List of presidents of the National Rifle Association


The position of president of the National Rifle Association is a symbolic figurehead role, which dates back to the organization's foundation in New York on 17 November 1871. Founded by George Wood Wingate and William Conant Church, two Union veterans dismayed by the lack of shooting skills among recruits, the rifle association voted to have Union general Ambrose Burnside as its first president. Church succeeded Burnside as the second president of the organization, and Wingate would become the tenth in 1886.
Throughout its history, presidents have served purposes ranging from providing the NRA greater legitimacy to provoking outrage and condemnation. Since the 1990s, some NRA presidents have made controversial statements such as when James W. Porter II referred to Barack Obama as a "fake president" and when Charlton Heston proclaimed to gun control advocates that they could only have his firearm after taking it "from my cold, dead hands."
While once elected at the annual convention, as of 2019, NRA presidents are chosen by the board of directors. They generally serve out two one-year terms. While the position of president is unpaid due to the organization's bylaws, during Oliver North's time in office he sought to make the position a paid one, but this initiative failed when he was ousted as president after a power struggle with vice president Wayne LaPierre. Some former presidents have later been employed by the NRA such as Marion Hammer, the association's first female president, who is the executive director of the group's Florida affiliate. Since 1991, the executive vice president, who acts as the group's chief operating officer, has been Wayne LaPierre, despite several internal challenges to his role.
There have been 65 NRA presidents, serving 67 distinct terms. Those who have held the position include former US president Ulysses S. Grant, Harlon Carter, American Football League commissioner Joe Foss, and David Keene. The president as of 2020 is Carolyn D. Meadows.

Presidents of the National Rifle Association

NameTenureBackground
11871–1872
21872–1875
31875–1877
41877–1880
51880
61880–1881
71882
81883–1884
91885
101886–1900
111900–1907
121907–1916
131916–1921
141921–1925
151925
161925–1926
171926–1927
181928
191929
201930–1931
211932
221934
231936
241937–1938
251939
261941
271942–1943
281944–1946
291946–1947
301948–1949
311949–1950
321951–1952
331953–1954
341955
351957
361959–1961
371961–1963
381963–1964
391965–1967
401967–1968
411969–1970
421971
431973–1974
441975
451977–1978
461979
471981–1983
481983–1985
491985
501985–1988
511988–1990
521990–1992
531992–1993
541994–1995
551995–1998
561998–2003
572003–2005
582005–2007
592007–2009
602009–2011
612011–2013
622013–2015
632015–2017
642017–2018
652018
662018–2019
672019–