Washminster

Washminster
Washminster

Friday 14 September 2007

The names of Office Buildings

Apart from the Palace of Westminster itself, there are a number of office buildings which form the 'parliamentary estate'. Many have rather unexciting names - 1 Parliament Street; 4 Millbank, 7 Millbank etc. Portcullis House is named after the symbol of the House of Commons. The Norman Shaw buildings are named after the architect Richard Norman Shaw who build them.

In Washington, the office buildings are named after famous members. In the Senate the main office buildings are named after

Richard B Russell - the oldest of the office buildings was named after the Democrat Senator from Georgia. He was a founder and leader of the Conservative Coalition, which controlled Congress from the late 1930s into the 1960s. He was a prominent supporter of strong national defence and served as a very powerful Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee then the Senate Appropriations Committee. He died in 1971

Everett Dirksen - A Republican Senator between 1950 and his death in 1969. He was Senate Minority Leader. His role was crucial in the successful passing of civil rights legislation.

Philip A Hart - Democratic Senator from Michigan, Hart served from 1959 to his death in 1976. His nickname was 'the conscience of the Senate'.