Earliest serving United States Representative

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)

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 State 1st Entered House
March 4, 1789 August 24, 1833 Tie between the 59 original members of the
1st United States House of Representatives while alive. 		March 4, 1789
August 24, 1833 August 29, 1837 John Brown Virginia
August 29, 1837 September 21, 1842 Jeremiah Smith New Hampshire March 4, 1791
September 21, 1842 March 6, 1844 Gabriel Duvall Maryland November 11, 1794
March 6, 1844 August 12, 1849 Albert Gallatin Pennsylvania March 4, 1795
August 12, 1849 November 1, 1849 Elizur Goodrich Connecticut March 4, 1799
November 1, 1849 May 6, 1860 Littleton Waller Tazewell Virginia November 26, 1800
May 6, 1860 July 18, 1872 Samuel Thatcher Massachusetts December 6, 1802
July 18, 1872 November 1, 1874 Enos T. Throop New York March 4, 1815
November 1, 1874 May 10, 1875 Willard Hall Delaware March 4, 1817
May 10, 1875 October 7, 1883 Mark Alexander Virginia March 4, 1819
October 7, 1883 December 18, 1885 Hiland Hall Vermont January 1, 1833
December 18, 1885 May 30, 1888 John James Pearson Pennsylvania December 5, 1836
May 30, 1888 May 11, 1889 Henry A. Foster New York March 4, 1837
May 6, 1890 Hiram Gray New York
May 13, 1890 Amasa J. Parker New York
January 11, 1892 Richard P. Marvin New York
June 11, 1894 John T. Andrews New York
June 11, 1894 November 16, 1894 Robert Charles Winthrop Massachusetts November 9, 1840
November 16, 1894 February 9, 1900 Richard W. Thompson Indiana March 4, 1841
February 9, 1900 September 20, 1900 John Alexander McClernand Illinois March 4, 1843
April 22, 1903 Alexander Ramsey Pennsylvania
April 22, 1903 July 10, 1903 Ausburn Birdsall New York March 4, 1847
July 10, 1903 April 5, 1904 John Houston Savage Tennessee March 4, 1849
May 19, 1907 Andrew J. Harlan Indiana
May 19, 1907 February 4, 1909 Addison White Kentucky March 4, 1851
February 4, 1909 January 30, 1912 James C. Allen Illinois March 4, 1853
January 30, 1912 May 26, 1912 John Jamison Pearce Pennsylvania March 4, 1855
May 26, 1912 May 3, 1914 Daniel Sickles New York March 4, 1857
March 12, 1916 George William Palmer New York
March 12, 1916 March 14, 1919 Roger Atkinson Pryor Virginia December 7, 1859
March 14, 1919 November 3, 1924 Cornelius Cole California March 4, 1863
November 3, 1924 March 15, 1926 Jackson Orr Iowa March 4, 1871
March 15, 1926 November 12, 1926 Joseph Gurney Cannon Illinois March 4, 1873
December 6, 1926 Ira B. Hyde Missouri
August 14, 1928 William J. Purman Florida
September 4, 1930 Frederick George Bromberg Alabama
May 22, 1931 Henry Otis Pratt Iowa
November 2, 1939 John R. Lynch Mississippi
November 2, 1939 May 25, 1947 Perry Belmont New York March 4, 1881
May 25, 1947 July 29, 1948 James Eli Watson Indiana March 4, 1895
October 2, 1950 John F. Fitzgerald Massachusetts
October 22, 1954 Harrison Henry Atwood Massachusetts
October 22, 1954 February 22, 1960 Townsend Scudder New York March 4, 1899
March 24, 1961 Mitchell May New York
March 24, 1961 November 7, 1967 John Nance Garner Texas March 4, 1903
November 7, 1967 April 9, 1972 James F. Byrnes South Carolina March 4, 1911
April 9, 1972 June 1, 1981 Carl Vinson Georgia November 3, 1914
June 1, 1981 January 18, 1991 Hamilton Fish III New York November 2, 1920
January 18, 1991 October 10, 1991 Victor Christgau Minnesota March 4, 1929
October 10, 1991 May 15, 1994 Robert T. Secrest Ohio March 4, 1933
May 8, 1998 Jennings Randolph West Virginia
May 8, 1998 January 24, 2000 Carl Curtis Nebraska January 3, 1939
January 24, 2000 October 18, 2004 Edwin Arthur Hall New York November 7, 1939
October 18, 2004 August 13, 2005 William Jennings Bryan Dorn South Carolina January 3, 1947
January 20, 2007 George Smathers Florida
January 20, 2007 April 17, 2007 Steven Derounian New York January 3, 1953
June 16, 2009 Paul A. Fino New York
March 6, 2010 Stuyvesant Wainwright New York
June 28, 2010 Robert Byrd West Virginia
May 23, 2011 Peter Frelinghuysen, Jr. New Jersey
June 27, 2011 Richard Harding Poff Virginia
August 20, 2011 Charles Gubser California
May 23, 2012 William C. Wampler Virginia
December 4, 2012 Jack Brooks Texas
present Melvin R. Laird Wisconsin
present Clarence Clifton Young Nevada

