History

Legislation

House Committee on the Census (1901-1946)

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"About time to measure yourself again?"
Editorial cartoon by Clifford K. Berryman.
Photo courtesy of the National Archives.

The U.S. House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Census was created in 1901 after having been a select committee for many years. The standing committee was established in anticipation of the creation of a permanent census office in 1902. Its jurisdiction included all proposed legislation concerning the census and the apportionment of Representatives.

The standing committee, and the select committees before it, reported bills providing for the collection of statistics concerning birth and deaths, marriage and divorce, farm mortgages, irrigation, and other subjects. It also reported legislation providing for the collection and publication of general statistics, including those of the production of certain commodities such as cotton and grain. In 1946 the committee was abolished and its jurisdiction was included in that of the new Post Office and Civil Service Committee.

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The National Archives maintains some records pertaining to the U.S. House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Census. These include minutes, petitions and memorials, committee papers, and bills. For more on the Archives holdings, click here.