The Public Printer of the United States was the head of the

United States Government Publishing Office The United States Government Publishing Office (USGPO or GPO; formerly the United States Government Printing Office) is an agency of the legislative branch of the United States Federal government. The office produces and distributes information ...

(GPO). Pursuant to , this officer was nominated by the

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

and approved by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

. In December 2014, Congress passed and President Obama signed into law H.R. 83, which consolidated and continued appropriations for FY 2015. Section 1301 of that act changed the name of the Government Printing Office to the Government Publishing Office and the title of Public Printer to Director. Thus, Davita Vance-Cooks was the last Public Printer of the United States and the first

Director of the U.S. Government Publishing Office Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''Di ...

. The Public Printer was responsible for the administration of the GPO. The GPO, a legislative agency of the government, provided electronic access to and produced most printed matter for government, including the

Congressional Record The ''Congressional Record'' is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress, published by the United States Government Publishing Office and issued when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record Inde ...

, Supreme Court decisions, passports, tax forms, internal government documents, and agency publications. The GPO did not print money, as that is a duty of the

Bureau of Engraving and Printing The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is a government agency within the United States Department of the Treasury that designs and produces a variety of security products for the United States government, most notable of which is Federal Rese ...

History

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...

served as Public Printer for several of the American colonies prior to the establishment of the United States. The House and Senate had separate printers until 1861, when the GPO was established; its first superintendent was

John D. Defrees John Dougherty Defrees (1810–1882) was an American newspaperman and politician. Political career Born in Sparta, Tennessee, Defrees moved to Ohio and worked in the law office of Thomas Corwin, who would later serve as Governor of Ohio ...

. The first man with the title Public Printer of the United States was

Almon M. Clapp Almon Mason Clapp (September 14, 1811 – April 9, 1899) was an American printer and politician, and the first person to hold the title Public Printer of the United States, from 1876 to 1877. Biography Clapp was born in Killingly, Connecticut ...

List of Superintendents

(1861–1866) # Cornelius Wendell (1866-1867) #

(1867–1869) #

(1869–1876)

List of Public Printers

(1876–1877) #

(1877–1882) # Sterling P. Rounds (1882–1886) # Thomas E. Benedict (1886–1889) # Francis W. Palmer (1889–1894) # Thomas E. Benedict (1894–1897) # Francis W. Palmer (1897–1905) # Charles A. Stillings (1905–1908) # John S. Leech (1908) # Samuel B. Donnelly (1908–1913) # Cornelius Ford (1913–1921) # George H. Carter (1921–1934) #

Augustus E. Giegengack Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Principate ...

(1934–1948) # John J. Deviny (1948–1953) # Raymond Blattenberger (1953–1961) #

James L. Harrison James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguati ...

(1961–1970) # Adolphus N. Spence (1970–1972) # Thomas F. McCormick (1973–1977) # John J. Boyle (1977–1980) # Danford L. Sawyer, Jr. (1981–1984) # Ralph E. Kennickell, Jr. (1984–1988) #

Robert Houk The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

(1990–1993) #

Michael F. DiMario Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...

(1993–2002) # Bruce James (2002–2006) #

Robert C. Tapella Robert Charles "Bob" Tapella was the 25th Public Printer of the United States, the head of the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), which produces and distributes information products for all branches of the U.S. Government. Biography He was ...

(2007–2010) #

William J. Boarman William Joseph Boarman (June 30, 1946 – August 22, 2021) was an American printer who served as the 26th Public Printer of the United States. Boarman was a labor union leader and government consultant, and served as senior vice-president of the ...

(2011–2012) # Davita E. Vance-Cooks (2012–2014)

List of Directors

# Davita E. Vance-Cooks (2014–2017) # Hugh Nathanial Halpern (2019–present)

References

External links

Government Printing Office
{{authority control Employees of the United States Congress Printing in the United States Government occupations United States Government Publishing Office