The Dean of the United States House of Representatives is the representative that has been in office the longest. The current Dean is Don Young, a Republican from Alaska. He has served in the House since March 6th, 1973. The Dean is a symbolic job whose only customary duty is to swear in a Speaker of the House when he or she is elected. The Dean comes forward on the House Floor to administer (give) the oath to the Speaker-elect. The new Speaker then administers the oath to the other members. The Dean does not preside over the election of the Speaker, unlike the Father of the House in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom and the Dean of the Canadian House of Commons.