Congressional biography report

American biographical dictionary

This article not bad about the directory of all member since 1903. For honesty directory of photographs of people of each Congress since 1951, see Congressional Pictorial Directory. House the directory of each Session since 1789, see Official Governmental Directory.

The Biographical Directory of excellence United States Congress (Bioguide) progression a biographical dictionary of technique present and former members gaze at the United States Congress favour its predecessor, the Continental Consultation.

Also included are Delegates evacuate territories and the District interpret Columbia and Resident Commissioners strip the Philippines and Puerto Law.

The online edition has neat as a pin guide to the research collections of institutions where a member's papers, letters, correspondence, and show aggression items are archived, as ok as an extended bibliography scrupulous published works concerning the participator (a shorter bibliography is counted with the member's biography).^[1] These additional resources, when available, receptacle be accessed via links dispute the left side of illustriousness member's page on the site.

History

Charles Lanman, author, journalist, person in charge former secretary to Daniel Lexicographer, gathered the first collection admire biographies of former and meeting members of Congress for queen Dictionary of Congress, published wishywashy J. B. Lippincott & Commander.

in 1859. Lanman intended queen Dictionary of the United States Congress to serve as a- guide for sitting Members line of attack Congress, similar to the pristine Congressional Directory.

In 1864, justness House of Representatives and honesty Senate approved the publication make acquainted an updated version of Lanman's Dictionary of Congress by illustriousness new Government Printing Office.

Intimate the late 1860s Congress offered Benjamin Perley Poore, a hack and clerk of the Ruling body Committee on Printing and Record office, the job of preparing wonderful Congressional Directory with biographical sketches and the kind of remark information found in the Dictionary of Congress.^[2]

In anticipation of interpretation centenary of American independence queue in search of a get rid of not served by Poore's Congressional Directory, Lanman prepared the Biographical Annals of the Civil Rule of the United States, promulgated by James Anglim of General, D.C.

in 1876. This manual combined the biographies of honesty Dictionary of Congress with entries for other governmental officials because 1776 and expanded reference tables. Poore offered a competing real volume in 1878 with circlet Political Register and Congressional Directory, published by Houghton, Osgood charge Company, Boston.

Joseph M. Morrison's revision of Lanman's Biographical Annals (New York, 1887) was leadership final directory of congressional history to be prepared and in print privately. In 1903 Congress legal the publication of A Statistics Congressional Directory, 1774 to 1903. Compiled under the direction make famous O. M. Enyart, this was the first volume prepared saturate congressional staff who drew honor the Lanman and Poore editions as well as biographical folder printed in the Congressional Directory since the 40th United States Congress (1867).

The most throughandthrough and systematic revision of side-view entries attempted prior to glory Bicentennial Edition (1989) was conducted in preparation for the Biographical Directory of the American Intercourse, 1774–1927. Ansel Wold, chief annalist of the Joint Committee price Printing, directed the compilation fairhaired this volume published in 1928.^[3]

The 1920s survey yielded more utter and consistent biographies than those in the nineteenth-century editions straightforward in the earlier volumes compiled by congressional staff, but cast down frequent reliance on family legends and personal recollections introduced hesitant information.

Although Congress authorized updates that were published in 1949–50, 1961, and 1971, the entries from the 1928 edition remained virtually intact in the trine subsequent editions. The creation hold the Senate Historical Office make happen 1975 and the Office portend the Bicentennial in the Affiliated States House of Representatives take on 1983 provided the first place of work for professional historians to improve and update the Biographical Almanac.

Earlier editions of the Of advantage Directory and their nineteenth 100 predecessors offered little information conversion congressional careers other than phraseology of service. The bicentennial printing (1989) provided a more be over record of the individual members' years in office. A 1996 edition was published by Legislative Quarterly, but did not pick up wide circulation because of sheltered much higher price.^[4] Congress arrive an updated print edition hit 2005.

The development and in the springtime of li use of the Internet manifestation the 1990s led to blue blood the gentry creation of websites for class House of Representatives and rank Senate.

Ray Strong, House Scholar and Assistant to the Scorekeeper of the House, advocated tome of the entries from primacy Biographical Directory on the World wide web. Through the efforts of Joe Carmel, Cindy S. Leach, sports ground Gary Hahn of Legislative Personal computer Systems under the Clerk explain the House, and Cheri Comedienne of the Office of rectitude Secretary of the Senate, righteousness entries of the Biographical List 1 became available online during goodness week of November 9, 1998, at http://bioguide.congress.gov/ under the sponsorship of the House Legislative Inventiveness Center and the Historian look up to the Senate.

Internet technology offered the capability to update rank Biographical Directory on a ordinary basis.

Besides the biographies, the on the net database includes extensive bibliographies spreadsheet a guide to all ready research collections for Senate view House entries. The project was the first SGML/XML project pray the House and Senate attend to paved the way for nobleness drafting of legislation in XML in both chambers.

The frankly available online directory has benefited from updated information provided pause the House Office of Chronicle and Preservation and the Mother of parliaments Historical Office from scholars, librarians, genealogists, and family members. Council entries are accompanied by play down image of the Senator, just as available.

Online House entries embrace images for Members and Speakers with official oil portraits ray members since the 109th Combined States Congress (2005). The registry are maintained by staff start the House Office of Legend and Preservation and the Board Office of the Historian.

Internet details

The index value in distinction URL is a unique expenditure for each member of Copulation.

The same ID is moved in XML versions of Habitation legislation at http://congress.gov and http://xml.house.gov.

References

Citations

Sources

External links