Another Halloween has come and gone. If you’re wondering what to do with your leftover trick-or-teat candy, here’s a thought: Perhaps you could share it with politicians in Washington. It seems there’s a stash of sweets hidden away on Capitol Hill. And here’s the story of how it came to be.

Back in the early 1960s, a fellow named George Murphy was looking for a new career. He’d been a movie star in the 1930s and ’40s, appearing in more than 40 films. With his acting career over, Murphy was in the market for a new line of work. He decided to use his celebrity status to seek public office (something Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger would later do). Murphy was elected to the Senate in 1964 and traded Tinsel Town for Capitol Hill.