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	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

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
1	Melvin R. Laird	September 1, 1922	January 3, 1953	January 21, 1969	Wisconsin	Republican
2	Clarence Clifton Young	November 7, 1922	January 3, 1953	January 3, 1957	Nevada	Republican
3	Bruce Alger	June 12, 1918	January 3, 1955	January 3, 1965	Texas	Republican
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
7	William Broomfield	April 28, 1922	January 3, 1957	January 3, 1993	Michigan	Republican
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
14	John Brademas	March 2, 1927	January 3, 1959	January 3, 1981	Indiana	Democratic
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
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
32	Bill Brock	November 23, 1930	January 3, 1963	January 3, 1971	Tennessee	Republican
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

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

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Outgoing Wikipedia links (149)

Addison WhiteAl QuieAlabamaAlbert GallatinAlec G. OlsonAlexander RamseyAndrew J. HarlanAnti-AdministrationAnti-Jacksonian Party (United States)Arch A. Moore, Jr.Ausburn BirdsallBernard F. GrabowskiBill BrockBob DoleBruce AlgerBurt L. TalcottCaliforniaCarl Thomas CurtisCarl VinsonClarence Clifton YoungConnecticutCornelius ColeCornelius Edward GallagherDean of the United States House of RepresentativesDean of the United States SenateDel LattaDelawareDemocratic Party (United States)Democratic-Republican Party (United States)Don EdwardsDon FuquaDonald H. ClausenDonald J. IrwinDonald M. FraserDonald RumsfeldEarliest serving United States governorEarliest serving United States SenatorEd ForemanEdwin Arthur HallEgbert BensonElizur GoodrichEnos Thompson ThroopFather of the HouseFederalist Party (United States)Fernand St. GermainFisher AmesFloridaFrederick George BrombergGabriel DuvallGeorge SmathersGeorge William Palmer (New York)Georgia (U.S. state)Hamilton Fish IIIHarrison Henry AtwoodHarry G. Haskell, Jr.Hiland HallIllinoisIndianaIowaJack Brooks (politician)Jackson OrrJacksonian DemocratsJames C. AllenJames Francis ByrnesJennings RandolphJeremiah Smith (lawyer)Jim BroyhillJim WrightJohn Alexander McClernandJohn B. AndersonJohn BrademasJohn Brown (Kentucky)John DingellJohn James PearsonJohn Jamison PearceJohn M. MurphyJohn Nance GarnerJohn Otho Marsh, Jr.John Roy LynchJohn T. AndrewsJoseph McDadeK. William StinsonKansasKen HechlerKenneth J. GrayKentuckyLiberal Republican Party (United States)List of members of the United States Congress by longevity of serviceList of the oldest living members of the United States House of RepresentativesList of the oldest United States SenatorsLittleton TazewellLongest living United States SenatorLucien N. NedziMark Alexander (politician)MarylandMassachusettsMelvin R. LairdMerwin CoadMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMitchell MayNeal Edward SmithNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaOgden R. ReidOhioOldest living United States governorOpposition Party (United States)Otis G. PikePaul FindleyPennsylvaniaPerry BelmontPro-Administration Party (United States)R. James HarveyRepublican Party (United States)Rhode IslandRichard FultonRichard SchweikerRichard W. ThompsonRobert Charles WinthropRobert H. MichelRobert KastenmeierRobert P. GriffinRoger Atkinson PryorSamuel ThatcherSouth CarolinaTennesseeTexasThomas G. MorrisUnited States House of RepresentativesVermontVictor ChristgauVirginiaWalter Lewis McVey, Jr.Washington (state)West VirginiaWhig Party (United States)Willard HallWilliam BroomfieldWilliam H. CrawfordWilliam Jennings Bryan DornWilliam ScrantonWisconsin

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Earliest serving United States Representative

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Earliest serving United States Representative

Earliest serving Representatives (historic)

Earliest serving Representatives currently living

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List of members of the United States House of Representatives who were born or died in 1980

List of members of the United States House of Representatives who were born or died in 1981

List of members of the United States House of Representatives who were born or died in 1982

List of members of the United States House of Representatives who were born or died in 1983

List of members of the United States House of Representatives who were born or died in 1984