Earliest serving United States Representative
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This page contains a list of the individuals who, at the time of their deaths, had served at the earliest date in the United States House of Representatives among those current or former Representatives then living and a list of the earliest serving United States Representatives among those currently living (sitting or former).
Earliest serving Representatives (historic) [edit]
This is a list of the representatives who were, while in office or after, the earliest-serving living before they died.
| Begin Date | End Date | Representative | Party | State | 1st Entered House |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 4, 1789 | July 4, 1808 | Fisher Ames | Pro-Administration Federalist |
Massachusetts | March 4, 1789 |
| July 4, 1808 | August 24, 1833 | Egbert Benson | Pro-Administration Federalist |
New York | March 4, 1789 |
| August 24, 1833 | August 29, 1837 | John Brown | Anti-Administration Democratic-Republican |
Virginia Kentucky |
March 4, 1789 |
| August 29, 1837 | September 21, 1842 | Jeremiah Smith | Pro-Administration Federalist |
New Hampshire | March 4, 1791 |
| September 21, 1842 | March 6, 1844 | Gabriel Duvall | Anti-Administration Democratic-Republican |
Maryland | November 11, 1794 |
| March 6, 1844 | August 12, 1849 | Albert Gallatin | Democratic-Republican | Pennsylvania | March 4, 1795 |
| August 12, 1849 | November 1, 1849 | Elizur Goodrich | Federalist | Connecticut | March 4, 1799 |
| November 1, 1849 | May 6, 1860 | Littleton Tazewell | Democratic-Republican Jacksonian |
Virginia | November 26, 1800 |
| May 6, 1860 | July 18, 1872 | Samuel Thatcher | Federalist | Massachusetts | December 6, 1802 |
| July 18, 1872 | November 1, 1874 | Enos Thompson Throop | Democratic-Republican | New York | March 4, 1815 |
| November 1, 1874 | May 10, 1875 | Willard Hall | Democratic-Republican | Delaware | March 4, 1817 |
| May 10, 1875 | October 7, 1883 | Mark Alexander | Democratic-Republican Crawford Republican Jacksonian |
Virginia | March 4, 1819 |
| October 7, 1883 | December 18, 1885 | Hiland Hall | Anti-Jacksonian Whig |
Vermont | January 1, 1833 |
| December 18, 1885 | May 30, 1888 | John James Pearson | Anti-Jacksonian | Pennsylvania | December 5, 1836 |
| May 30, 1888 | June 11, 1894 | John T. Andrews | Democratic | New York | March 4, 1837 |
| June 11, 1894 | November 16, 1894 | Robert Charles Winthrop | Whig | Massachusetts | November 9, 1840 |
| November 16, 1894 | February 9, 1900 | Richard W. Thompson | Whig | Indiana | March 4, 1841 |
| February 9, 1900 | September 20, 1900 | John Alexander McClernand | Democratic | Illinois | March 4, 1843 |
| September 20, 1900 | April 22, 1903 | Alexander Ramsey | Whig Republican |
Pennsylvania Minnesota |
March 4, 1843 |
| April 22, 1903 | July 10, 1903 | Ausburn Birdsall | Democratic | New York | March 4, 1847 |
| July 10, 1903 | May 19, 1907 | Andrew J. Harlan | Democratic | Indiana | March 4, 1849 |
| May 19, 1907 | February 4, 1909 | Addison White | Whig | Kentucky | March 4, 1851 |
| February 4, 1909 | January 30, 1912 | James C. Allen | Democratic | Illinois | March 4, 1853 |
| January 30, 1912 | May 26, 1912 | John Jamison Pearce | Opposition | Pennsylvania | March 4, 1855 |
| May 26, 1912 | March 12, 1916 | George William Palmer | Republican | New York | March 4, 1857 |
| March 12, 1916 | March 14, 1919 | Roger Atkinson Pryor | Democratic | Virginia | December 7, 1859 |
| March 14, 1919 | November 3, 1924 | Cornelius Cole | Republican | California | March 4, 1863 |
