August 31, 2011, marked the last day of the United States House of Representatives Page Program, a tradition nearly as old as Congress itself.
“According to the House of Representatives Page Program website, the history of the pages themselves goes back to the first Continental Congress of 1774 (though they were not called ‘pages’ until 1827), when lawmakers began sponsoring young boys, many of them poor and orphaned, for menial work. What started out as small operation grew into a highly competitive program for about 70 teenagers a year.”(1)
“It’s telling that much of what these ex-pages recall is walking — copiously. Dingell, who served as a House page from 1938 to 1941, says one time he put a pedometer on his leg. By the end of the day, he says, ‘I had walked 14 miles.’”(2)
“There are fledgling efforts to save the 184-year-old program: One group of former pages offered to take over its funding and administration, but they were reportedly rebuffed by the House leadership; others have taken to the Internet, forming a Facebook group to rally support.”(3)
“We have great appreciation for the unique role that pages have played in the history and traditions of the House of Representatives,” Boehner and Pelosi said in their statement. (4)
