Earliest serving United States Senator
This page contains a list of the earliest serving United States Senators among those currently living (sitting or former) and a list of the individuals who, at the time of their deaths, had served at the earliest date in the United States Senate among those current or former senators then living. Of those living, the earliest-serving Senator is Robert Byrd.
Earliest serving Senators (historic)
This is a list of the senators who were, while in office or after, the earliest-serving living before they died.
Begin Date |
End Date |
Senator |
State |
1st Entered Senate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
March 4, 1789 |
November 14, 1832 |
A tie between Paine Wingate and the other 20 |
March 4, 1789 |
|
November 14, 1832 |
March 7, 1838 |
Paine Wingate |
New Hampshire |
March 4, 1789 |
March 7, 1838 |
February 23, 1840 |
John Rutherfurd |
New Jersey |
March 4, 1791 |
February 23, 1840 |
August 12, 1849 |
Albert Gallatin |
Pennsylvania |
December 2, 1793 |
August 12, 1849 |
December 22, 1850 |
William Plumer |
New Hampshire |
June 17, 1802 |
December 22, 1850 |
June 29, 1852 |
Henry Clay |
Kentucky |
November 19, 1806 |
June 29, 1852 |
October 14, 1853 |
Elisha Mathewson |
Rhode Island |
October 26, 1807 |
October 14, 1853 |
November 5, 1857 |
Alexander Campbell |
Ohio |
December 11, 1809 |
November 5, 1857 |
April 14, 1859 |
George M. Bibb |
Kentucky |
March 4, 1811 |
April 14, 1859 |
July 26, 1863 |
John J. Crittenden |
Kentucky |
March 4, 1817 |
July 26, 1863 |
September 4, 1864 |
Henry Johnson |
Louisiana |
January 12, 1818 |
September 4, 1864 |
December 14, 1868 |
Walter Lowrie |
Pennsylvania |
March 4, 1819 |
December 14, 1868 |
October 13, 1880 |
Peleg Sprague |
Massachusetts |
March 4, 1829 |
October 13, 1880 |
March 19, 1888 |
John P. King |
Georgia |
November 21, 1833 |
March 19, 1888 |
May 11, 1889 |
Henry A. Foster |
New York |
November 30, 1844 |
May 11, 1889 |
June 26, 1889 |
Simon Cameron |
Pennsylvania |
March 13, 1845 |
June 26, 1889 |
June 13, 1896 |
Alpheus Felch |
Michigan |
March 4, 1847 |
January 6, 1901 |
James Bradbury |
Maine |
||
January 6, 1901 |
April 12, 1913 |
John B. Henderson |
Missouri |
January 17, 1862 |
April 12, 1913 |
September 11, 1915 |
William Sprague |
Rhode Island |
March 4, 1863 |
September 11, 1915 |
February 27, 1919 |
George F. Edmunds |
Vermont |
April 3, 1866 |
February 27, 1919 |
November 3, 1924 |
Cornelius Cole |
California |
March 4, 1867 |
November 3, 1924 |
April 12, 1933 |
Adelbert Ames |
Mississippi |
February 23, 1870 |
April 12, 1933 |
November 16, 1933 |
Henry C. Hansbrough |
North DAKOTA |
March 4, 1891 |
November 16, 1933 |
November 18, 1934 |
Lee Mantle |
Montana |
January 16, 1895 |
November 18, 1934 |
June 3, 1938 |
Marion Butler |
North Carolina |
March 4, 1895 |
June 3, 1938 |
October 21, 1938 |
Henry Heitfeld |
Idaho |
March 4, 1897 |
October 21, 1938 |
April 30, 1940 |
Furnifold Simmons |
North Carolina |
March 4, 1901 |
April 30, 1940 |
February 9, 1941 |
Reed Smoot |
Utah |
March 4, 1903 |
February 9, 1941 |
March 13, 1945 |
Charles W. F. [...] |
Ohio |
March 23, 1904 |
March 13, 1945 |
January 5, 1960 |
Norris Brown |
Nebraska |
March 4, 1907 |
January 5, 1960 |
May 31, 1962 |
Henry F. Ashurst |
Arizona |
March 27, 1912 |
January 5, 1960 |
December 28, 1972 |
John Heiskell |
Arkansas |
January 6, 1913 |
December 28, 1972 |
January 14, 1978 |
Clarence Dill |
Washington |
March 4, 1923 |
January 14, 1978 |
August 16, 1979 |
F. Ryan Duffy |
Wisconsin |
March 4, 1933 |
August 16, 1979 |
March 13, 1985 |
Elmer Austin Benson |
Minnesota |
December 27, 1935 |
March 13, 1985 |
May 30, 1989 |
Claude Pepper |
Florida |
November 4, 1936 |
May 30, 1989 |
September 22, 1990 |
John A. Danaher |
Connecticut |
January 3, 1939 |
September 22, 1990 |
June 15, 1991 |
Happy Chandler |
Kentucky |
October 10, 1939 |
June 15, 1991 |
December 18, 1993 |
Joseph H. Ball |
Minnesota |
October 14, 1940 |
December 18, 1993 |
January 21, 1999 |
Berkeley L. Bunker |
Nevada |
November 27, 1940 |
January 21, 1999 |
May 9, 2003 |
Russell B. Long |
Louisiana |
December 31, 1948 |
May 9, 2003 |
January 20, 2007 |
George Smathers |
Florida |
January 3, 1951 |
January 20, 2007 |
Present |
Robert Byrd |
West Virginia |
January 3, 1959 |
Earliest serving Senators currently living
This is a list of the 25 earliest-serving senators, current or former, currently living.
