Oral History List

Oral History Interviews Open for Research

Since 1976 the Senate Historical Office has interviewed long-time staff and senators. These interviews cover the breadth of the 20th century and now the 21st century, and include a diverse group of personalities who witnessed events first-hand. Read more about the Senate Oral History project here.

	Richard A. Arenberg Staff to Senators Paul Tsongas, George Mitchell and Carl Levin (1975-2009).

	Francis J. Attig Official Reporter of Debates (1952-1974)

	Richard A. Baker Senate Historian (1975-2009)

	Robert G. Baker Senate Page and Chief Telephone Page (1942-1953), Secretary to the Majority (1953-1963)

	Leonard H. Ballard Inspector, United States Capitol Police (1947-1984)

	Dennis Brezina Staff, Science Policy Research Division, Legislative Reference Service; Staff, Senate Subcommittee on Government Research; Legislative Assistant to Senator Gaylord Nelson

	Charles Sergeant Caldwell Aide to Senator Ralph Yarborough (1957-1970)

	Capitol Telecommunications, 1970-2006

	Gregory S. Casey Chief of Staff of Senator Larry Craig (1991-1996), Senate Sergeant at Arms, 1996-1998)

	Donald J. Detwiler Senate Page (1917-1918)

	Rufus Edmisten Staff to Senator Sam Ervin and Deputy Chief Counsel, Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities (Watergate Committee) (1964-1974)

	Roy Elson Administrative Assistant to Senator Carl Hayden and Candidate for the United States Senate (1955-1969)

	Grover W. Ensley Executive Director, Joint Economic Committee (1949-1957)

	Female Pages Ellen McConnell Blakeman, Paulette Desell-Lund, and Julie Price (1971-1972)

	Charles D. Ferris Staff Director, Senate Democratic Policy Committee (1963-1977)

	Martin Gold Counsel to Senator Mark Hatfield, 1972-1976; Counsel to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, 1976-1977; Counsel to the Senate Rules Committee, 1977-1979; Counsel to the Senate Republican Leader, 1979-1982, 2003-2004

	Linda Gustitus Legislative Assistant, Senator Carl Levin, 1979-1980; Chief Counsel and Staff Director, Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management and of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, 1980-2001; Chief of Staff to Senator Carl Levin, 2001-2003

	Brian Hallen Senate Enrolling Clerk (1986-1995)

	William F. Hildenbrand Assistant to Senator J. Caleb Boggs (1961-1969); Administrative Assistant to Senator Hugh Scott (1969-1974); Secretary to the Minority (1974-1981); Secretary of the Senate (1981-1985)

	G. William Hoagland Staff Director of the Senate Budget Committee and Advisor to the Senate Majority Leader

	F. Nordy Hoffman Sergeant at Arms (1975-1981)

	Pat M. Holt Chief of Staff, Foreign Relations Committee (1974-1977)

	Michael A. Johnson Deputy Assistant Sergeant at Arms

	Kelly D. Johnston Staff Director, Senate Republican Policy Committee, Secretary of the Senate (1992-1996)

	Edward E. (Ted) Kaufman Staff to Senator Joe Biden (1973-1994), United States Senator (2009-2010).

	J. Keith Kennedy Staff Director/Clerk of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Deputy Senate Sergeant at Arms

	Joseph Stanley Kimmitt Secretary for the Majority (1965-1976) and Secretary of the Senate (1977-1981)

	John D. Lane Administrative Assistant to Senator Brien McMahon (1949-1952)

	Elizabeth Letchworth Page, Floor Assistant, Republican Party Secretary (1975-2001)

	J. Franklin Little Senate Page (1910-1912)

	Chuck Ludlam Counsel; Subcommittee on Administrative Practice and Subcommittee on Separation of Powers, Senate Judiciary Committee (1975-1979), Joint Economic Committee (1982-1985), Senate Small Business Committee (1985-1993), Senator Joseph Lieberman (2001-2005)

	Carl M. Marcy Chief of Staff, Foreign Relations Committee (1955-1973)

	Stewart E. McClure Chief Clerk, Senate Committee on Labor, Education, and Public Welfare (1949-1973)

	Christine S. McCreary Staff of Senators Stuart Symington (1953-1977) and John Glenn (1977-1998)

	Scott McGeary Senate Page

	Roy L. McGhee Superintendent of the Senate Periodical Press Gallery

	Carol Moseley Braun United States Senator from Illinois (1993-1999)

	Richard W. Murphy Legislative Assistant to Senator Hugh Scott (1964-1969)

	Jesse R. Nichols Government Documents Clerk and Librarian, Senate Committee on Finance (1937-1971)

	Martin P. Paone Senate Democratic Cloakroom Staff; Minority and Majority Secretary

	Scott I. Peek Administrative Assistant to Senator George A. Smathers

	W. Lee Rawls Staff Director to Senators Pete Domenici and Bill Frist (1975-2005)

	Warren Featherstone Reid Assistant to Warren G. Magnuson, 1949-1981

	Floyd M. Riddick Senate Parliamentarian (1964-1974)

	William A. Ridgely Senate Financial Clerk and Assistant Secretary of the Senate (1949-1981)

	Arthur J. Rynearson Office of the Senate Legislative Counsel, 1976-2003

	Dorothye G. Scott Administrative Assistant to the Senate Democratic Secretary and to the Secretary of the Senate (1945-1977)

	Howard E. Shuman Administrative Assistant to Senators Paul Douglas and William Proxmire (1955-1983)

	George A. Smathers United States Senator from Florida (1951-1969)

	Darrell St. Claire Administrative Secretary of the Senate (1966-1977)

	George Tames Washington Photographer for The New York Times (1945-1985)

	Francis R. Valeo Secretary of the Senate, 1966-1977; Secretary to the Majority, 1963-1966; Administrative Assistant to Senator Mike Mansfield, 1958-1963

	Rein J. Vander Zee Administrative Assistant to the Majority Whip and Assistant Secretary of the Majority (1961-1964)

	J. Robert Vastine Staff Director, Senate Republican Conference, (1985-1991)

	Jerry T. Verkler Staff Director of the Senate Interior and Insular Affairs Committee (1963-1974)

	Ruth Young Watt Chief Clerk, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, 1948-1979

	Jade West Executive director of the Senate Steering Committee (1982-1996) and Staff Director of the Republican Policy Committee (1996-2002)

	Francis O. Wilcox Chief of Staff, Foreign Relations Committee (1947-1955)

	Timothy S. Wineman Senate Financial Clerk (1970-2005)

Disclaimer: The Senate Historical Office has a strong commitment to oral history as an important part of its efforts to document institutional change over time. Oral histories are a natural component to historical research and enhance the archival holdings of the Senate and its members. Oral histories represent the personal recollections and opinions of the interviewees, however, and should not be considered as the official views or opinions of the U.S. Senate, of the Senate Historical Office, or of other senators and/or staff members. The transcripts of these oral histories are made available by the Senate Historical Office as a public service.