U.S. House of Representatives, The Office of the Historian
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The Great Seal of the United States of America
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Office of the Historian
U.S. House of Representatives
B-56 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-226-5525
Facsimile: 202-226-2931
Email: historian@mail.house.gov
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Committee Histories

“Congress in session is Congress on public exhibition, whilst Congress in its committee-rooms is Congress at work.”  This observation, by political scientist Woodrow Wilson in his doctoral thesis, Congressional Government (1884), is perhaps even more reflective of the operations of the twenty-first century House of Representatives.  

To capture that essential aspect of the House, the Office of the Historian is updating several existing histories of House committees. Currently the Office is researching the history of the Committee on Science and Technology, the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and the Committee on Ways and Means.  The following chart provides the current state of the history of House committees.

Existing Committee Histories

As of March 2008

Agriculture Committee on Agriculture: 150th Anniversary, by Committee, 1970
Appropriations A History of the Committee on Appropriations, by E. Taylor, 1941
Armed Services None
Budget None
Education and Labor History of the Committee, Orange Booklet, 1970
Energy and Commerce 180 Years of Service: A Brief History of the Committee On Interstate
and For Commerce, by Committee, 1975
Financial Services None
Foreign Affairs The House Committee on Foreign Affairs, by Albert Westphal, 1968
Homeland Security None
House Administration None
Judiciary History of the House Judiciary Committee, by Committee, 2007
Natural Resources Historical Information of the Cmte on Resources: 1807-2002, 2002
Oversight and Gov’t Reform None
Rules A History of the Committee on Rules, by Committee, 1983
Science and Technology The Office of the Historian has just published a brief history of the House Committee on Science and Technology
http://science.house.gov/about/history_committee.shtml
Small Business None
Standards of Official Conduct None, history of cases on committee website
Transportation and Infrastructure Structure and Function on the Committee on Public Works,
by Committee, 1974
Veterans Affairs History of House Committees Considering Veteran's Legislation, 1990
Office of the Historian is currently updating
Ways and Means The Committee on Ways and Means, by Donald Kennon and Rebecca Rogers, 1989
Office of the Historian is currently updating
Intelligence None