Charles Marston

Charles (Charlie) Franklin Marston was born in Culver City, California, on November 22, 1928, to Percival Franklin Marston and Catherine (Roeder) Marston. Before his first birthday he and his mother moved to Silver Spring, Maryland. As an only child, Marston was raised by his mother and grandmother. While attending local schools in Maryland, Marston worked part-time at a drug store, bowling alley, and gas station—all located in Silver Spring.

With his uncle employed at the Capitol, Marston found a job on the Senate side as an elevator operator during the mid-1940s. In this position he met many Senators, including Carl Hatch of New Mexico and future President Harry S. Truman. Harold Beckley, the superintendent of the Senate Press Gallery convinced Marston to leave his elevator post and take a temporary job as a messenger in his office. Marston later moved to the House Press Gallery when a permanent spot became available in 1948. From 1950 to 1953, Marston served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. After his discharge he returned to his job at the House Press Gallery as an assistant superintendent. In this position Marston gathered data about Members, kept abreast of legislation, and attended committee hearings to assist the press in their coverage of the House. On March 1, 1954, Marston witnessed armed assailants fire gunshots from the public galleries onto the floor of the House Chamber wounding five Representatives. As he made his way from the chamber, he alerted his colleagues of the shooting, describing the corresponding scene in the press gallery as “sheer chaos” as reporters and staff gathered to document what had occurred on the House Floor.

After reaching his 35-year mark of service in the House, Marston retired in 1979. He went on to work as a bus driver for Prince George’s County Schools and for senior citizens in College Park, Maryland. Charles Marston passed away on December 10, 2015, at the age of 87.