Senate Historian Donald Ritchie talked about the U.S. Congress and its operations. He focused on popular depictions of congressional proceedings in movies such as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Advise and Consent (1962), and The Distinguished Gentleman (1992). He also spoke about his book The U.S. Congress: A Very Short Introduction. The book was part of a series by Oxford University Press intended to provide people with an introduction to areas of interest. Mr. Ritchie's book gives a history and background on how Congress works. He has been the Senate historian for one year. Prior to that, he was associate historian of the Senate since 1976.