American Poet Laureate Establishment

Dec 20, 1985. A bill empowering the Librarian of Congress to name, annually, a poet laureate/consultant in poetry was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. In return for a stipend as poet laureate and a salary as the consultant in poetry, the person named will present at least one major work of poetry and will appear at selected national ceremonies. The first poet laureate of the US was Robert Penn Warren, appointed to that position by the Librarian of Congress Feb 26, 1986. Other poet laureates have included Robert Frost, Donald Hall and Billy Collins.

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