<P> The Postmaster General of the United States is the chief executive officer of the United States Postal Service; Megan Brennan is the current Postmaster General . </P> <P> Appointed members of the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service select the Postmaster General and Deputy Postmaster General, who then join the Board . </P> <P> The office, in one form or another, is older than both the United States Constitution and the United States Declaration of Independence . Benjamin Franklin was appointed by the Continental Congress as the first Postmaster General in 1775, serving just over 15 months . </P> <P> Until 1971, the postmaster general was the head of the Post Office Department (or simply "Post Office" until the 1820s). During that era, the postmaster general was appointed by the President of the United States, with the advice and consent of the United States Senate . From 1829 to 1971, the postmaster general was a member of the President's Cabinet . </P>

Who was the first postmaster general of the united states