In 1850, Peter Gorman (through his connections to Maryland Congressmen William T. Hamilton and Edward Hammond) arranged for 11-year old Arthur to serve as a U.S. Senate page. Gorman became friends with prominent Illinois Senator Stephen A. Douglas, who made Gorman his private secretary. Some sources state that Gorman accompanied Douglas during his debates with Abraham Lincoln in 1858, although biographer John R. Lambert questions these accounts. Gorman subsequently served the U.S. Senate in various offices as page, messenger, Assistant Doorkeeper, Assistant Postmaster, and finally Postmaster. Gorman's experience in the Senate gave him extensive knowledge of parliamentary procedures that he would put to use during his political career.