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Benjamin C. West Oral History Interviews Final Edited Transcripts Benjamin C. West Press Gallery, U.S. House of Representatives (1942–1968) Superintendent, Daily Press Gallery, U.S. House of Representatives (1969–1986) Oral History Interviews Final Edited Transcripts August 24, 2005 August 31, 2005 September 7, 2005 January 19, 2006 Office of the Historian U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. Table of Contents Interview Abstract i Interviewee Biography i Editing Practices ii Citation Information ii Interviewer Biography iii Interview One 1 Interview Two 53 Interview Three 110 Interview Four 166 Notes 203 Index 204 Abstract Benjamin West joined the staff of the House Press Gallery in 1942 when he was 15 years old. His 44-year career spanned the pinnacle and the decline of the newspaper as Americans’ primary source of information and the ascendancy of electronic media. In this series of interviews, West discussed the evolution of the House Press Gallery, particularly as the press sought to explain federal actions and policies that had become increasingly important in Americans’ everyday lives. He described the structure of the gallery, related its early history, and detailed its daily operations under its second and third superintendents, William J. Donaldson, Jr., and Richard (Dick) Embly. West explained the role of the Standing Committee of Correspondents, mentioning many of its key members, and its dynamic relationship with the gallery. He recalled pioneering women reporters and African- American reporters in the 1940s and historic events such as the 1954 shooting in the House Chamber and the 1974 Nixon impeachment hearings, both of which he witnessed. West also provided insight into the complex role of the gallery staff—particularly the superintendent—in its efforts to serve “two masters”: the press and the Members and staff. Biography Benjamin C. West was born on December 27, 1926, in Martinsburg, West Virginia. He grew up near the Capitol and was educated in District of Columbia public schools, graduating from the D.C. Evening High School in 1945. West served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. At an early age, he began delivering newspapers to support his family. In 1942 at age 15, West took a three-month position as a part-time electrician’s helper in the Office of the Architect of the Capitol. He then worked as a Senate elevator operator for four months and subsequently secured a position in the House Press Gallery, where he remained for the next four decades. West began as a messenger and worked his way up the ranks before becoming superintendent of the press gallery in January 1969. West oversaw the daily operations of the House Press Gallery during his 17 years as superintendent. He also supervised the remodeling and the modernization of the gallery, implemented a detailed reference system to facilitate reporting, and played a leading part in major gallery functions such as providing on-site management for national political conventions before his retirement from the House in April 1986 during the 99th Congress (1985–1987). Benjamin C. West died on June 13, 2014, in Cheverly, Maryland. http://history.house.gov/Oral-History/ i Editing Practices In preparing interview transcripts for publication, the editors sought to balance several priorities: • As a primary rule, the editors aimed for fidelity to the spoken word and the conversational style in accord with generally accepted oral history practices. • The editors made minor editorial changes to the transcripts in instances where they believed such changes would make interviews more accessible to readers. For instance, excessive false starts and filler words were removed when they did not materially affect the meaning of the ideas expressed by the interviewee. • In accord with standard oral history practices, interviewees were allowed to review their transcripts, although they were encouraged to avoid making substantial editorial revisions and deletions that would change the conversational style of the transcripts or the ideas expressed therein. • The editors welcomed additional notes, comments, or written observations that the interviewees wished to insert into the record and noted any substantial changes to the transcript. • Copy-editing of the transcripts was based on the standards set forth in The Chicago Manual of Style. The first reference to a Member of Congress (House or Senate) is underlined in the oral history transcript. For more information about individuals who served in the House or Senate, please refer to the online Biographical Directory of the United States Congress at http://bioguide.conress.gov and the “People Search” section of the History, Art & Archives website, http://history.house.gov. For more information about the U.S. House of Representatives oral history program contact the Office