The United States Semiquincentennial Commission originally had 33 members when it began organizing in 2018.
The commission’s initial membership consisted of 16 private citizens, eight members of Congress, and nine federal officials. Its members were sworn in at Independence Hall in Philadelphia on November 16, 2018, and held their first organizing meeting there.
The group was designed to combine elected representatives, government officials, and private citizens in planning the national 250th-anniversary observance. Its work included developing recommendations, coordinating federal participation, and encouraging commemorative activities around the country.
The original total should not be confused with the commission’s later size. A 2020 amendment changed the membership structure by adding nonvoting ex officio federal officials, increasing the overall body to 36 members. Thus, 33 describes the commission at its initial organizing stage, while 36 refers to the amended structure.