United States Capitol Historical Society

The United States Capitol Historical Society is an organization chartered by the United States Congress, beginning in 1962, to educate the public on the heritage and history of the United States Capitol, as well as its institutions and those individuals who have served them over time.

The Society was established in 1962 as a private non-profit organization. Founded through a bipartisan effort by Congress, the society's creation was spearheaded by its first president, Representative Fred Schwengel of Iowa. The group holds a congressional charter under Title 36 of the United States Code. They have an Oral History collection at the Library of Congress. They offer Fellowships to study the history of the Capitol.

In 2004, The United States Capitol Historical Society was one of eight recipients of the National Humanities Medal from the National Endowment for the Humanities conferred by President George W. Bush. The following entry from the NEH website, 2004 Medal Recipients page, gives great insight into the operation, purpose and service of The United States Capitol Historical Society:

"Ronald Sarasin says that one of his favorite pastimes is leading special tours onto the House floor of the U.S. Capitol.

"There is so much more to be told about our nation's history from inside this building than simply the making of laws," says Sarasin, who was a congressman from Connecticut in the 1970s. He is now president and chief executive officer of the United States Capitol Historical Society, founded in 1962 by Congress to educate the public on the history of the Capitol and Congress.

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