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Princesses Lead the Paper

In a year that saw the first U.S. combat troops arrive in Vietnam, the murder of Malcolm X and massive rioting in Los Angeles, Roll Call decided to take a step back to showcase a less ugly news event from 1965 with this April 1 front-page photo spread.

That year, Capitol Hill could claim ties to many of the princesses in Washington, D.C.’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival. The list of “Hill-oriented” princesses, which ran on page 2, shows that seven Members’ daughters (including Ann McGovern, whose dad was one-time presidential candidate Sen. George McGovern (D) of “Houth” Dakota) could claim royalty status that year. Other princesses included Sen. Strom Thurmond’s (R-S.C.) niece and a few Congressional staffers.

A look back at the photo spread shows how much Roll Call’s style (and that of ladies’ hair) has changed in 40 years.

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