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The Clerk is an officer in the U.S. House of Representatives and the chief legislative official. As the chief legislative official means that the Clerk is in charge of supervising important administrative business of the House of Representatives. For example, the Clerk keeps track of all the votes taken on the House Floor, which are called roll call votes. The Clerk also organizes the House at the beginning of each new Congress, oversees the operation of the House Floor, and maintains its official records.
The Clerk serves a two-year term and is elected along with other House Officers at the beginning of each new Congress, as outlined in the Constitution, Article I, Section 2;
"The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers..."
On April 1, 1789, John Beckley from Virginia was elected the first Clerk, after the election of the House Speaker. At that time, there were only nine states in the Union!
The Clerk's title and duties originated in the British House of Commons. Australia, Canada, Jamaica, and Nigeria also have Clerks to maintain records and oversee legislative activities in their Houses of Representatives. There may even be a Clerk in your own state legislature!
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