Capitol Hill Pages

Book excerpt: The Capitol Page Program allowed teenagers 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, current and former pages' unique perspectives still, and 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 into 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.