The Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate is the law enforcer for the United States Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

. One of the chief roles of the Sergeant is to hold the gavel

Gavel

A gavel is a small ceremonial mallet commonly made of hardwood, typically fashioned with a handle and often struck against a sound block to enhance its sounding qualities. It is a symbol of the authority and right to act officially in the capacity of a chair or presiding officer. It is used to call...

 used at every session. The Sergeant can also compel the attendance of absent Senators.

With the Architect of the Capitol

Architect of the Capitol

The Architect of the Capitol is the federal agency responsible for the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the United States Capitol Complex, and also the head of that agency. The Architect of the Capitol is in the legislative branch and is responsible to the United States...

 and the House Sergeant at Arms

Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives Sergeant at Arms is an officer of the House with law enforcement, protocol, and administrative responsibilities. The Sergeant at Arms is elected at the beginning of each Congress by the membership of the chamber...

, he serves on the Capitol Police Board

Capitol Police Board

The Capitol Police Board is a group of three members who maintain jurisdiction over the United States Capitol Police. The three members of this board are the Architect of the Capitol, the Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate, and the Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of...

, responsible for security around the building.

The Sergeant at Arms of the Senate can arrest any person upon their violating Senate rules upon orders from the Senate.

List of Senate Sergeants at Arms

Sergeant at Arms	Term of Service
James Mathers James Mathers -Early life:Born in Ireland, he migrated with his family to New York City some years before the American Revolutionary War. He married Mary Maxwell and the couple had a daughter Effa baptized on 12 December, 1770 at a Presbyterian church in New York City. In the war's earliest days, Mathers joined...	April 7, 1789 – September 2, 1811
Mountjoy Bayly	November 6, 1811 – December 9, 1833
John Shackford	December 9, 1833 – 1837
Stephen Haight	September 4, 1837 – June 7, 1841
Edward Dyer	June 7, 1841 – December 9, 1845
Robert Beale	December 9, 1845 – March 17, 1853
Dunning R. McNair	March 17, 1853 – July 6, 1861
George T. Brown	July 6, 1861 – March 22, 1869
John R. French John R. French John Robert French was an American Congressional Representative from North Carolina.Born in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, French received an academic education in Gilmanton and Concord, New Hampshire. He learned the printer’s trade, and worked as publisher and associate editor of the New Hampshire...	March 22, 1869 – March 24, 1879
Richard J. Bright	March 24, 1879 – December 18, 1883
William P. Canaday	December 18, 1883 – June 30, 1890
Edward K. Valentine Edward K. Valentine Edward Kimble Valentine was a Nebraska Republican politician.-Biography:Born in Keosauqua, Iowa, he attended common schools and learned to become a printer. During the Civil War he was a member in the Union army served in the Illinois Volunteer Infantry in the Sixty-seventh Regiment...	June 30, 1890 – August 7, 1893
Richard J. Bright	August 8, 1893 – February 1, 1900
Daniel M. Ransdell	February 1, 1900 – August 26, 1912
E. Livingston Cornelius	December 10, 1912 – March 4, 1913
Charles P. Higgins	March 13, 1913 – March 3, 1919
David S. Barry David S. Barry David Sheldon Barry, Sr. was a journalist who became the 17th Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate, serving from 1919 to 1933....	May 19, 1919 – February 7, 1933
Chesley W. Jurney	March 9, 1933 – January 31, 1943
Wall Doxey Wall Doxey Wall Doxey was an American politician from Mississippi. He served as a Democrat in the United States House of Representatives from 1929 to 1941; after the death of U.S. Senator Pat Harrison, Doxey won a special election to his seat, and served in the United States Senate from 1941 until 1943...	February 1, 1943 – January 3, 1947
Edward F. McGinnis	January 4, 1947 – January 2, 1949
Joseph C. Duke	January 3, 1949 – January 2, 1953
Forest A. Harness	January 3, 1953 – January 4, 1955
Joseph C. Duke	January 5, 1955 – December 30, 1965
Robert G. Dunphy	January 14, 1966 – June 30, 1972
William H. Wannall	July 1, 1972 – December 17, 1975
Frank "Nordy" Hoffmann	December 18, 1975 – January 4, 1981
Howard S. Liebengood	January 5, 1981 – September 12, 1983
Larry E. Smith	September 13, 1983 – June 2, 1985
Ernest E. Garcia	June 3, 1985 – January 5, 1987
Henry K. Giugni Henry K. Giugni Henry K. Giugni was Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate from 1987 to 1991.-References:*...	January 6, 1987 – December 31, 1990
Martha S. Pope	January 3, 1991 – April 14, 1994
Robert Laurent Benoit	April 15, 1994 – January 3, 1995
Howard O. Greene, Jr	January 4, 1995 – September 6, 1996
Gregory S. Casey	September 6, 1996 – November 9, 1998
James W. Ziglar	November 9, 1998 – September 3, 2001
Alfonso E. Lenhardt	September 4, 2001 – March 16, 2003
William H. Pickle William H. Pickle William H. Pickle was the 37th United States Senate Sergeant at Arms. He was sworn in on March 17, 2003 after a lifetime of public service, especially relating to the security of the institutions of the United States, and served until Terrance W...	March 17, 2003 – January 3, 2007
Terrance W. Gainer Terrance W. Gainer Terrance William Gainer the 38th and current Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate and has served in this appointment since January 4, 2007. Before Gainer continued his law enforcement career in Washington, D.C., he was the Republican candidate for Cook County State's Attorney in 1988,...	January 4, 2007 – present

External links

• Official Site