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I’m Matt Wasniewski, the Historian of the U.S. House of Representatives.

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Welcome to the House Oral History Web page—

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a resource dedicated to capturing the rich heritage

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of this truly unique institution through the stories of the people who served here.

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To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks,

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the Office of the Historian conducted a series of interviews

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with former Representatives, House officials, and employees.

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This ongoing, event-based oral history project

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focuses on eyewitness accounts of 9/11,

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as well as the subsequent effect of the attacks on the institution.

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I hope you’ll explore this rich collection of video and audio interviews,

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to learn more about topics such as House Floor proceedings on 9/11,

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the evacuation of the Capitol and the House office buildings,

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the press conference and impromptu gathering on the Capitol steps on the evening of 9/11,

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the Joint Session to receive the President’s message on September 20th,

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and long-term changes to procedures and security.

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More compelling than any individual’s story

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is the collective human perspective of oral history

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on dramatic events such as September 11, 2001.

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Quite often, oral history illuminates subtle institutional changes

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which are not captured in documents and official records.

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Oral history is a vital tool for understanding developments

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and precedent in an institution that is more than 200 years old

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and that’s had nearly 11,000 Representatives (and thousands more staff).

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We hope this collection of interviews will provide an enhanced,

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behind-the-scenes view of the events of 9/11

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and its place in the history of the U.S. House of Representatives.