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The Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System is the head of the central banking system of the United States and one of the most important decision-makers of American economic policy. Known colloquially as "Chairman of the Fed", the Chairman is the "active executive officer" (see ) of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, which is an independent agency of the United States Government created by statute (see ), as part of the Federal Reserve System.
   The position was essentially created in 1913 with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act. The chairman is one of seven members of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate who have staggered terms of 14 years each. The chairman is appointed for a four-year term by the President of the United States, subject to confirmation by the Senate. In practice the chairman is often re-appointed, but can not serve longer than one 14-year term as governor, plus the time remaining in the previous unexpired term. By law, the chairman reports twice a year to Congress on the Federal Reserve's monetary policy objectives. He or she also testifies before Congress on numerous other issues, and meets periodically with the Secretary of the Treasury.
   Currently, the chairman is Ben Bernanke, nominated by George W. Bush and sworn into office on February 1, 2006 for a term lasting until 2010. Bernanke succeeded Alan Greenspan, who served for more than 18 years under four U.S. Presidents.
   The law applicable to the Chairman and all other members of the Board provides (in part):
» :No member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System shall be an officer or director of any bank, banking institution, trust company, or Federal Reserve bank or hold stock in any bank, banking institution, or trust company; and before entering upon his duties as a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System he'll certify under oath that he's complied with this requirement, and such certification shall be filed with the secretary of the Board.

See

Chairmen of the Board of Governors

  1. Charles S. Hamlin (August 10, 1914 – August 10, 1916)
  2. William P. G. Harding (August 10, 1916 – August 9, 1922)
  3. Daniel R. Crissinger (May 1, 1923 – September 15, 1927)
  4. Roy A. Young (October 4, 1927 – August 31, 1930)
  5. Eugene Meyer (September 16, 1930 – May 10, 1933)
  6. Eugene R. Black (May 19, 1933 – August 15, 1934)
  7. Marriner S. Eccles¹ (November 15, 1934 – February 3, 1948)
  8. Thomas B. McCabe (April 15, 1948 – April 2, 1951)
  9. William McChesney Martin, Jr. (April 2, 1951 – February 1, 1970)
  10. Arthur F. Burns (February 1, 1970 – January 31, 1978)
  11. G. William Miller (March 8, 1978 – August 6, 1979)
  12. Paul A. Volcker (August 6, 1979 – August 11, 1987)
  13. Alan Greenspan² (August 11, 1987 – January 31,2006)
  14. Ben Bernanke (February 1, 2006 – ) ¹ Served as Chairman Pro Tempore from February 3, 1948, to April 15, 1948.
    ² Served as Chairman Pro Tempore from March 3, 1996, to June 20, 1996.

Historical Note

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve didn't exist prior to the major reorganization of the Fed in 1935 (Banking Act of 1935). Prior to that time, the "Federal Reserve Board" (created in 1914 under the Federal Reserve Act of 1913) had a Board of Directors. The directors' salaries were significantly lower and their terms of office were much shorter prior to 1935. In effect, the Federal Reserve Board members in Washington were significantly less powerful than the elite of the regional Federal Reserve Banks prior to 1935.
   Prior to 1935, the heads of the twelve district "Federal Reserve Banks" were called "Governors." In the 1935 act, the district heads had their titles changed to "President" (for example, "President of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis"), as part of a major shift of power to Washington.
   Thus, Marriner Eccles was the first actual 'Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Board.' The others prior to 1935 were 'Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve System,' with much more circumscribed power.

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