Republican National Committee - Definition and Overview

The Republican National Committee (RNC) of the United States provides national leadership for the United States Republican Party. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is also responsible for the Republican National Convention.

There are similar committees in every U.S. state and most U.S. counties, though in some states, party organization within states is organized by Congressional districts. There is also a separate College Republican National Committee.

The chairman of the RNC is currently Ken Mehlman. He replaced Ed Gillespie, who served from July 2003 to January 2005.

Its counterpart for the Democrats is the Democratic National Committee.

Past Chairmen of the Republican National Committee

• Edwin D. Morgan 1856-1864
• Marcus L. Ward 1866-1868
• William Claflin 1868-1872
• Edwin D. Morgan 1872-1876
• Zachariah Chandler 1876-1879
• J. Donald Cameron 1879-1880
• Marshall Jewell 1880-1883
• Dwight M. Sabin 1883-1884
• B. F. Jones 1887-1888
• Matthew S. Quay 1888-1889
• Thomas H. Carter 1892-1896
• Marcus A. Hanna 1896-1904
• Henry Clay Payne 1904
• George Bruce Cortelyou 1904-1907
• Harry S. New 1907-1908
• Frank Harris Hitchcock 1908-1909
• John F. Hill 1910-1912
• Victor Rosewater 1912
• Charles D. Hilles 1912-1916
• Will H. Hays 1918-1921
• John T. Adams 1921-1924
• William M. Butler 1925
• Hubert Work 1928-1929
• Simeon D. Fess 1931
• Everett Sanders 1932-1934
• Henry P. Fletcher 1934-1936
• John Hamilton 1936-1937
• Joseph W. Martin, Jr. 1940-1942
• Bailey Walsh 1942?
• Harrison E. Spangler 1942-1944
• Herbert Brownell, Jr. 1944–1946
• Carroll Reece 1946–1948
• Hugh D. Scott, Jr. 1948–1949
• Guy G. Gabrielson 1949–1952
• Arthur E. Summerfield 1952–1953
• Wesley Roberts 1953
• Leonard W. Hall 1953–1957
• Meade Alcorn 1957–1959
• Thruston B. Morton 1959–1961
• William E. Miller 1961–1964
• Dean Burch 1964–1965
• Ray C. Bliss 1965–1969
• Rogers C. B. Morton 1969–1971
• Robert Dole 1971–1973
• George H. Bush 1973–1974
• Mary Louise Smith 1974–1977
• William E. Brock III 1977–1981
• Richard Richards 1981–1983
• Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr. 1983–1989
• Lee Atwater 1989–1991
• Clayton Keith Yeutter 1991–1992
• Richard Bond 1992–1993
• Haley Barbour 1993–1997
• Jim Nicholson 1997–2001
• Jim Gilmore 2001–2002
• Marc Racicot 2002–2003
• Ed Gillespie 2003–2005
• Ken Mehlman elected 1-19-2005

External links

• Official RNC website (http://www.rnc.org/)
• College Republican National Committee website (http://www.crnc.org/)