Alabama|Alabama]]
Arkansas">List of United States representatives from Arkansas">Arkansas
California">List of United States representatives from California">California
Colorado">List of United States representatives from Colorado">Colorado
Connecticut">List of United States representatives from Connecticut">Connecticut
Delaware">List of United States representatives from Delaware">Delaware
Florida">List of United States representatives from Florida">Florida
Georgia">List of United States representatives from Georgia">Georgia
Idaho">List of United States representatives from Idaho">Idaho
Illinois">List of United States representatives from Illinois">Illinois
Indiana">List of United States representatives from Indiana">Indiana
Iowa">List of United States representatives from Iowa">Iowa
Kansas">List of United States representatives from Kansas">Kansas
Kentucky">List of United States representatives from Kentucky">Kentucky
Louisiana">List of United States representatives from Louisiana">Louisiana
Maine">List of United States representatives from Maine">Maine
Maryland">List of United States representatives from Maryland">Maryland
Massachusetts">List of United States representatives from Massachusetts">Massachusetts
Michigan">List of United States representatives from Michigan">Michigan
Minnesota">List of United States representatives from Minnesota">Minnesota
Mississippi">List of United States representatives from Mississippi">Mississippi
Missouri">List of United States representatives from Missouri">Missouri
Montana">List of United States representatives from Montana">Montana
Nebraska">List of United States representatives from Nebraska">Nebraska
Nevada">List of United States representatives from Nevada">Nevada
New Hampshire">List of United States representatives from New Hampshire">New Hampshire
New Jersey">List of United States representatives from New Jersey">New Jersey
New York">List of United States representatives from New York">New York
North Carolina">List of United States representatives from North Carolina">North Carolina
North Dakota">List of United States representatives from North Dakota">North Dakota
Ohio">List of United States representatives from Ohio">Ohio
Oregon">List of United States representatives from Oregon">Oregon
Pennsylvania">List of United States representatives from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania
Rhode Island">List of United States representatives from Rhode Island">Rhode Island
South Carolina">List of United States representatives from South Carolina">South Carolina
South Dakota">List of United States representatives from South Dakota">South Dakota
Tennessee">List of United States representatives from Tennessee">Tennessee
Texas">List of United States representatives from Texas">Texas
Utah">List of United States representatives from Utah">Utah
Vermont">List of United States representatives from Vermont">Vermont
Virginia">List of United States representatives from Virginia">Virginia
Washington">List of United States representatives from Washington">Washington
West Virginia">List of United States representatives from West Virginia">West Virginia
Wisconsin">List of United States representatives from Wisconsin">Wisconsin
Wyoming">List of United States representatives from Wyoming">Wyoming
Non-voting members
Changes in membership
The count below reflects changes from the beginning of the first session of this Congress.Senate
- Replacements: 8
- * Democratic: no net change
- * Republican: no net change
- Deaths: 5
- Resignations: 1
- Vacancies: 2
- Total seats with changes: 9
| State | Vacated by | Reason for vacancy | Subsequent | Date of successor's installation |
| Missouri | Vacant | Legislature had elected late. | William Warner | March 18, 1905 |
| Delaware | Vacant | Legislature had elected late. | Henry A. du Pont | June 13, 1906 |
| Tennessee | William B. Bate | Died March 9, 1905. Successor was elected. | James B. Frazier | March 21, 1905 |
| Connecticut | Orville H. Platt | Died April 21, 1905. Successor was appointed and subsequently elected. | Frank B. Brandegee | May 10, 1905 |
| Oregon | John H. Mitchell | Died December 8, 1905. Successor was appointed. | John M. Gearin | December 13, 1905 |
| Kansas | Joseph R. Burton | Resigned June 4, 1906, due to a conviction of corruption charges. Successor was appointed. | Alfred W. Benson | June 11, 1906 |
| Maryland | Arthur P. Gorman | Died June 4, 1906. Successor was appointed. | William P. Whyte | June 8, 1906 |
| Oregon | John M. Gearin | Successor was elected. | Frederick W. Mulkey | January 23, 1907 |
| Michigan | Russell A. Alger | Died January 24, 1907. Successor was elected. | William A. Smith | February 6, 1907 |
| Kansas | Alfred W. Benson | Successor was elected. | Charles Curtis | January 29, 1907 |