Standing next to the Capitol switchboard, chief operator Harriott Daley broke into a smile. “She must have a lot of interesting recollections,” a
Washington Post reporter mused, “since she is in the top telephone spot in the Nation.”
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by
Art on January 29, 2016
“Little Bertie” was just 11 years old when he scored a ringside seat to history.
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This month’s Edition for Educators highlights trivia spanning the history of the House of Representatives, spotlighting a few unique firsts, records, and watershed moments. Who was the first known Representative to be elected by a write-in vote? What is on Charles Schulz’s Congressional Gold Medal? And how long would “Uncle Joe” cook a ham hock for his bean soup? All of this trivia and more can be found on the History, Art & Archives website.
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In 1965, Patsy Mink became the first woman of color elected to Congress. An advocate for equal rights as well as many other women’s issues, one of her greatest accomplishments was the passage of the Women’s Education Equality Act, as part of a comprehensive education bill, in 1974. Learn more about Mink and other firsts for women in Congress.
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More than 150 years after the American Revolution, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England made history when they set foot on American soil. As the first reigning English monarchs to visit the United States, they received a much warmer reception than the British forces of Paul Revere’s time. Amid much fanfare and eager anticipation on both sides of the Atlantic on the eve of World War II, the royal couple embarked on a brief but meaningful tour of the U.S. and Canada, which included a formal reception at the U.S. Capitol on June 9, 1939.
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During the chaotic first two weeks of the 26th Congress (1839–1841) in December 1839, three separate men presided over the House of Representatives: Clerk Hugh Garland of the previous Congress, Representative John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts in an entirely invented position, and finally Robert M. T. Hunter of Virginia, the youngest Speaker of the House ever to hold the office.
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