{{Short description|Head of the US Government Printing Office}} {{Use American English|date=June 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2026}} The '''director of the U.S. Government Publishing Office''', formerly the '''public printer of the United States''', is the head of the United States Government Publishing Office (GPO). Pursuant to {{UnitedStatesCode|44|301}}, this officer is nominated by the president of the United States and approved by the United States Senate. The title was changed to "Director" when in December 2014, Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed into law H.R. 83, which consolidated and continued appropriations for FY 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.govinfo.gov/app/content/pkg/BILLS-113hr83enr/pdf/BILLS-113hr83enr.pdf|title=H.R. 83 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act 2015|website=govinfo.gov|access-date=2016-07-11|archive-date=2016-08-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822133925/https://www.govinfo.gov/app/content/pkg/BILLS-113hr83enr/pdf/BILLS-113hr83enr.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gpo.gov/newsroom-media/presspage/14presspage27|title=U.S. GPO press release|date=December 17, 2014|access-date=July 11, 2016|archive-date=September 14, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914183221/https://www.gpo.gov/newsroom-media/presspage/14presspage27|url-status=live}}</ref> Thus, Davita Vance-Cooks was the last public printer of the United States and the first director of the U.S. Government Publishing Office. {{multiple image | perrow = 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 3 | image1 = Pp row 1.jpg |width1 = 400 | image2 = Pp row 2.jpg |width2 = 400 | image3 = Pp row 3.jpg |width3 = 400 | image4 = Pp row 4.jpg |width4 = 400 | image5 = Pp row 5.jpg |width5 = 400 | image6 = Pp row 6.jpg |width6 = 400 | image7 = William J. Boarman.jpg |width7 = 90 |caption7=William J. Boarman | image8 = Davita Vance-Cooks, Public Printer of the United States.jpg |width8 = 90 |caption8=Davita E. Vance-Cooks | image9 = Hugh Halpern.jpg |width9 = 90 |caption9=Hugh N. Halpern }}
The director is responsible for the administration of the GPO. The GPO, a legislative agency of the government, provides electronic access to and produced most printed matter for government, including the ''Congressional Record'', 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.
==History== Benjamin Franklin 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. The first man with the title Public Printer of the United States was Almon M. Clapp.<ref name=ShortHistory1>{{cite web |title=A Short History of GPO Part 1 |url=https://www.fdlp.gov/about-fdlp/mission-history/a-short-history-of-gpo-part-1 |website=Federal Library Deposit Program |publisher=U.S. Government Publishing Office |access-date=September 3, 2021 |date=November 22, 2017 |archive-date=September 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903154109/https://www.fdlp.gov/about-fdlp/mission-history/a-short-history-of-gpo-part-1 |url-status=live }}</ref>
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== List of leaders ==
=== Superintendents (1861–1876) === The follow persons served as superintendent of the General Printing Office:<ref name="short history">{{cite book |url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-AShortHistoryofGPO/text-submitted/GPO-AShortHistoryofGPO.txt |title=A Short History of GPO |year=1986 |first=Daniel R. |last=MacGilvray |publisher=GPO}}</ref><ref name="Portraits">{{cite web |url=http://www.gpo.gov/about/gpohistory/portraits/ |title=Portraits of past Public Printers |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100707102619/http://www.gpo.gov/about/gpohistory/portraits/ |archive-date=2010-07-07 |publisher=GPO}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" |+ !{{abbr|No.|number}} !Image !Superintendent !Term start !Term end !{{abbr|Refs.|References}} |- |1 |70px |John D. Defrees |March 4, 1861 |1866 |<ref name="short history"/> |- |2 | |Cornelius Wendell |September 1, 1866 |February 28, 1867 |<ref name="short history"/> |- |3 |70px |John D. Defrees |March 1, 1867 |April 14, 1869 |<ref name="short history"/> |- |4 |70px |Almon M. Clapp |April 15, 1869 |July 31, 1876 |<ref name="short history"/> |- |}
=== Public printers (1876-2014) === The follow persons served as public printer of the General Printing Office:<ref name="short history"/><ref name="Portraits"/>
