Deputy Postmasters General

As early as 1906, the appointment of a Deputy Postmaster General was recommended. That year, Postmaster General George Cortelyou advised President Theodore Roosevelt:

I recommend that provision be made for a Deputy Postmaster-General, who shall be the ranking officer of the Postmaster-General's assistants, whose tenure shall be permanent, whose compensation shall be commensurate with his position, and whose duties shall be in the nature of a general manager of the postal service. If there were appointed to such a position an official of tried executive capacity and long experience in postal matters, he could relieve the head of the Department of innumerable details which now consume a large portion of his time and preclude the proper consideration of important questions of general policy. (Annual Report of the Postmaster General, 1906, 8)

The position of Deputy Postmaster General, however, was not created until October 21, 1949, following its authorization by the President's Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1949:

There shall be in the Post Office Department a Deputy Postmaster General who shall be appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall perform such duties as the Postmaster General may designate. (63 Stat. 1066)

Since the passage of the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970, the Deputy Postmaster General has been appointed by the Postal Service’s Board of Governors. The position title changed to Deputy Postmaster General and Chief Operating Officer when the Postal Service was reorganized in 1992; it reverted to Deputy Postmaster General in January 2011. In February 2015, the title changed to Deputy Postmaster General and Chief Government Relations Officer, reflecting Ronald Stroman’s role managing Government Relations. In May 2021, the title changed to Deputy Postmaster General and Chief Human Resources Officer, reflecting Douglas Tulino’s continued role as chief human resources officer.

The following individuals have served as Deputy Postmaster General since the position was created in 1949.

HISTORIAN
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
JUNE 2021