Benjamin C. West
Working his way up the ranks from messenger to superintendent of the House Press Gallery, Benjamin C. West’s 44-year career spanned World War II, the civil rights movement, and Watergate, all the while modernizing the gallery and navigating the tumultuous relationship between print and electronic media.
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Meeting President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Abstract & Transcript
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
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.
Video
Eyewitness to History
Meeting President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
The Nixon Impeachment Hearings
Audio
Keeping a Log of the House Proceedings
Keeping a Log of the House Proceedings
Benjamin C. West, Superintendent, Daily Press Gallery, U.S. House of Representatives
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Remodeling of the House Press Gallery
Remodeling of the House Press Gallery
Benjamin C. West, Superintendent, Daily Press Gallery, U.S. House of Representatives
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Serving Two Masters
Serving Two Masters
Benjamin C. West, Superintendent, Daily Press Gallery, U.S. House of Representatives
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Tradition in the House Press Gallery
Tradition in the House Press Gallery
Benjamin C. West, Superintendent, Daily Press Gallery, U.S. House of Representatives
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