Roger Addison Oral History Interview Final Edited Transcript
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Roger Addison Registration and Compliance Clerk, Legislative Resource Center Oral History Interview Final Edited Transcript May 29, 2019 Office of the Historian U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC “I think if you were very fortunate, it was a blessing to work in this institution. Everyone couldn’t do it, and everyone couldn’t handle it. You have people come in and out. And you probably still today have that. But I could think of no other place that if you put your faith in God first of all and you put your feet firmly on the ground and you grind, you can accomplish a lot of things here in this place as far as opportunities and jobs.” Roger Addison May 29, 2019 Table of Contents Interview Abstract i Interviewee Biography ii Editing Practices iii Citation Information iii Interviewer Biography iv Interview 1 Notes 50 Abstract Born and raised in Washington, DC, Roger Addison spent more than 30 years working for the U.S. House of Representatives. Addison’s family had a strong connection to the Capitol—his aunt, Janie Mae (Kelley) Galmon, mentored many relatives while she worked as a chef in the House Member’s Dining Room. Addison’s familial connection led to a job offer moving furniture for the House in 1988. This position laid the foundation for Addison’s long career supporting the work of the Office of the Clerk. In this interview Addison recalls his childhood in the District. He fondly describes the tight-knit community in his neighborhood adorned with many “mom-and-pop” stores. He also speaks of the civil rights movement and riots in the capital, as well as the mentors he had growing up in the city. After meeting with Congressman Sonny Montgomery of Mississippi (an interview arranged by his aunt), Addison received a job as a laborer moving furniture in the Capitol complex. He recalls how he learned to read blueprints, the comradery he developed with his co-workers, and the intricate scheduling involved in moving furniture after elections before the beginning of a new Congress. As a young African-American employee, he remembers paying close attention to the careers of Black Members like John Lewis, Ron Dellums, and Walter Fauntroy. Addison used his familiarity with the capital’s streets and his District hack license to get a job as a driver for the Clerk of the House. As one of two drivers he spent time on the road and in the Clerk’s main office. During this period he witnessed historic events like the shooting of two Capitol Police officers in July 1998 and the evacuation of the Capitol after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Addison also describes the changes to the Clerk’s Office when the Republicans took control of the House for the first time in 40 years in 1995. A few years later Addison moved to the Legislative Resource Center (LRC)—an office created in the aftermath of the party change—to take a job as a Public Information Specialist. He outlines the function of the LRC, his specific responsibilities, and his promotion to the position of Registration and Compliance Clerk before his retirement in 2019. https://history.house.gov/Oral-History/ i Biography Roger Addison was born on March 6, 1956, in Washington, DC. His father, Ben Addison, was a contractor and painter, and his mother, Zipper Lena Johnson, was a domestic worker and retail manager. Addison attended public schools in Southeast Washington, DC, graduating from Eastern High School in 1974. Growing up in the nation’s capital he lived in a tight-knit, predominantly Black neighborhood with many family-owned businesses. Addison witnessed changes to the landscape of the city, including those brought about by the bourgeoning civil rights movement and protests of the 1960s. In 1982, he married Gwendolyn Brown. The couple had two children, Tina Marie and Roger Addison Jr., as well as an adopted daughter, Lashawn. While working on Capitol Hill, Addison met his second wife Cassandra, whom he married in 2005. Addison has three stepchildren from this union: Amorita, Bethany, and Jerry. In the late 1970s Addison briefly held a job as a dishwasher in the Longworth House Office Building before earning his chauffer and taxi licenses in the District of Columbia. Influenced by his aunt and mentor, Janie Mae (Kelley) Galmon, who worked as a chef in the Members’ Dining Room, Addison followed her advice to seek employment at the House of Representatives. With the assistance of Galmon, he interviewed with Congressman Sonny Montgomery of Mississippi in 1988 and received a job moving furniture at the Capitol. Addison worked as a laborer for three years before accepting a new position as a driver for the Office of the Clerk. Addison’s professional experience driving in DC and his intimate knowledge of the District made him a natural fit for the job. From 1991 to 1998 he provided transportation for the Clerk and assisted with other official duties such as bringing documents to the White House and local government agencies. In 1999, Addison became a Public Information Specialist in the Clerk’s Legislative Resource Center (LRC). While at the LRC, he assisted staff and the public by pulling materials from the Congressional Record and offering guidance and advice on researching bills. Addison moved to the Records and Registration section of the LRC in 2005 where he served as an Assistance Compliance Clerk. Here he worked with financial disclosure forms helping the LRC move from paper record keeping to electronic files made accessible to the public. Addison finished his 31-year career for the House as a Registration and Compliance Clerk, a position he held from 2012 until his retirement on May 2, 2019. Upon leaving the Clerk’s Office, Addison moved from Washington, DC, to Columbia, South Carolina, where he resides with his wife Cassandra. https://history.house.gov/Oral-History/ ii 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 or redactions 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, http://bioguide.congress.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: “Roger Addison Oral History Interview,” Office of the Historian, U.S. House of Representatives (29 May 2019). https://history.house.gov/Oral-History/ iii Interviewer Biography Kathleen Johnson is the Manager of Oral History for the Office of the Historian, U.S. House of Representatives. She earned a BA in history from Columbia University, where she also played basketball for four years, and holds two master’s degrees from North Carolina State University in education and public history. In 2004, she helped to create the 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, DC: Government Printing Office, 2006) and Black Americans in Congress: 1870–2007 (GPO, 2008). Before joining the Office of the Historian, she worked as a high school history teacher and social studies curriculum consultant. https://history.house.gov/Oral-History/ iv — ROGER ADDISON — INTERVIEW JOHNSON: My name is Kathleen Johnson. I’m with the Office of the Historian, and today’s date is May 29, 2019. We’re in the House Recording Studio in the Rayburn House Office Building. And I’m here with Roger Addison, longtime House employee. Thank you so much for coming in to speak with us today. ADDISON: It’s my pleasure. JOHNSON: This interview is also going to be part of a project that our office is just starting for the 150th anniversary of the election of Joseph Rainey, the first African American elected to the House. To commemorate this anniversary, we’re going to be interviewing African-American staff and Members. So thank you for being part of that project as well. ADDISON: You’re welcome. JOHNSON: To begin with, some biographical questions. When and where were you born? ADDISON: I was born right here in Washington, DC, at the famous DC General Hospital. JOHNSON: Okay. And on what date were you born? ADDISON: I was born March 6, 1956. JOHNSON: What were the names and occupations of your parents? history.house.gov/Oral-History/ 1 ADDISON: My mother is Zipper Lena Addison.