| November 3, 1924 | March 15, 1926 | Jackson Orr | Republican | Iowa | March 4, 1871 |
| March 15, 1926 | September 4, 1930 | Frederick George Bromberg | Liberal Republican | Alabama | March 4, 1873 |
| September 4, 1930 | November 2, 1939 | John Roy Lynch | Republican | Mississippi | March 4, 1873 |
| November 2, 1939 | May 25, 1947 | Perry Belmont | Democratic | New York | March 4, 1881 |
| May 25, 1947 | October 22, 1954 | Harrison Henry Atwood | Republican | Massachusetts | March 4, 1895 |
| October 22, 1954 | March 24, 1961 | Mitchell May | Democratic | New York | March 4, 1899 |
| March 24, 1961 | November 7, 1967 | John Nance Garner | Democratic | Texas | March 4, 1903 |
| November 7, 1967 | April 9, 1972 | James Francis Byrnes | Democratic | South Carolina | March 4, 1911 |
| April 9, 1972 | June 1, 1981 | Carl Vinson | Democratic | Georgia | November 3, 1914 |
| June 1, 1981 | January 18, 1991 | Hamilton Fish III | Republican | New York | November 2, 1920 |
| January 18, 1991 | October 10, 1991 | Victor Christgau | Republican | Minnesota | March 4, 1929 |
| October 10, 1991 | May 8, 1998 | Jennings Randolph | Democratic | West Virginia | March 4, 1933 |
| May 8, 1998 | January 24, 2000 | Carl Thomas Curtis | Republican | Nebraska | January 3, 1939 |
| January 24, 2000 | October 18, 2004 | Edwin Arthur Hall | Republican | New York | November 7, 1939 |
| October 18, 2004 | August 13, 2005 | William Jennings Bryan Dorn | Democratic | South Carolina | January 3, 1947 |
| August 13, 2005 | January 20, 2007 | George Smathers | Democratic | Florida | January 3, 1947 |
| January 20, 2007 | December 4, 2012 | Jack Brooks | Democratic | Texas | January 3, 1953 |
| December 4, 2012 | present | Melvin R. Laird | Republican | Wisconsin | January 3, 1953 |
Earliest serving Representatives currently living [edit]
This is a list of the currently living representatives, sitting or former, who first entered the House at least 50 years ago. Seniority is determined by alphabetical order.
| Rank | Representative | Date of birth | Entered House | Left House | State | Party | Time since entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melvin R. Laird | September 1, 1922 | January 3, 1953 | January 21, 1969 | Wisconsin | Republican | 60 years, 137 days |
| 2 | Clarence Clifton Young | November 7, 1922 | January 3, 1957 | Nevada | Republican | ||
| 3 | Bruce Alger | June 12, 1918 | January 3, 1955 | January 3, 1965 | Texas | Republican | 58 years, 137 days |
| 4 | Kenneth J. Gray | November 14, 1924 | January 3, 1989 | Illinois | Democratic | ||
| 5 | Jim Wright | December 22, 1922 | June 30, 1989 | Texas | Democratic | ||
| 6 | John Dingell | July 8, 1926 | December 13, 1955 | in office | Michigan | Democratic | 57 years, 158 days |
| 7 | William Broomfield | April 28, 1922 | January 3, 1957 | January 3, 1993 | Michigan | Republican | 56 years, 137 days |
| 8 | Merwin Coad | September 28, 1924 | January 3, 1963 | Iowa | Democratic | ||
| 9 | Robert P. Griffin | November 6, 1923 | May 10, 1966 | Michigan | Republican | ||
| 10 | Harry G. Haskell, Jr. | May 27, 1921 | January 3, 1959 | Delaware | Republican | ||
| 11 | Robert H. Michel | March 2, 1923 | January 3, 1995 | Illinois | Republican | ||
| 12 | Arch A. Moore, Jr. | April 16, 1923 | January 3, 1969 | West Virginia | Republican | ||
| 13 | Al Quie | September 18, 1923 | February 18, 1958 | January 3, 1979 | Minnesota | Republican | 55 years, 91 days |
| 14 | John Brademas | March 2, 1927 | January 3, 1959 | January 3, 1981 | Indiana | Democratic | 54 years, 137 days |
