Thirty-three commissioners were sworn in when the United States Semiquincentennial Commission began organizing in 2018.
The commissioners took their oaths at Independence Hall in Philadelphia on November 16, 2018. The location was chosen for its connection to both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, making it a symbolic setting for launching preparations for the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The original membership included 16 private citizens, eight members of Congress, and nine federal officials. Those groups total 33 commissioners. The body was expected to meet several times each year while developing plans, recommendations, partnerships, and programs for the 2026 observance.
The number later changed. A 2020 amendment added additional nonvoting ex officio federal officials, bringing the commission’s overall membership to 36. That later figure can cause confusion when reading about the commission, but the number asked here is the original group sworn in at its first organizing stage: 33.