Pages
Eyewitnesses to both ordinary proceedings and as monumental events, Pages played an important role in the House of Representatives from the earliest Congresses. Learn about the institution through the eyes of the young messengers who ran errands for Members and assisted in floor operations. Accounts from as early as the 1930s, provide an historical overview of House Pages’ work, school, free time, and living arrangements.
The Office of the Historian invites former Pages to complete a biographical form as part of an ongoing project to document the history of the House Page Program.
Video
House Pages Through the Years
For nearly 200 years, Pages shuttled bills, delivered messages, and tracked down Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. When they weren’t combing the Capitol campus, they went to school and explored the city. Watch as former Pages describe their day-to-day experiences on Capitol Hill during the 20th century, including their living arrangements, their education, and their many responsibilities. Included in this documentary are interviews with Pages who broke color and gender barriers, and Pages from different eras, including one who served in 1932.
Responsibilities of Pages
Representative Kanjorski describes the responsibilities of House Pages during the 1950s.
Unique Opportunities
Representative Kanjorski recounts his favorite aspects of Page service.
Last Day as a House Page
Lasting House Page memories.
A Trip to the White House
Memories of a Page trip to visit President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House.
Patronage in the House
Memories of New Jersey Representatives William Sutphin and James C. Auchincloss, and of the role patronage played in the Page program.
Typical Day as a Page and Description of the Republican Cloakroom
Memories of a busy Page schedule and of the Republican Cloakroom.
Congresswoman Frances Bolton of Ohio
Recollections of Pages interacting with Congresswoman Frances Bolton of Ohio.
Treatment as a Page and Speaker John McCormack of Massachusetts
Account of meeting Speaker John McCormack of Massachusetts on the Speaker’s Rostrum.
Memories of Fellow Pages and the Democratic Cloakroom
Descriptions of Felda Looper's fellow Pages and the Page school environment.
Arriving at the Capitol
Memories of arriving at the Capitol for Page service in 1953.
Audio
Capitol Page School
Memories of the Capitol Page School during the 1940s.
First Day as Page
Recollections of media attention and memories of Speaker of the House Carl Albert of Oklahoma.
Whip Call
Description of Whip calls during the 1950s and 1960s.
First Days as a House Page
Memories of coming to Washington, D.C. and the first few days as a House Page in 1953.
Answering Phones in the Democratic Cloakroom
Recollections of the duties of a House Page during the 1950s.
Images & Artifacts
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