| 15 | Cornelius Edward Gallagher | March 2, 1921 | January 3, 1973 | New Jersey | Democratic | ||
| 16 | Ken Hechler | September 20, 1914 | January 3, 1977 | West Virginia | Democratic | ||
| 17 | Donald J. Irwin | September 7, 1926 | January 3, 1969 | Connecticut | Democratic | ||
| 18 | Robert Kastenmeier | January 24, 1924 | January 3, 1991 | Wisconsin | Democratic | ||
| 19 | Del Latta | March 5, 1920 | January 3, 1989 | Ohio | Republican | ||
| 20 | Thomas G. Morris | August 20, 1919 | January 3, 1969 | New Mexico | Democratic | ||
| 21 | Neal Edward Smith | March 23, 1920 | January 3, 1995 | Iowa | Democratic | ||
| 22 | John B. Anderson | February 15, 1922 | January 3, 1961 | January 3, 1981 | Illinois | Republican | 52 years, 137 days |
| 23 | Bob Dole | July 22, 1923 | January 3, 1959 | Kansas | Republican | ||
| 24 | Paul Findley | June 23, 1921 | January 3, 1983 | Illinois | Republican | ||
| 25 | R. James Harvey | July 4, 1922 | January 31, 1974 | Michigan | Republican | ||
| 26 | Walter Lewis McVey, Jr. | February 19, 1922 | January 3, 1963 | Kansas | Republican | ||
| 27 | Otis G. Pike | August 31, 1921 | January 3, 1979 | New York | Democratic | ||
| 28 | Richard Schweiker | June 1, 1926 | January 3, 1969 | Pennsylvania | Republican | ||
| 29 | William Scranton | July 19, 1917 | January 3, 1963 | Pennsylvania | Republican | ||
| 30 | Fernand St. Germain | January 9, 1928 | January 3, 1989 | Rhode Island | Democratic | ||
| 31 | Lucien N. Nedzi | May 28, 1925 | November 7, 1961 | January 3, 1981 | Michigan | Democratic | 51 years, 194 days |
| 32 | Bill Brock | November 23, 1930 | January 3, 1963 | January 3, 1971 | Tennessee | Republican | 50 years, 137 days |
| 33 | Jim Broyhill | August 19, 1927 | July 14, 1986 | North Carolina | Republican | ||
| 34 | Don Edwards | January 6, 1915 | January 3, 1995 | California | Democratic | ||
| 35 | Ed Foreman | December 22, 1933 | January 3, 1965 | Texas | Republican | ||
| 36 | Donald M. Fraser | February 20, 1924 | January 3, 1979 | Minnesota | Democratic | ||
| 37 | Richard Fulton | January 27, 1927 | August 14, 1975 | Tennessee | Democratic | ||
| 38 | Don Fuqua | August 20, 1933 | January 3, 1987 | Florida | Democratic | ||
| 39 | Bernard F. Grabowski | June 11, 1923 | January 3, 1967 | Connecticut | Democratic | ||
| 40 | John Otho Marsh, Jr. | August 7, 1926 | January 3, 1971 | Virginia | Democratic | ||
| 41 | Joseph McDade | September 29, 1931 | January 3, 1999 | Pennsylvania | Republican | ||
| 42 | John M. Murphy | August 3, 1926 | January 3, 1981 | New York | Democratic | ||
| 43 | Alec G. Olson | September 11, 1930 | January 3, 1967 | Minnesota | Democratic | ||
| 44 | Ogden R. Reid | June 24, 1925 | January 3, 1975 | New York | Republican, Democratic | ||
| 45 | Donald Rumsfeld | July 9, 1932 | March 20, 1969 | Illinois | Republican | ||
| 46 | K. William Stinson | April 20, 1930 | January 3, 1965 | Washington | Republican | ||
| 47 | Burt L. Talcott | February 22, 1920 | January 3, 1977 | California | Republican | ||
| 48 | Donald H. Clausen | April 27, 1923 | January 22, 1963 | January 3, 1983 | California | Republican | 50 years, 118 days |
See also [edit]
- List of the oldest living members of the United States House of Representatives
- Dean of the United States House of Representatives
- List of the oldest United States Senators
- Dean of the United States Senate
- Earliest serving United States Senator
- Longest living United States Senator
- Oldest living United States governor
- Earliest serving United States governor
- List of members of the United States Congress by longevity of service
- Father of the House