From the Foreward to A Congress of Fellows: Fifty Years of the American Political Science Association Congressional Fellowship Program

“It is only because a 50th anniversary somehow calls for some reflection that I even embarked upon this venture, and my suspicion is that, for its flaws, this project is not likely to be revisited for another 50 years. Yet, a written account of the fellowship is appropriate for another reason. With rare exceptions, most past Fellows regard their experiences on Capitol Hill as pivotal to their ongoing careers. This is a sentiment shared by this year's class of 2002–2003 Fellows as well, and a program with such an impact on individual lives deserves a bit of history.

“The real inspiration for this chronicle is the new generations of APSA Congressional Fellows who will begin this adventure long after I've moved on. I hope it might help enlarge their appreciation of the honored group which they are joining. More importantly, I hope future classes continue to do honor to the institution of Congress, to the fellowship that makes that institution more understandable, and to that wider audience to which they will translate their personal experience and, in the process, help educate about our First Branch of Government.”

Jeffrey R. Biggs, Director

APSA Congressional Fellowship Program

July 2003