Frank Mitchell
As the first African-American House Page of the 20th century, Frank Mitchell made history by breaking racial barriers while also witnessing significant moments in the civil rights movement, including the floor debates for the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Featured Audio
Making History
Making History
Frank Mitchell, Page, U.S. House of Representatives
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Abstract & Transcript
Amid much fanfare, including a formal introduction by then-House Minority Leader and future President Gerald Ford, Frank Mitchell became the first African-American Page to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 20th century. Mitchell recalled the warm welcome from House Leaders, Members, and Pages in an era rife with discrimination, and experienced no racial prejudice during his tenure in the House. Mitchell’s recollections—many of which focus on his service as a phone Page in the Republican Cloakroom—range from learning relaxation techniques from Congresswoman Frances Bolton of Ohio to attending heated floor debates before the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Like many former Pages, Mitchell believed the opportunity to serve as a Page was a powerful determinant of his success in adulthood.
This interviewee appears in the following projects: The Long Struggle for Representation: Oral Histories of African-Americans in Congress, and Institutional Interviews.
Biography
Occurring just weeks after state troopers savagely beat peaceful protestors marching for voting rights, in Selma, Alabama, Mitchell’s appointment received national attention and press coverage. Fifteen-year-old Mitchell began his term on April 14, 1965—the centennial of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. As a phone Page, Mitchell answered calls in the Republican Cloakroom and took messages for Members, while witnessing many historic moments in the civil rights movement, including the floor debates for the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
After serving as a Page, Mitchell returned to high school in Springfield, Illinois, where he was student council president his senior year. Upon graduation he attended several postsecondary schools, including Western Illinois University, Springfield College (Illinois), and Lincoln Land Community College. From 1970 to 1972, Mitchell worked at the Illinois State Register (Springfield), starting in the newsroom and eventually becoming a reporter. He then took a job at WCCO-TV (Minneapolis, Minnesota), where he worked as a broadcaster and weekend anchor until 1977. Mitchell also worked for BET, INN cable news, and the Omaha Star.
Later employed as a writer and an editor for Northwestern Bell/US West, as deputy director of communication for the Illinois attorney general’s office, and as a media relations manager for Ameritech, Mitchell also started his own public relations firm and served as the executive director for Illinois Fatherhood Initiative, a nonprofit organization. He then owned and directed a media consulting firm. Frank Mitchell died on December 25, 2019, in Houston, Texas.
Video
Congresswoman Frances Bolton of Ohio
Memories of Historic Legislation
Minority Leader Gerald Ford of Michigan
Treatment as a Page and Speaker John McCormack of Massachusetts
Typical Day as a Page and Description of the Republican Cloakroom
Audio
Historical Milestones
Historical Milestones
Frank Mitchell, Page, U.S. House of Representatives
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Making History
Making History
Frank Mitchell, Page, U.S. House of Representatives
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Press Attention
Press Attention
Frank Mitchell, Page, U.S. House of Representatives
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The Republican Cloakroom
The Republican Cloakroom
Frank Mitchell, Page, U.S. House of Representatives
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Images & Artifacts
About this object
About this object