Today, the House of Representatives unveiled a new portrait of Representative Patsy Mink. The first woman of color and first Asian-American woman elected to Congress, in 1964, Mink’s work led to significant changes in education in the United States, including Title IX of the Education Act of 1972.
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Fifty years ago, on June 17, 1972, officers with the Metropolitan police department apprehended five men during a break-in at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee located in the Watergate complex along the Potomac River in Washington, DC. The arrests set off a chain of events that ended with the resignation of Richard M. Nixon as President in August 1974. This Edition for Educators highlights the role of the House of Representatives during the Watergate scandal and its aftermath.
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Collections Search is blooming with springtime additions! They join the thousands of paintings, photos, and artifacts that are already available online.
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Fifty years ago, the final version of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 passed the U.S. House of Representatives. One of the women at the center of this landmark legislative effort was Representative Patsy Takemoto Mink of Hawaii, who was first elected in 1964 becoming the first woman of color to serve in Congress. After its initial passage, Mink spent the balance of her political career defending Title IX. This month’s Edition for Educators highlights Representative Mink and the statute which eventually bore her name.
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The Capitol Page School’s 1954 commencement ceremonies included an unexpected speaker. Listen to newly digitized audio recordings of this unusual graduation.
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Striking a balance between work and family has long been a central part of the lives of working women—no less so for Members of Congress. This month’s Edition for Educators highlights stories of motherhood in Congress.
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This Edition for Educators celebrates the tradition of poetry in all its forms in the history of the U.S. House of Representatives.
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In 1794, the House amended its rules to include the stipulation that an official seal be used for “all writs, warrants, or subpoenas, issued by the order of House.” More than two centuries later, the Clerk of the House continues to impress the House Seal, whose use is protected by law, on the House’s official documents.
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In the mid-twentieth century, bookmobile service boomed in large part because of an act of Congress. The Library Services Act of 1956 opened access to library resources in rural areas by providing matching grants to the states and territories. Many jurisdictions used this funding to purchase bookmobiles. The Library Services Act transformed the relationship between the federal government and one of America’s oldest institutions: the public library.
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This Edition for Educators explores the experiences of women who—through their challenges and triumphs—have transformed Congress and opened new opportunities for others to work in government.
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After the 83rd Congress (1953–1955) adjourned
sine die in late August 1954, a reporter from the
Baltimore Sun caught up with Representative Edward Tylor Miller of Maryland and asked about his late summer plans. The first thing on his to-do list, Miller said, was to go fishing.
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Take a look at newly digitized artifacts in Collections Search. They join the thousands already available online, from portraits to ribbons.
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