Past leaders of the USPTO

Discover the rich history of the USPTO through the biographies of the people who have led the agency since 1802.

Biographies

William Thornton portrait

William Thornton

1802-1828

William Thornton led the office from 1802-1828 during John Adams's, Thomas Jefferson's, James Madison's, James Monroe's, and John Quincy Adams's administrations.
Thomas P. Jones portrait

Thomas P. Jones

1828-1829

Thomas P. Jones led the office from 1828-1829 during John Quincy Adams's and Andrew Jackson's administrations.
No photo available

John D. Craig

1829-1835

John D. Craig led the office from 1829-1835 during Andrew Jackson's administration
James C. Pickett portrait

James C. Pickett

1835

James C. Pickett led the office in 1835 during Andrew Jackson's administration
Henry L. Ellsworth portrait

Henry L. Ellsworth

1835-1845

Henry L. Ellsworth led the office from 1835-1845 during Andrew Jackson's, Martin Van Buren's, William Henry Harrison's, and John Tyler's administrations.
Edmond Burke portrait

Edmond Burke

1845-1849

Edmond Burke led the office from 1845-1849 during James K. Polk's administration
Thomas Ewbank portrait

Thomas Ewbank

1849-1852

Thomas Ewbank led the office from 1849-1852 during Zachary Taylor's and Millard Fillmore's administrations
Silas Henry Hodges portrait

Silas Henry Hodges

1852-1853

Silas Henry Hodges led the office from 1852-1853 during Millard Fillmore's administration
Charles Mason portrait

Charles Mason

1853-1857

Charles Mason led the office from 1853-1857 during Franklin Pierce's administration
Joseph Holt portrait

Joseph Holt

1857-1859

Joseph Holt led the office from 1857-1859 during James Buchanan's administration
William Darius Bishop portrait

William Darius Bishop

1859-1860

William Darius Bishop led the office from 1859-1860 during James Buchanan's administration
David P. Holloway portrait

David P. Holloway

1861-1865

David P. Holloway led the office from 1861-1865 during Abraham Lincoln's administration
Thomas C. Theaker portrait

Thomas C. Theaker

1865-1868

Thomas C. Theaker led the office from 1865-1868 during Andrew Johnson's administration
Elisha Foote portrait

Elisha Foote

1868-1869

Elisha Foote led the office from 1868-1869 during Andrew Johnson's administration
Samuel Sparks Fisher portrait

Samuel Sparks Fisher

1869-1870

Samuel Sparks Fisher led the office from 1869-1870 during Ulysses S. Grant's adminstration
Mortimer D. Leggett portrait

Mortimer D. Leggett

1871-1874

Mortimer D. Leggett led the office from 1871-1874 during Ulysses S. Grant's administration
John Marshall Thacher portrait

John Marshall Thacher

1874-1875

John Marshall Thacher led the office from 1874-1875 during Ulysses S. Grant's administration
Robert Holland Duell portrait

Robert Holland Duell

1875-1876

Robert Holland Duell led the office from 1875-1876 during Ulysses S. Grant's administration
Ellis Spear portrait

Ellis Spear

1877-1878

Ellis Spear led the office from 1877-1878 during Rutherford B. Hayes's administration
Halbert Eleazer Paine portrait

Halbert Eleazer Paine

1878-1880

Halbert Eleazer Paine led the office from 1878-1880 during Rutherford B. Hayes's administration
Edgar M. Marble portrait

Edgar M. Marble

1880-1883

Edgar Marble led the office from 1880-1883 during Rutherford B. Hayes's, James Garfield's, and Chester A. Arthur's administrations
Benjamin Butterworth portrait

Benjamin Butterworth

1883-1885 and 1897-1898

Benjamin Butterworth led the office from 1883-1885 during Chester A. Arthur's administration and also from 1897-1898 during William McKinley's administration
Martin V. B. Montgomery portrait

Martin V. B. Montgomery

1885-1887

Martin Montgomery led the office from 1885-1887 during Grover Cleveland's first administration
Benton J. Hall portrait

Benton J. Hall

1887-1889

Benton Hall led the office from 1887-1889 during Grover Cleveland's first administration
Charles Elliott Mitchell portrait

Charles Elliott Mitchell

1889-1891

Charles Elliott Mitchell led the office from 1889-1891 during Benjamin Harrison's administration
William Edgar Simonds portrait

William Edgar Simonds

1891-1893

William Edgar Simonds led the office from 1891-1893 during Benjamin Harrison's administration
John S. Seymour portrait

