GPO Begins 150 Year Anniversary Celebration

WASHINGTON, DC— June 23, 2010—The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) kicked off its 150 year anniversary celebration today. GPO was created when President James Buchanan signed Joint Resolution 25 on June 23, 1860. GPO opened its doors for business nine months later on March 4, 1861, the same day Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office becoming the 16th President of the United States.

GPO began celebrating this milestone with an event today honoring current and retired employees. Public Printer Bob Tapella and Archivist David Ferriero unveiled a facsimile of the seven-page handwritten document that created the agency.

"When you think about GPO's rich history and what has made GPO successful for the past 150 years, it's our hardworking employees," said Public Printer Bob Tapella. "GPO is a family business. We have families who have contributed to this agency that span three and four generations. It's that dedication which has made GPO one of the largest printing, secure credentialing and digital information facilities in the world."

As part of the celebration, GPO launched a webpage devoted to the agency's 150 year history.

It also reissued "100 GPO Years, 1861-1961." The book is available for purchase at GPO's bookstore.

About the GPO:
The GPO is the federal government's primary centralized resource for gathering, cataloging, producing, providing, authenticating, and preserving published U.S. government information in all its forms. GPO is responsible for the production and distribution of information products and services for all three branches of the federal government. In addition to publication sales, GPO makes government information available at no cost to the public through GPO's Federal Digital System (www.fdsys.gov) and through partnerships with approximately 1,220 libraries nationwide participating in the Federal Depository Library Program. For more information, please visit www.gpo.gov. Follow GPO on Twitter http://twitter.com/USGPO and on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/gpoprinter.