History of the U.S. House Page Program
For more than 180 years, messengers known as Pages served the United States House of Representatives. In the last several decades, House Pages were sixteen year olds in their junior year of high school. Several incumbent and former Members of Congress as well as other prominent Americans have served as Congressional Pages.
Pages in the House enjoyed an unparalleled opportunity to observe and participate in the legislative process in “the People’s House.” The expectations and experiences of House Pages, regardless of when they served, have been linked by certain commonalities—witnessing history, interacting with Representatives, and acquiring inspiration to participate in civic life over their lifetimes.
On August 8, 2011, the House of Representatives decided to shutter the U.S. House of Representatives Page Program and with that, the era of House Pages halted. Our Association is working on reinstating what we optimistically view to be a suspended program. We look forward to the day when Pages return to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Additional information and videos can be found on the following websites:
History of the House Page Program
Representatives as Role Models and Mentors
Breaking Down Racial and Gender Barriers
Pages and the Communications Revolution
The End of the House Page Program
