May 22, 2025 • 7 mins
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1965, California Senator George Murphy started a sweet tradition, literally. He began stocking his desk on the Senate floor with candy to share with his co-workers. That desk, now known as the “Senate Candy Desk,” remains a Capitol Hill tradition today. Jesse Edwards shares the history, mystery, and origins behind one of the Senate's most interesting traditions.
Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains. The jails are made
of tim and you can walk right out again as
soon as you are in. There ain't no short handle shovels,
no access smalls or picks. I'm going to stay where
you sleep all day, where they hung the tricks that
invented work in the Big Rock Candy Mountains.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
This is our American stories, and now Jesse Edwards brings
us the story of a desk unlike any story of
a desk that you've ever heard before.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
August twenty fourth, eighteen fourteen, marks one of the darkest
episodes in the War of eighteen twelve. On that day,
British troops marched on Washington, burning public buildings, including the
US Capitol. Among the losses in the Capitol were the
Senate Chamber and all its contents. Reconstruction took until eighteen nineteen,
(00:57):
and when senators again took their seats in the rebuilt chamber,
they occupied forty eight new desks and chairs custom made
by Thomas Constantine, a New York cabinet maker. Constantine was
paid thirty four dollars for each Senate desk and forty
six for each chair. Today, all of Constantine's desks remain
(01:17):
in use in the current Senate Chamber, although his chairs
have been replaced. As new states entered the Union, desks
of similar design were ordered from other cabinet makers, although
the four newest desks, those constructed for Alaska and Hawaii,
were built in the Senate Cabinet Shop. There are noticeable
differences in shape and dimension among the one hundred desks.
(01:38):
These result from the original semi circular arrangement in the
old Senate Chamber. A desk's shape reflected its position in
the room. Aisle desks were narrow and angled, while the
center was wider and square. If the oldest were arranged
in the original layout, it is believed they would have
formed a perfect semi circle. Many traditions pertaining to the
(01:59):
set desks have evolved over the years, and each new
class of senators that occupies them contributes to their heritage.
Through careful documentation and diligent preservation. This rich legacy will
be maintained for future generations. But there is one Senate
desk unlike any of the others, and you wouldn't know
(02:21):
by looking at it. Next to the eastern door to
the Senate Chamber, The first desk on the right, in
the last row of desks. They call it the candy Desk.
It all began on the Republican side of the Senate
in nineteen sixty eight, when Senator George Murphy of California,
(02:45):
who had an insatiable appetite for candy, started stalking his
desk full of suites that he would often share with
his fellow senators. The tradition has continued ever since and
has even become a point of pride for the select
few who preside over the candy desk. Senators John McCain
(03:07):
and Rick Santorum have both sat in the coveted desk.
The current and sixteenth tenant of the candy desk is
Republican Senator from Pennsylvania, Pat Toomey. Since Hershey's Chocolate is
based in Pennsylvania, Senator to me gladly shares candy from
his home state.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Well, I am happy to be carrying on a great
Senate tradition. It's the tradition of the Senate Candy Desk
for fifty years now. One desk on the Republican side
of the aisle, the first desk that senators pass as
they walk into the Chamber has been the official candy desk,
and there's no state that should occupy this desk more
than Pennsylvania because we are Amerke as leading confectioner. We
(03:43):
have more candy companies than any other state. We have
ten thousand people working in this industry, and it's just
a terrific industry. And I haven't I really like free
musket here bars, so I'm delighted to play this role.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Now.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
The strange thing is, according to Senate Ethics rules, Senator
to me and anyone who bears the responsibility as keeper
of the candy desk is required to place only candy
that originates from their home state into said candy desk.
You see, every candy company in the world would love
to have their candy inside the Senate candy desk. Think
(04:22):
of it as a form of lobbying, because that's exactly
what it is. Now. You might think that keeping a
desk full of candy wouldn't be this complicated, but the
rule states that senators are not allowed to accept donations
of more than one hundred dollars per year. The loophole
is that this rule does not apply if the donations
are manufactured in that senator's home state. Now, get this,
(04:44):
if you wanted to add your brand of candy to
the already existing pool of US Senate candy desk candy,
your company and all the other companies that want to
donate must first be represented by the National Confectioners Association,
the trade organization that eventss, protects, and promotes chocolate, candy, gum,
and mints, and the companies that make up the thirty
five billion dollar US confectionery industry. The Democrats have also
(05:07):
had a candy desk since at least nineteen eighty five.
