Interview with Donna Beck by Andrea L’Hommedieu
Biographial Note
Donna Lee Beck was born in Virginia in 1949 and grew up in Washington, D.C. Her mother worked various jobs on the Hill, including in the cafeteria of the Senate and the folding room. After completing high school, Donna also went to work on the Hill, where she stayed for thirty-two years. She worked for Senators Everett Dirksen, Alan Cranston, Ed Muskie, and George Mitchell. When Mitchell replaced Muskie in the Senate, Beck went to work as Mitchell’s office manager, both in his personal office and the majority leader’s office.
Summary
Interview includes discussion of: growing up in D.C. in the 1950s; Beck’s mother; working for Everett Dirksen, Alan Cranston, and Ed Muskie; Muskie’s staff, including Gayle Cory, Anita Jensen, and Jane O’Connor; the transition from Muskie to Mitchell; impressions of Mitchell; an anecdote about Mitchell’s reporting the advance from his book; working in the majority leader’s and personal offices; and Mitchell’s retiring.