Earliest serving Representatives currently living

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 63 years, 12 days
2 Clarence Clifton Young November 7, 1922 January 3, 1957 Nevada Republican
3 John Dingell July 8, 1926 December 13, 1955 January 3, 2015 Michigan Democratic 60 years, 33 days
4 William Broomfield April 28, 1922 January 3, 1957 January 3, 1993 Michigan Republican 59 years, 12 days
5 Merwin Coad September 28, 1924 January 3, 1963 Iowa Democratic
6 Harry G. Haskell, Jr. May 27, 1921 January 3, 1959 Delaware Republican
7 Robert H. Michel March 2, 1923 January 3, 1995 Illinois Republican
8 Al Quie September 18, 1923 February 18, 1958 January 3, 1979 Minnesota Republican 57 years, 331 days
9 John Brademas March 2, 1927 January 3, 1959 January 3, 1981 Indiana Democratic 57 years, 12 days
10 Cornelius Edward Gallagher March 2, 1921 January 3, 1973 New Jersey Democratic
11 Ken Hechler September 20, 1914 January 3, 1977 West Virginia Democratic
12 Del Latta March 5, 1920 January 3, 1989 Ohio Republican
13 Thomas G. Morris August 20, 1919 January 3, 1969 New Mexico Democratic
14 Neal Edward Smith March 23, 1920 January 3, 1995 Iowa Democratic
15 John B. Anderson February 15, 1922 January 3, 1961 January 3, 1981 Illinois Republican 55 years, 12 days
16 Bob Dole July 22, 1923 January 3, 1969 Kansas Republican
17 Paul Findley June 23, 1921 January 3, 1983 Illinois Republican
18 R. James Harvey July 4, 1922 January 31, 1974 Michigan Republican
19 Lucien N. Nedzi May 28, 1925 January 3, 1981 Michigan Democratic
20 Bill Brock November 23, 1930 January 3, 1963 January 3, 1971 Tennessee Republican 53 years, 12 days
21 Jim Broyhill August 19, 1927 July 14, 1986 North Carolina Republican
22 Ed Foreman December 22, 1933 January 3, 1965 Texas Republican
23 Donald M. Fraser February 20, 1924 January 3, 1979 Minnesota Democratic
24 Richard Fulton January 27, 1927 August 14, 1975 Tennessee Democratic
25 Don Fuqua August 20, 1933 January 3, 1987 Florida Democratic
26 Bernard F. Grabowski June 11, 1923 January 3, 1967 Connecticut Democratic
27 John Otho Marsh, Jr. August 7, 1926 January 3, 1971 Virginia Democratic
28 Joseph McDade September 29, 1931 January 3, 1999 Pennsylvania Republican
29 Alec G. Olson September 11, 1930 January 3, 1967 Minnesota Democratic
30 Ogden R. Reid June 24, 1925 January 3, 1975 New York Republican, Democratic
31 Donald Rumsfeld July 9, 1932 March 20, 1969 Illinois Republican
32 K. William Stinson April 20, 1930 January 3, 1965 Washington Republican
33 Burt L. Talcott February 22, 1920 January 3, 1977 California Republican
34 Fred B. Rooney November 6, 1925 July 30, 1963 January 3, 1979 Pennsylvania Democratic 52 years, 169 days
35 Mark Andrews May 19, 1926 October 22, 1963 January 3, 1981 North Dakota Republican 52 years, 85 days
36 William J. Green, III June 24, 1938 April 28, 1964 January 3, 1977 Pennsylvania Democratic 51 years, 262 days
37 John Hall Buchanan, Jr. March 19, 1928 January 3, 1965 January 3, 1981 Alabama Republican 51 years, 12 days
38 Raymond F. Clevenger June 6, 1926 January 3, 1967 Michigan Democratic
39 John Conyers May 16, 1929 in office Michigan Democratic
40 John Culver August 8, 1932 January 3, 1975 Iowa Democratic
41 Kika de la Garza September 22, 1927 January 3, 1997 Texas Democratic
42 Jack Edwards September 20, 1928 January 3, 1985 Alabama Republican
43 Lee H. Hamilton April 20, 1931 January 3, 1999 Indiana Democratic
44 James D. Martin September 1, 1918 January 3, 1967 Alabama Republican
45 Richard Ottinger January 27, 1929 January 3, 1971 New York Democratic
46 Edwin Reinecke January 7, 1924 January 21, 1969 California Republican
47 Gale Schisler March 2, 1933 January 3, 1967 Illinois Democratic
48 John R. Schmidhauser January 3, 1922 January 3, 1967 Iowa Democratic
49 John V. Tunney June 26, 1934 January 2, 1971 California Democratic
50 Weston E. Vivian October 25, 1924 January 3, 1967 Michigan Democratic
51 Lester L. Wolff January 4, 1919 January 3, 1981 New York Democratic
52 Edwin Edwards August 7, 1927 October 2, 1965 May 9, 1972 Louisiana Democratic 50 years, 105 days
53 Bud Brown June 18, 1927 November 2, 1965 January 3, 1983 Ohio Republican 50 years, 74 days

See also

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