Rank |
Senator |
Date of birth |
Entered Senate |
Left Senate |
State served |
Party |
Time since entry |
1 |
Robert Byrd |
November 20, 1917 |
January 3, 1959 |
present |
West Virginia |
Democrat |
|
2 |
Birch Bayh |
January 22, 1928 |
January 3, 1963 |
January 3, 1981 |
Indiana |
Democrat |
|
Daniel Inouye |
September 7, 1924 |
present |
Hawaii |
Democrat |
|||
George McGovern |
July 19, 1922 |
January 3, 1981 |
South Dakota |
Democrat |
|||
5 |
Fred R. Harris |
November 13, 1930 |
November 4, 1964 |
January 3, 1973 |
Oklahoma |
Democrat |
|
6 |
Walter Mondale |
January 5, 1928 |
December 30, 1964 |
December 30, 1976 |
Minnesota |
Democrat |
|
7 |
Joseph Tydings |
May 4, 1928 |
January 3, 1965 |
January 3, 1971 |
Maryland |
Democrat |
|
8 |
Harry F. Byrd, Jr. |
December 20, 1914 |
November 12, 1965 |
January 3, 1983 |
Virginia |
Democrat |
|
9 |
Robert P. Griffin |
November 6, 1923 |
May 11, 1966 |
January 2, 1979 |
Michigan |
Republican |
|
10 |
Ernest Hollings |
January 1, 1922 |
November 9, 1966 |
January 3, 2005 |
South Carolina |
Democrat |
|
11 |
Howard Baker |
November 15, 1925 |
January 3, 1967 |
January 3, 1985 |
Tennessee |
Republican |
|
Edward Brooke |
October 26, 1919 |
January 3, 1979 |
Massachusetts |
Republican |
|||
Charles H. Percy |
September 27, 1919 |
January 3, 1985 |
Illinois |
Republican |
|||
14 |
Mark Hatfield |
July 12, 1922 |
January 10, 1967 |
January 3, 1997 |
Oregon |
Republican |
|
15 |
Marlow Cook |
July 27, 1926 |
December 17, 1968 |
December 27, 1974 |
Kentucky |
Republican |
|
16 |
Ted Stevens |
November 18, 1923 |
December 24, 1968 |
January 3, 2009 |
Alaska |
Republican |
|
17 |
Bob Dole |
July 22, 1923 |
January 3, 1969 |
June 1, 1996 |
Kansas |
Republican |
|
Mike Gravel |
May 13, 1930 |
January 3, 1981 |
Alaska |
Democrat |
|||
Bob Packwood |
September 11, 1932 |
October 1, 1995 |
Oregon |
Republican |
|||
William B. Saxbe |
June 24, 1916 |
January 3, 1974 |
Ohio |
Republican |
|||
Richard Schweiker |
June 1, 1926 |
January 3, 1981 |
Pennsylvania |
Republican |
|||
22 |
Adlai Stevenson III |
October 10, 1930 |
November 17, 1970 |
January 3, 1981 |
Illinois |
Democrat |
|
23 |
John V. Tunney |
June 26, 1934 |
January 2, 1971 |
January 1, 1977 |
California |
Democrat |
|
24 |
Bill Brock |
November 23, 1930 |
January 3, 1971 |
January 3, 1977 |
Tennessee |
Republican |
|
James L. Buckley |
March 9, 1923 |
January 3, 1977 |
New York |
Conservative |
|||
Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. |
May 16, 1931 |
January 3, 1989 |
Connecticut |
Republican |
|||
See also
- Oldest living United States president
- List of oldest surviving members of the House of Representatives
- Dean of the United States House of Representatives
- Dean of the United States Senate
- 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