{| class="wikitable" |+ !{{abbr|No.|number}} !Image !Public printer !Term start !Term end !{{abbr|Refs.|References}} |- |1 |70px |Almon M. Clapp |August 1, 1876 |May 30, 1877 |<ref name="short history"/> |- |2 |70px |John D. Defrees |June 1, 1877 |1882 |<ref name="short history"/> |- |3 | |Sterling P. Rounds |April 15, 1882 |September 12, 1886 |<ref name="short history"/> |- |4 | |Thomas E. Benedict |September 13, 1886 |May 6, 1889 |<ref name="short history"/> |- |5 |70px |Francis W. Palmer |May 7, 1889 |May 2, 1894 |<ref name="short history"/> |- |6 | |Thomas E. Benedict |May 3, 1894 |March 30, 1897 |<ref name="short history"/> |- |7 |70px |Francis W. Palmer |March 31, 1897 |September 8, 1905 |<ref name="short history"/> |- |8 | |Charles A. Stillings |November 1, 1905 February 5, 1908 |<ref name="short history"/> |- |9 | |John S. Leech |June 9, 1908 |November 30, 1908 |<ref name="short history"/> |- |10 | |Samuel B. Donnelly |December 1, 1908 |June 25, 1913 |<ref name="short history"/> |- |11 | |Cornelius Ford |June 26, 1913 |1921 |<ref name="short history"/> |- |12 | |George H. Carter |April 5, 1921 |1934 |<ref name="short history"/> |- |13 | |Augustus E. Giegengack |July 2, 1934 |March 9, 1948 |<ref name="short history"/> |- |14 | |John J. Deviny |May 6, 1948 |February 28, 1953 |<ref name="short history"/> |- |15 | |Raymond Blattenberger |April 28, 1953 |January 20, 1961 |<ref name="short history"/> |- |16 | |James L. Harrison |March 17, 1961 |March 31, 1970 |<ref name="short history"/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-554838.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102184122/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-554838.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 2, 2012|title=James L. Harrison, 94, Dies; Public Printer of the U.S. |date=October 10, 2000|newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=December 20, 2009}}</ref> |- |17 | |Adolphus N. Spence |April 1, 1970 |January 11, 1972{{efn|group=tb2|name=died}} |<ref name="short history"/> |- |18 | |Thomas F. McCormick |March 1, 1973 |October 31, 1977 |<ref name="short history"/> |- |19 |70px |John J. Boyle |November 1, 1977 |February 29, 1980 |<ref name="short history"/> |- |20 | |Danford L. Sawyer, Jr. |1981 |1984 | |- |21 | |Ralph E. Kennickell, Jr. |1984 |1988 | |- |22 | |Robert Houk |1990 |1993 |<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-76964560.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025033612/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-76964560.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 25, 2012|title= PIA Backs a Nominee For Public Printer Post.(Printing Industries of America, Robert Houk) |last=Cross|first=Lisa|date=June 1, 2001 |work= Graphic Arts Monthly |access-date=December 20, 2009}}</ref> |- |23 | |Michael F. DiMario |1993 |2002 |<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110616191343/http://bubl.ac.uk/ARCHIVE/journals/alawon/v02n5193.htm ALAWON, Volume 2, Number 51, November 13, 1993]. bubl.ac.uk</ref> |- |24 | |Bruce James |2002 |2006 |<ref>{{cite web|title=BRUCE R. JAMES|url=http://photocopierpricer.co.uk/united-states-public-printer/|publisher=United States Public Printer|access-date=May 22, 2014|archive-date=May 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522162039/http://photocopierpricer.co.uk/united-states-public-printer/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-84254926/nomination-planned-bush-tap.html|title=Nomination Planned: Bush to tap Nevadan for top printing post |last=Morrison|first=Jane Ann |date=March 29, 2002|work=Las Vegas Review-Journal (Las Vegas, NV) |access-date=December 20, 2009}}</ref> |- bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |Acting | |William H. Turri |January 2007 |November 5, 2007 |<ref>{{cite web |url=https://whattheythink.com/news/36190-deputy-public-printer-retire/ |title=Deputy Public Printer To Retire |date=May 21, 2008 |work=WhatTheyThink}}</ref> |- |25 |70px |Robert C. Tapella |November 6, 2007 |December 29, 2010 |<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gpo.gov/management/tapella.htm |title=GPO - Public Printer's Biography |access-date=2009-03-16 |archive-date=2009-03-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325103329/http://www.gpo.gov/management/tapella.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/presidential-nominations-sent-senate-41910 |title=Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate, 4/19/10 |date=April 19, 2010 |access-date=October 6, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216172536/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/presidential-nominations-sent-senate-41910 |via=National Archives |work=whitehouse.gov |archive-date=February 16, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.piworld.com/article/gpo-s-tapella-resigns-allow-recess-appointment-boarman-public-printer/all/ |title=Tapella Resigns to Allow Recess Appointment of Boarman as Public Printer |date=December 29, 2010 |magazine=In-plant Impressions |quote=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://whattheythink.com/articles/3001-education-week-first-interview-with-public-printer-bob/ |title=Education Week: First Interview with Public Printer Bob Tapella: Discusses education, the death of offset, and more |first=Cary |last=Sherburne |date=November 6, 2007 |work=WhatTheyThink}}</ref> |- bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |Acting | |Paul Erickson |December 30, 2010 |January 4, 2011 | |- |26 |70px |William J. Boarman{{efn|group=tb2|name=recess}} |January 5, 2011 |January 2, 2012 |<ref name="USGPO20111218">{{cite web |title=GPO'S STATEMENT ON PUBLIC PRINTER BOARMAN'S NOMINATION |url=https://www.gpo.gov/docs/default-source/news-content-pdf-files/2011/11news73.pdf |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |access-date=28 August 2021 |date=December 18, 2011 |archive-date=28 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828121929/https://www.gpo.gov/docs/default-source/news-content-pdf-files/2011/11news73.