A rolltop located on the front wall belonging to the
United States Senate Democratic Conference Secretary Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin
is also filled with sweets. However, Democrats manage their candy
desk on the honor system. Not to get all political,
but it's interesting to see the way each side of
the aisle chooses to distribute candy differently. On the right,
(05:31):
candy companies very lobbyists to help get their sweet sugary
product into the gaping mars of the Senate body. On
the left, it's a communal dish where people can pay
as they wish. On the right, they find loopholes around
(05:51):
at the troops in order to maximize the quantity and
quality of candy that makes it into the desk on
the left. The most pop build her candy was the
plain old Hershey's kiss not that there's anything wrong with that.
Hershey's Kisses are one of the most popular brands of
candies in the US, with more than sixty million produced
(06:12):
each day at the company's two factories. The Hershey Company
ships roughly one hundred pounds of chocolate and other candy
four times a year to fill the candy desk. I'm
Jesse Evans.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
And great story Jesse. I know a lot about Congress
and American history. I did not know anything about the
candy desk, and I feel like a really terrible boss.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
And so he did a quick poll.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
The our American Stories candy desk will be stocked with
good and plenty for me, well for my wife when
she comes in, occasionally some Snickers, the little baby Snickers,
and for Reagan, my beautiful daughter kick Kats. This is
our American Stories. Leehabeb here, host of Our American Stories.
(07:34):
Every day on this show, we bring you stories of America,
stories of Us. And it's because of listeners like you,
that we're able to tell the story of this great
and beautiful country. Our stories will always be free to
listen to, but they're not free to make. If you
love what you hear, consider making a text deductible donation
to our American Stories. Visit our American stories dot com
to give, Give a little, give a lot, any amount
(07:56):
helps to our American Stories dot com.
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains. The jails are made
of tim and you can walk right out again as
soon as you are in. There ain't no short handle shovels,
no access smalls or picks. I'm going to stay where
you sleep all day, where they hung the tricks that
invented work in the Big Rock Candy Mountains.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
This is our American stories, and now Jesse Edwards brings
us the story of a desk unlike any story of
a desk that you've ever heard before.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
August twenty fourth, eighteen fourteen, marks one of the darkest
episodes in the War of eighteen twelve. On that day,
British troops marched on Washington, burning public buildings, including the
US Capitol. Among the losses in the Capitol were the
Senate Chamber and all its contents. Reconstruction took until eighteen nineteen,
(00:57):
and when senators again took their seats in the rebuilt chamber,
they occupied forty eight new desks and chairs custom made
by Thomas Constantine, a New York cabinet maker. Constantine was
paid thirty four dollars for each Senate desk and forty
six for each chair. Today, all of Constantine's desks remain
(01:17):
in use in the current Senate Chamber, although his chairs
have been replaced. As new states entered the Union, desks
of similar design were ordered from other cabinet makers, although
the four newest desks, those constructed for Alaska and Hawaii,
were built in the Senate Cabinet Shop. There are noticeable
differences in shape and dimension among the one hundred desks.
(01:38):
These result from the original semi circular arrangement in the
old Senate Chamber. A desk's shape reflected its position in
the room. Aisle desks were narrow and angled, while the
center was wider and square. If the oldest were arranged
in the original layout, it is believed they would have
formed a perfect semi circle. Many traditions pertaining to the
(01:59):
set desks have evolved over the years, and each new
class of senators that occupies them contributes to their heritage.
Through careful documentation and diligent preservation. This rich legacy will
be maintained for future generations. But there is one Senate
desk unlike any of the others, and you wouldn't know
(02:21):
by looking at it. Next to the eastern door to
the Senate Chamber, The first desk on the right, in
the last row of desks. They call it the candy Desk.
It all began on the Republican side of the Senate
in nineteen sixty eight, when Senator George Murphy of California,
(02:45):
who had an insatiable appetite for candy, started stalking his
desk full of suites that he would often share with
his fellow senators. The tradition has continued ever since and
has even become a point of pride for the select
few who preside over the candy desk. Senators John McCain
(03:07):
and Rick Santorum have both sat in the coveted desk.
