Evening star., 1939-03-27
Little Congress
Celebrates lis
10th Birthday
Legislators Employees
One Of Most Cosmopolitan
Groups in Country
REP. SANDAGER.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY

BY WILL p. KENNEDY
The Little Congress, made up OF
the secretarial and clerical en-
ployes of the members of the real
Congress and devoted to promoting
public speaking and an understand
ing of parliamentary procedure, has
begun its second 20 years. 1t was
founded in 1919 and has been ex-
panding in membership and ac-
| complishment ever since.
The Little Congress is about as
cosmopolitan a group as there is in
the United States, with members
from all the States and Territories
The gregarious urge was a factor in
its founding, but the desire to talk
with oratorial embellishments was
paramount.
The comradely aspect of the Little
Congress is reflected each year in an
annual dinner dance. AS a special
celebration of its Goth birthday. the
organization Saturday night held an
anniversary banquet in the main
ballroom Of the Willard Hotel. More
than so members of Congress, many
of whom rose from the ranks of
those who compose the Little Con-
gress, attended.
Three of Four Founders Present.
Three of the -four founders" of the
Little Congress were present af
guests of honor and reminisced or
the growth and development of the
organization during two decades
"steadfastly maintaining the ideal OF
Its founders-that of a free forum,
into lone Of the greatest debatine
societies of the country" These
three founders-all of whom have
held the office of speaker-are: Ken
meth Romney of Montana, sergeant
at arms of the House. father" of the
Little Congress, who enlisted the aid
OF the others; Representative Harry
Sandager of Rhode Island anc
Judge j. M. Barker of Illinois. Mr.
Romney has continued his service
for the organization and served a:
general chairman for the anniver-
sary banquet.
Lanham Is Speaker.
The principal speaker at the ban
quet was Representative Fritz Lam
ham of Texas, from the start an ac-
tive worker for the Little Congress
Opening remarks were made by Dan
S. 1nglish. Texas, chairman of the
active Committee on Entertainment
Welcome was spoken by Allen Ay-
NETT OF Tennessee, Speaker of the
Little Congress. The Navy Band
under the leadership of 1t. Charles
Benter, furnished dinner music. Car
toons for the program were the work
of Earle D. Chesney, in charge of the
contact office OF the Veterans Ad-
ministration at the Capitol.
Special tribute was paid to Lee
Barnes, for IL years treasurer of
the organization. Besides Mr.. Eng
llsh the other members of the ac-
tive committee were Virginia Hide
brand, Arkansas; Tom Gilstrap
Missouri; AL Griffith, California
Arnold Loessner, Florida, and Joe
Underwood, Florida, clerk. The
Founders" Committee consisted of
Representative Sandager, Repre-
sentative Lyndon johnson, Texas:
Judge j. H. Baker. Pr. Snyder and
Melvin Hildreth, both of Washing
ton. Edward Bisland, New York, is
clerk OF the Little Congress and
John Edmondson, Missouri, is SER
geant at arms.
Charter members of the Little
Congress are Kenneth Romney, j.
M. Barker, Missouri; Edward Bald
win, Oregon; Harry Sandager, R. C.
Schroeder, Illinois; R. L. Nagle,
Kansas; M. B. Rhodes, Missouri;
Charles Lewis, Iowa; P. F. Snyder,
Washington; M. C. Hoppin, New
Mexico; Don M. Hunt, Missouri;
Samuel Goodsell, Wisconsin; John
c. Blackwell. Connecticut; Harold
B. Allen, Washington; G. E. Strong
Kansas, and Clair F. Brickner
North Dakota.
Its Speakers.
Those who have served as speak
ers of the little congress were E
D. Baldwin; Oregon; Lehr Fess,
Ohio; Kenneth Romney, H. F.
Sedgwick, Ohio; Judge Barker, Illi-
nois; P. F. Snyder, Washington;
John A. Thames, North Carolina
w. S. Patten, Massachusetts,; Vic
tor Russell, Texas; Lowell Fess
Ohio: George E. Strong, Kansas;
Marx Lewis, New York; E. j. Water
field. Ohio; George w. Stafford
Florida; William F. Murray, ILLINOIS;
Milton L. Williams, Arkansas; Her.
bert Pillen, Ohio; John M. Robson
jr., Kentucky; A. o. Hearne, Texas;
Guy Mooney. Montana; J. G. Sims
Tennessee; w. R. Smith, Kentucky;
r. Lee Barnes, Alabama; Eugene F.
Sharkoff, Michigan; Arthur C.
Perry, Texas; Ray Nedrow, Ne
braska George Y. Harvey, Mis-
souri,; Robert F. Davis, Tennessee;
Elmore Whitehurst, Texas; eLyndon
B. johnson, Texas; Tom Camp
Georgia; Ray Johnson, Minnesota
Jack Frost, Georgia; Haskell It'd
well, California; Jim Coleman, Mis-
sissippi; D. c. Daniel, Tennessee;
Wilbur Heekin, Missouri; Victor
Harding, California; Wingate Lucas
Texas; H. Gordon johnson, Georgia
Bill AshWorth, Oregon; Leland
Lefeur, Louisiana: Marion J.
Schuff1er, North Carolina: John
Griggs, Missouri; Joe Clorety, Cali
fornia; Gore Hinzie, Texas; Calvin
hampton, Utah, and Clark H
Schooley, Illinois.