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.piworld.com/article/william-j-boarman-sworn-in-26th-public-printer-head-gpo/all/ |title=William J. Boarman Sworn In as 26th Public Printer |date=January 5, 2011 |magazine=In-plant Impressions |quote=William J. “Bill” Boarman has been sworn in as the 26th Public Printer of the United States.}}</ref> |- bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |Acting |rowspan="2" bgcolor="#ffffff"|70px |rowspan="2" bgcolor="#ffffff"|Davita E. Vance-Cooks |January 3, 2012 |August 21, 2012 |<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.inplantimpressions.com/article/us-senate-confirms-davita-vance-cooks-as-public-printer-leading-gpo/all/ |title=Senate Confirms Vance-Cooks as Public Printer |date=August 2, 2013 |magazine=In-plant Impressions |quote=After serving as Acting Public Printer for the past 19 months, Davita Vance-Cooks can finally drop "Acting" from her title. The U.S. Senate has unanimously confirmed her as the 27th U.S. Public Printer, the first African-American and the first woman ever to lead the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO). With more than 30 years of private sector and Government experience, Vance-Cooks has served as the Acting Public Printer since January 3, 2012, the day previous Public Printer Bill Boarman was forced to step down when the Senate failed to confirm his recess appointment.}}</ref> |- |27 |August 21, 2012 |December 17, 2014{{efn|group=tb2|name=name change}} |<ref>{{cite web |last=Hicks |first=Josh |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2013/08/02/davita-vance-cooks-confirmed-as-first-female-and-african-american-public-printer/ |title=Davita Vance-Cooks confirmed as first female and African American public printer |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=August 2, 2013 |access-date=October 6, 2013 |archive-date=June 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610203324/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2013/08/02/davita-vance-cooks-confirmed-as-first-female-and-african-american-public-printer/ |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.inplantimpressions.com/article/davita-vance-cooks-sworn-27th-us-public-printer/ |title=Vance-Cooks Confirmed as Public Printer |date=September 1, 2013 |magazine=In-plant Impressions |quote=After serving as Acting Public Printer for the past 19 months, Davita Vance-Cooks can finally drop “Acting” from her title. The U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed her as the 27th U.S. Public Printer, the first African-American—and the first woman—ever to lead the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO). She was officially sworn into office on August 21 by Judge Gerald Bruce Lee of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, with John Crawford, a GPO employee since 1966, acting as master of ceremonies.}}</ref><ref name="namechange">{{cite web |url=https://fedscoop.com/gpo-officially-changes-name-acronym/ |title=GPO gets name change to reflect digital times |first=Jake |last=Williams |date=December 17, 2014 |work=FedScoop}}</ref> |- |}
=== Directors (since 2014) ===
{| class="wikitable" |+ !{{abbr|No.|number}} !Image !Director !Term start !Term end !{{abbr|Refs.|References}} |- |1 |70px |Davita E. Vance-Cooks |December 17, 2014{{efn|group=tb2|name=name change}} |November 1, 2017 |<ref name="namechange"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gpo.gov/who-we-are/news-media/news-and-press-releases/gpo-director-davita-vance-cooks-departs-federal-service |title=GPO Director Davita Vance-Cooks Departs Federal Service |date=November 1, 2017 |publisher=GPO |quote=The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) Director Davita Vance-Cooks has announced her departure from Federal service to accept a job in the private sector. By law, GPO Deputy Director Jim Bradley assumes the duties of Acting GPO Director until a replacement is appointed.}}</ref> |- bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |Acting | |Jim Bradley |November 2, 2017 |March 6, 2018 |<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gpo.gov/who-we-are/news-media/news-and-press-releases/jim-bradley-to-be-acting-gpo-director |title=Jim Bradley To Be Acting GPO Director--Capitol Hill Veteran to Lead the Agency |date=November 2, 2017 |publisher=GPO |quote=Deputy Director Jim Bradley becomes Acting Director for the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO). Bradley assumes his new role effective immediately, following the departure of GPO Director of Davita Vance-Cooks.