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OFFICE OF THE SPEAKERThe speakership of the House is the oldest elected statewide public office in Pennsylvania. Matthew J. Ryan, of Delaware County, who has served in the House since 1963, was elected Speaker by his colleagues in 1981, 1995 and 1997.
"The toughest thing about
being Speaker The Speaker is elected on the first day of a new session. The House must have a Speaker to be a constituted body, and it cannot hold an official session without the Speaker, or the Speaker may appoint a Member to serve as Speaker pro tempore in the absence of the Speaker. This tradition began in 1376 when members of the English House of Commons named a Speaker from their ranks. The term "Speaker" literally means the individual who speaks for the people and for the House and is beholden to no executive authority.
MACE The history of the mace goes back to early Roman times. It consisted of a bundle of birch or elm rods bound together by a red thong with an ax blade protruding from the top of the bundle. Officers carried it in advance of magistrates and emperors to show authority. In medieval times, the mace became an offensive weapon made of iron or steel. It could break through the strongest armor. Purely ceremonial maces were first used in the 12th century during the reigns of Philip II of France and Richard I of England as symbols of dignity. Later, they became the symbol of England's House of Commons from which a similar usage developed in America. They were carried by a royal bodyguard called a Sergeant-at-Arms. Today's ceremonial maces are used by legislative assemblies as a symbol of authority, reminding the members of the power of the assembly to preserve order and dignity. The mace used by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is 46 inches long and is made of solid mahogany topped by a polished brass sphere engraved on each side with the coat of arms of the Commonwealth. An American Eagle stands on top of the sphere. In the House the mace is carried by the Mace Bearer escorting the Speaker into the chamber to open each session day. It then remains in a pedestal to the right of the Speaker's desk until recess or adjournment. In addition to preserving peace and order, the mace demonstrates the Legislature's respect for its own heritage and law. It symbolizes the guarantee that those who govern are also governed. Former Speakers of the House
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The Speaker is the only office in the House required by the Pennsylvania
Constitution and carries with it important duties; but the Speaker has only one
vote, no more than the newest member. The Speaker convenes and recesses
sessions, appoints committee chairs, assigns bills to committees, and signs all
passed bills and joint resolutions. The Speaker serves all the members and must
uphold the orderly conduct of House business, and protect the parliamentary
rights of every elected Representative.
The Speaker's Chair was designed in 1906 by the Capitol architect Joseph Huston.
It is carved wood with gold-leaf ornaments and a gold-tooled leather seat and
back. The "throne" chair was made of pollard Oak and originally was
covered in Spanish leather upholstery tooled in ornate patterns. A single
anthemion - a flat decoration of floral or leaf forms used in relief sculpture -
crowns on the chair.
