In this 1951 photograph, California Congressman John Shelley (left) celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with Speaker Sam Rayburn (right). First marked in the House in 1884 by the wearing of green ribbons in the Chamber, the tradition of honoring the Emerald Isle continued with the annual St. Patrick’s Day luncheons first hosted by Speaker Tip O’Neill in the 1980s.
History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives, “John F. Shelley and Speaker Sam Rayburn Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day,” https://history.house.gov/Collection/Listing/2008/2008-058-001/ (May 16, 2021)
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