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gpo.gov/who-we-are/news-media/news-and-press-releases/acting-gpo-director-jim-bradley-retires |title=Acting GPO Director Jim Bradley Retires |date=March 6, 2018 |publisher=GPO |quote=Acting U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) Director Jim Bradley has retired after more than 47 years of Federal service, with the past 22 years at GPO. Bradley held numerous leadership positions at GPO, including that of Acting Director since November 2017... With Bradley’s departure, GPO’s Chief of Staff, Andrew M. Sherman, will serve as Acting Deputy Director, in accordance with GPO’s succession directive.}}</ref> |- bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |Acting | |Andrew M. Sherman |March 6, 2018 |June 30, 2018 |<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gpo.gov/who-we-are/news-media/news-and-press-releases/andrew-m-sherman-to-retire-after-38-years-of-service |title=Andrew M. Sherman to Retire after 38 Years Of Service |date=June 19, 2018 |publisher=GPO |quote=Acting Deputy Director Andrew M. Sherman has announced his retirement following 38 years of Federal service, all at the GPO. Following his departure at the end of June, GPO's Chief Administrative Officer, Herbert H. Jackson, Jr., will become Acting Deputy Director, in accordance with the GPO's succession directive... Following the retirement of Deputy Director Jim Bradley in March 2018, Sherman became the head of the agency as Acting Deputy Director.}}</ref> |- bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |Acting | |Herbert H. Jackson, Jr., |July 1, 2018 |March 31, 2019 |<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gpo.gov/who-we-are/news-media/news-and-press-releases/gpos-acting-deputy-director-to-retire-march-31 |title=GPO’S ACTING DEPUTY DIRECTOR TO RETIRE MARCH 31 |date=March 19, 2019 |publisher=GPO |quote=U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) Acting Deputy Director and Chief Administrative Officer, Herbert H. Jackson, Jr., announced he will retire on March 31, 2019. Jackson has served as Acting Deputy Director since July 2018. He has been at GPO for 38 years. In accordance with GPO's succession directive, Managing Director of Plant Operations John Crawford will become Acting Deputy Director on April 1st.}}</ref> |- bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |Acting | |John Crawford |April 1, 2019 |December 10, 2019 |<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gpo.gov/who-we-are/our-agency/leadership/crawford_info |title=John Crawford |publisher=GPO |quote=}}</ref> |- |2 |70px |Hugh Nathanial Halpern |December 11, 2019 |present |<ref>{{cite web |title=Hugh Halpern |url=https://www.gpo.gov/who-we-are/our-agency/leadership/halpern_info |website=GPO.gov |publisher=U.S. Government Publishing Office |access-date=September 3, 2021 |archive-date=July 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727152852/https://www.gpo.gov/who-we-are/our-agency/leadership/halpern_info |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gpo.gov/who-we-are/news-media/news-and-press-releases/senate-confirms-hugh-halpern-as-gpo-director |title=Senate Confirms Hugh Halpern as GPO Director |date=October 16, 2019 |publisher=GPO |quote=He is the 28th person to lead GPO since the agency opened its doors for business on March 4, 1861, the same day Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as the 16th President of the United States.}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.inplantimpressions.com/article/halpern-sworn-in-as-gpo-director/ |title=Halpern Sworn in as GPO Director |date=February 4, 2020 |magazine=In-plant Impressions |quote=Vice President Mike Pence swore in Government Publishing Office (GPO) Director Hugh Nathanial Halpern on January 29, 2020 in a swearing-in ceremony at the Vice President’s Office. Halpern is the 28th person to lead GPO since the agency opened its doors for business on March 4, 1861, the same day Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as the 16th President of the United States... He was confirmed by the full Senate on December 4 and was officially sworn in on his first day at GPO on December 11.}}</ref> |- |}
Table notes {{notelist|refs= {{efn|group=tb2|name=died|Died in office}} {{efn|group=tb2|name=recess|Unconfirmed recess appointment}} {{efn|group=tb2|name=name change|December 17, 2014, is the date when the public printer of the Government Printing Office became the director of the Government Publishing Office.}} }}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.gpo.gov/ Government Printing Office]
{{authority control}}
Category:Employees of the United States Congress Category:Printing in the United States Category:Government occupations Category:United States Government Publishing Office