Representative Thomas D’Alesandro Jr. of Maryland worked the phones in his House office in 1939. Telephone service first came to the Capitol in 1880. Although the Capitol switchboard received fewer than 200 calls in 1898, telephones became increasingly important for congressional communication in the early 20th century. Through the switchboard, Members rang each other and the President, and took calls from constituents. By 1926, the Capitol operators received approximately 30,000 calls a day.