John S. Seymour

1893-1897

John Seymour led the office from 1893-1897 during Grover Cleveland's second administration
Charles Holland Duell portrait

Charles Holland Duell

1898-1901

Charles Holland Duell led the office from 1898-1901 during William McKinley's administration
Frederick Innes Allen portrait

Frederick Innes Allen

1901-1907

Frederick Innes Allen led the office from 1901-1907 during Theodore Roosevelt's administration
Edward Bruce Moore portrait

Edward Bruce Moore

1907-1913

Edward Bruce Moore led the office from 1907-1913 during Theodore Roosevelt's and William Howard Taft's administrations
Thomas Ewing portrait

Thomas Ewing

1913-1917

Thomas Ewing led the office from 1913-1917 during Woodrow Wilson's administration
James T. Newton portrait

James T. Newton

1917-1920

James Newton led the office from 1917-1920 during Woodrow Wilson's administration
Melvin H. Coulston portrait

Melvin H. Coulston

1921

Melvin Coulston led the office in 1921 during Warren G. Harding's administration
Thomas E. Robertson portrait

Thomas E. Robertson

1921-1933

Thomas Robertson led the office from 1921-1933 during Warren G. Harding's, Calvin Coolidge's, and Herbert Hoover's administrations
Conway P. Coe portrait

Conway P. Coe

1933-1945

Conway Coe led the office from 1933-1945 during Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration
Casper W. Ooms portrait

Casper W. Ooms

1945-1947

Casper Ooms led the office from 1945-1947 during Harry S Truman's administration
Lawrence C. Kingsland portrait

Lawrence C. Kingsland

1947-1949

Lawrence Kingsland led the office from 1947-1949 during Harry S Truman's administration
John A. Marzall portrait

John A. Marzall

1949-1953

John Marzall led the office from 1949-1953 during Harry S Truman's administration
Robert C. Watson portrait

Robert C. Watson

1953-1961

Robert Watson led the office from 1953-1961 during Dwight D. Eisenhower's administration
David L. Ladd portrait

David L. Ladd

1961-1963

David Ladd led the office from 1961-1963 during John F. Kennedy's administration
Edward J. Brenner portrait

Edward J. Brenner

1964-1969

Edward Brenner led the office from 1964-1969 during Lyndon B. Johnson's administration
Robert Gottschalk portrait

Robert Gottschalk

1972-1973

Robert Gottschalk led the office from 1972-1973 during Richard Nixon's administration
C. Marshall Dann portrait

C. Marshall Dann

1974-1977

C. Marshall Dann led the office from 1974-1977 during Rihcard Nixon's, Gerald Ford's, and Jimmy Carter's administrations
Donald W. Banner portrait

Donald W. Banner

1978-1979

Donald Banner led the office from 1978-1979 during Jimmy Carter's administration
Sidney A. Diamond portrait

Sidney A. Diamond

1979-1981

Sidney A. Diamond led the office from 1979-1981 during Jimmy Carter's administration
Gerald J. Mossinghoff portrait

Gerald J. Mossinghoff

1981-1985

Gerald Mossinghoff led the office from 1981-1985 during Ronald Reagan's administration
Donald J. Quigg portrait

Donald J. Quigg

1985-1989

Donald J. Quigg led the office from 1985-1989 during Ronald Reagan's administration
Harry F. Manbeck portrait

Harry F. Manbeck, Jr.

1990-1992

Harry F. Manbeck led the office from 1990-1992 during George Bush's administration
Bruce A. Lehman portrait

Bruce A. Lehman

1993-1998

Bruce A. Lehman led the office from 1993-19989 during Bill Clinton's administration
Q. Todd Dickinson portrait

Q. Todd Dickinson

1999-2001

Q. Todd Dickinson led the office from 1999-2001 during Bill Clinton's administration
James E. Rogan portrait

James E. Rogan

2001-2004

James E. Rogan led the office from 2001-2004 during George W. Bush's administration
Jon W. Dudas portrait

Jon W. Dudas

2004-2009

Jon W. Dudas led to office from 2004-2009 during George W. Bush's administration
David Kappos

David J. Kappos

2009-2013

David J. Kappos led the office from 2009-2013 during Barack Obama's administration
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Michelle K. Lee

Michelle K. Lee

2015-2017

Michelle K. Lee led the office from 2015-2017 during Barack Obama's administration
Andrei Iancu

Andrei Iancu

2018-2021

Andrei Iancu led the office from 2018-2021 during Donald Trump's administration
Portrait of Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office

Kathi Vidal

2022-2024
Kathi Vidal led the office from 2022-2024 during Joe Biden's administration.
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