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ient arrangement for officers and staff. One of the principal attributes of the VFW building was that it provided storage space within easy delivery RANDLE B. TRUETT BECAME executive distance to the Capitol. We, the People director of the Society on a part-time remained a popular bestseller at basis early in 1964. Although he the Capitol, sold from portable desks served for only a few months, Truett set up just outside the rotunda. helped to define the role of executive Rep. Schwengel had worked for some director. Paul E. Ertzinger, a retired time to persuade Congress to estabFBI special agent, was appointed lish a visitors center at the Capitol. executive director on July 8, 1964. At His efforts finally succeeded with the same time, Earl Schenck Miers passage of Public Law 90-264 on was appointed chief historian and March 12, 1968, which authorized editor for future publications, and he creation of a visitor center to provide was asked to write a definitive twoinformation and materials about the volume history of the Capitol, all Capitol. The center was constructed The Society operated an information and sales of which he had to decline due to on the ground floor near the crypt center on the ground floor of the Capitol near the poor health. area in the East Front extension. The Crypt area in the East Front extension from 1968 By the fall of 1965, the Society's Society was granted the privilege to until construction began on the Capitol Visitor office staff consisted of Executive operate the center subject to the Center. Director Ertzinger, office manager approval of the Architect of the Muriel Biggs, assistant office manager 1964. On April 1, 1967 the offices were Capitol and the Congress. All items Florence Miller, and James V. Murfin, who moved to their current location on displayed and sold at the center had to be in June had become the Society's first staff Capitol Hill in the Veterans of Foreign approved by a review committee historian. Murfin's first assignment was to Wars Memorial Building, 200 Maryland composed of the Architect of the Capitol work on the compilation of a bibliography Avenue, N.E. The move to a location and representatives from the appropriate on the Capitol. By this time the organiza- near the Capitol was a more conven- congressional committees. STAFFING AND FACILITIES tion had taken office space at the National Geographic Society building at 1146 16th Street, N.W. The offices were offered rentfree on a year-to-year basis beginning in Early USCHS publications: The Society's second publication (left) was aimed at children—a coloring book with stories about historic Washington, D.C. landmarks. In 1967 the Society began publication of its popular We, the People annual calendar (center), featuring daily notations of events in American history. WINTER 2013 The Society's first scholarly publication (right) was a bibliography of books, articles, and government documents related to the history of the United States Capitol. The Society's staff historian, John Kerwood, compiled and edited the book, which was published by the University of Oklahoma Press in 1973. THE CAPITOL DOME 23