Senator Hiram Fong became one of Hawaii’s first two U.S. Senators in 1959, upon the state’s admission to the Union. The son of Chinese immigrants, Fong was also the first U.S. Senator of Asian ancestry. During his nearly 18 years in the Senate, Fong advocated civil rights and voting rights legislation and immigration reform that sought to prevent discrimination against Asians. Known for his devotion to Hawaii and his constituents, Fong’s state pride can be seen in a 1983 oral history interview with Capitol Police Inspector Leonard Ballard, who fondly remembered pointing out to Senator Fong a pineapple light fixture in the U.S. Capitol Building.

In August 1993, Senators Dale Bumpers and David Pryor of Arkansas proposed to the Senate Commission on Art that a portrait of Hattie Caraway be considered for the Senate wing of the Capitol. Hattie Ophelia Wyatt Caraway was the first woman elected to a full term in the U.S. Senate. The portrait was unveiled at the U.S. Capitol on June 24,1996.

When Leonard Ballard joined the Capitol Police in 1947, the police rolls carried the names of 157 men, ranging from college students to retired policemen, who were mostly patronage appointments. When he retired 37 years later, the Capitol Police had expanded to 1,200 men and women, and was a fully professional police force. In these interviews, Ballard recounts this transformation, explaining the importance of public relations when dealing with the politicians, staff, lobbyists, press, visiting dignitaries, and tourists who daily populate Capitol Hill.

Audio Clip: Senator Hiram Fong and the Pineapple Fixture