The current and sixteenth tenant of the candy desk is
Republican Senator from Pennsylvania, Pat Toomey. Since Hershey's Chocolate is
based in Pennsylvania, Senator to me gladly shares candy from
his home state.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Well, I am happy to be carrying on a great
Senate tradition. It's the tradition of the Senate Candy Desk
for fifty years now. One desk on the Republican side
of the aisle, the first desk that senators pass as
they walk into the Chamber has been the official candy desk,
and there's no state that should occupy this desk more
than Pennsylvania because we are Amerke as leading confectioner. We
(03:43):
have more candy companies than any other state. We have
ten thousand people working in this industry, and it's just
a terrific industry. And I haven't I really like free
musket here bars, so I'm delighted to play this role.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Now.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
The strange thing is, according to Senate Ethics rules, Senator
to me and anyone who bears the responsibility as keeper
of the candy desk is required to place only candy
that originates from their home state into said candy desk.
You see, every candy company in the world would love
to have their candy inside the Senate candy desk. Think
(04:22):
of it as a form of lobbying, because that's exactly
what it is. Now. You might think that keeping a
desk full of candy wouldn't be this complicated, but the
rule states that senators are not allowed to accept donations
of more than one hundred dollars per year. The loophole
is that this rule does not apply if the donations
are manufactured in that senator's home state. Now, get this,
(04:44):
if you wanted to add your brand of candy to
the already existing pool of US Senate candy desk candy,
your company and all the other companies that want to
donate must first be represented by the National Confectioners Association,
the trade organization that eventss, protects, and promotes chocolate, candy, gum,
and mints, and the companies that make up the thirty
five billion dollar US confectionery industry. The Democrats have also
(05:07):
had a candy desk since at least nineteen eighty five.
A rolltop located on the front wall belonging to the
United States Senate Democratic Conference Secretary Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin
is also filled with sweets. However, Democrats manage their candy
desk on the honor system. Not to get all political,
but it's interesting to see the way each side of
the aisle chooses to distribute candy differently. On the right,
(05:31):
candy companies very lobbyists to help get their sweet sugary
product into the gaping mars of the Senate body. On
the left, it's a communal dish where people can pay
as they wish. On the right, they find loopholes around
(05:51):
at the troops in order to maximize the quantity and
quality of candy that makes it into the desk on
the left. The most pop build her candy was the
plain old Hershey's kiss not that there's anything wrong with that.
Hershey's Kisses are one of the most popular brands of
candies in the US, with more than sixty million produced
(06:12):
each day at the company's two factories. The Hershey Company
ships roughly one hundred pounds of chocolate and other candy
four times a year to fill the candy desk. I'm
Jesse Evans.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
And great story Jesse. I know a lot about Congress
and American history. I did not know anything about the
candy desk, and I feel like a really terrible boss.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
And so he did a quick poll.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
The our American Stories candy desk will be stocked with
good and plenty for me, well for my wife when
she comes in, occasionally some Snickers, the little baby Snickers,
and for Reagan, my beautiful daughter kick Kats. This is
our American Stories. Leehabeb here, host of Our American Stories.
(07:34):
Every day on this show, we bring you stories of America,
stories of Us. And it's because of listeners like you,
that we're able to tell the story of this great
and beautiful country. Our stories will always be free to
listen to, but they're not free to make. If you
love what you hear, consider making a text deductible donation
to our American Stories. Visit our American stories dot com
to give, Give a little, give a lot, any amount
(07:56):
helps to our American Stories dot com.
Host
Lee Habeeb
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes present: Aubrey O’Day, Covering the Diddy Trial
Introducing… Aubrey O’Day Diddy’s former protege, television personality, platinum selling music artist, Danity Kane alum Aubrey O’Day joins veteran journalists Amy Robach and TJ Holmes to provide a unique perspective on the trial that has captivated the attention of the nation. Join them throughout the trial as they discuss, debate, and dissect every detail, every aspect of the proceedings. Aubrey will offer her opinions and expertise, as only she is qualified to do given her first-hand knowledge. From her days on Making the Band, as she emerged as the breakout star, the truth of the situation would be the opposite of the glitz and glamour. Listen throughout every minute of the trial, for this exclusive coverage. Amy Robach and TJ Holmes present Aubrey O’Day, Covering the Diddy Trial, an iHeartRadio podcast.