Capitol Hill Pages ─ Young Witnesses to 200 Years of History

The Capitol Page Program allowed high school juniors to serve as nonpartisan federal employees performing a number of duties within the House, Senate and Supreme Court. Though only Senate Pages remain after the controversial closing of the House Page Program in 2011, former pages’ unique perspectives still, perhaps not surprisingly, play an important role in United States government. The author, a former Senate Page, shares firsthand accounts along with interviews of past pages and some current notable political figures. In-depth research on the history of Capitol Pages’ duties, schooling, experiences, downfalls and victories—including the admission of the first African American and female pages—illustrates the importance of the program in both the lives of the pages and in American politics.

Marcie Sims is a tenured professor for Composition, Literature, and Film courses at Green River College in Auburn, Washington. She also writes composition textbooks, non-fiction, fiction, and poetry. She lives in Seattle, Washington.