of House Historian at (202) 226-1300, or via email at [email protected]. Citation Information When citing this oral history interview, please use the format below: “Benjamin C. West Oral History Interview,” Office of the Historian, U.S. House of Representatives, [date of interview]. http://history.house.gov/Oral-History/ ii Interviewer Biography Kathleen Johnson is a senior historical editor for the Office of the Historian, U.S. House of Representatives. She earned a B.A. in history from Columbia University and holds two master’s degrees from North Carolina State University in education and public history. In 2004, she helped to create House’s first oral history program, focusing on collecting the institutional memory of Members and staff. She co-authored two books: Women in Congress: 1917–2006 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 2006) and Black Americans in Congress: 1870–2007 (GPO, 2008). http://history.house.gov/Oral-History/ iii — BENJAMIN C. WEST — INTERVIEW ONE JOHNSON: This is Kathleen Johnson interviewing Benjamin C. West, former superintendent of the House Press Gallery. It’s August 24th [2005], and this interview is taking place in the Legislative Resource Center conference room, Cannon House Office Building. Mr. West, I was hoping we could start with some biographical information. When and where were you born? WEST: I was born in Martinsburg, West Virginia, as a result of my parents’ being on Christmas holiday. Otherwise, I was a Washingtonian and would have been a native Washingtonian. I was born December 27th, 1926. I had the bad grace to show up eight days earlier over predictions. My parents were married four years earlier and were residents of Washington, D.C., and as a result of that, until I was married in 1946, I lived essentially within the shadow of the Capitol dome—4th and A Northeast, 7th and A Northeast, and the 1300 block of North Carolina Avenue. So, much of my young life was spent within the shadow of the dome. I also served newspapers—the old Washington Times Herald—for two and a half years: 4:30 in the morning and 3:30 in the afternoon. And, indeed, my route went right up to the back door of the Supreme Court building and still within the shadow of the dome. JOHNSON: How old were you at that time? WEST: I was 14, not quite 15. I had it about two and a half years. And as a family note, I had the rather unusual childhood role of being the family breadwinner. That was our income during the Great Depression, as it was called. Twenty-eight percent of the workforce was unemployed, and another 20 percent was underemployed. So a paper route . even adults, in some http://history.house.gov/Oral-History/ 1 cases, were utilizing that income opportunity. I came to the Capitol building at age 15, I was a little over 15. My initial employment was 90 days as an electrician’s helper in the Capitol basement on the Architect’s office payroll. The then-building superintendent, Mr. Augustus Cook, took a liking to me, and when that patronage appointment expired, he arranged for a four-month appointment to operate the Senators’ elevator at the Senate door on the other side of the building. And from there I went to the press gallery and stayed 44 years. JOHNSON: So when you first arrived at the press gallery, what was your job? What was your position? WEST: At that time, the staff was only four members. And my title, which essentially was a historic title, was messenger to the press gallery. The other three jobs were superintendent and first assistant and second assistant. And if you examine the Congressional Directories from 1942 to 1948, you will not find me listed. Nor would you find the equivalent job in the Senate Press Gallery listed. It was the custom then that only the assistants were listed in the Congressional Directories, as part of the press gallery staffs. In 1948 a fifth position was created, actually as a promotion for me, and carried the title of third assistant superintendent. Also, the title of “messenger” was eliminated. And interestingly, over the many years, the bottom staff position at one time was—I found in an old journal—described as messenger to the press gallery, which kind of was ongoing, even when I joined it. But in another document I once saw, it was listed as Page to the press gallery. So apparently there were some assorted titles over the span of time. Apparently, the original staffing of the press gallery took place sometime in the early 1870s. The first superintendent, Mr. Charles H. Mann, he served from 1879 to 1913. And, http://history.house.gov/Oral-History/ 2 as far as I ever encountered, he was the only staffer up until about the last year of his tenure. And my first boss, Mr. William J. Donaldson, Jr., was his Page to the press gallery. And that appears to be the first additional staffer to the press gallery that I’ve ever come across.
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