Abstract

Amid much fanfare, including a formal introduction by then-House Minority Leader and future President Gerald Ford, Frank Mitchell became the first African-American Page in the U.S. House of Representatives. Mitchell recalled the warm welcome from House Leaders, Members, and Pages in an era rife with discrimination, and experienced no racial prejudice during his tenure in the House. Mitchell’s recollections—many of which focus on his service as a phone Page in the Republican Cloakroom—range from learning relaxation techniques from Congresswoman Frances Bolton of Ohio to attending heated floor debates before the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Like many former Pages, Mitchell believed the opportunity to serve as a Page was a powerful determinant of his success in adulthood.