Earliest living United States Senator

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This page contains the individuals, who, at the time of their deaths, were the earliest living senators of any U.S. state. It categorizes earliest living in two respects. There is a list of Senators who were the oldest living Senators and there is also a list of Senators who were the most senior living Senators at the time of their deaths (based on Senate Seniority rules for the first time they took Senate office, later non consecutive Senate terms will not diminish this). In order to keep in touch with current events, there are lists of the top 20 or so current oldest living and most senior senators. The current oldest living U.S. senator is Clifford Hansen. The current most senior living senator (sitting or former) is Robert Byrd.

Contents 1 #1 Oldest Senators (Historic) 2 Current Oldest Living U.S. Senators 3 #1 Most Senior Senators (Sitting or Former) (Historic) 4 Current Most Senior Living U.S. Senators (Sitting or Former) 5 See also 6 Notes

[edit] #1 Oldest Senators (Historic)

Begin Date	End Date	Senator	State	Birth Date
March 4, 1789	November 14, 1819	William Johnson[1]	Connecticut	October 7, 1727
November 14, 1819	June 1, 1832	Thomas Sumter	South Carolina	August 14, 1734
June 1, 1832	November 14, 1832	Charles Carroll	Maryland	September 19, 1737
November 14, 1832	March 7, 1838	Paine Wingate	New Hampshire	May 14, 1739
March 7, 1838	April 22, 1839	Samuel Smith	Maryland	July 27, 1752
April 22, 1839	February 13, 1843	Nathaniel Chipman	Vermont	November 15, 1752
February 13, 1843	February 25, 1845	Asher Robbins	Rhode Island	October 26, 1757
February 25, 1845	December 22, 1850	William Plumer	New Hampshire	June 25, 1759
December 22, 1850	April 12, 1851	David Daggett	Connecticut	December 31, 1764
April 12, 1851	October 14, 1853	Elisha Mathewson	Rhode Island	April 18, 1767
October 14, 1853	November 19, 1853	Samuel Crafts	Vermont	October 6, 1768
November 19, 1853	July 24, 1854	Jonathan Roberts	Pennsylvania	August 16, 1771
July 24, 1854	April 20, 1857	Benjamin Tappan	Ohio	May 25, 1773
April 20, 1857	May 6, 1860	Littleton Tazewell	Virginia	December 17, 1774
May 6, 1860	June 23, 1865	William Wilkins	Pennsylvania	December 20, 1779
June 23, 1865	June 19, 1867	Henry Dodge	Wisconsin	October 12, 1782
June 19, 1867	December 28, 1870	Wilson Lumpkin	Georgia	January 14, 1783
December 28, 1870	June 20, 1874	John Ruggles	Maine	October 8, 1789
June 20, 1874	July 3, 1878	Daniel Sturgeon	Pennsylvania	October 27, 1789
July 3, 1878	September 16, 1887	Joseph Cilley	New Hampshire	January 4, 1791
September 16, 1887	June 26, 1889	Simon Cameron	Pennsylvania	March 8, 1799
June 26, 1889	April 4, 1893	David Meriwether	Kentucky	October 30, 1800
April 4, 1893	January 6, 1901	James Bradbury	Maine	June 10, 1802
January 6, 1901	October 7, 1906	Daniel Jewett	Missouri	September 14, 1807
October 7, 1906	July 27, 1907	Edmund Pettus[2]	Alabama	July 6, 1821
July 27, 1907	January 10, 1909	John Conness	California	September 22, 1821
January 10, 1909	November 3, 1924	Cornelius Cole	California	September 17, 1822
November 3, 1924	April 5, 1928	Chauncey Depew	New York	April 23, 1834
April 5, 1928	January 24, 1930	Rebecca Felton	Georgia	June 10, 1835
January 24, 1930	April 12, 1933	Adelbert Ames	Mississippi	October 31, 1835
April 12, 1933	February 7, 1937	Elihu Root	New York	February 15, 1845
February 7, 1937	January 26, 1938	Newell Sanders	Tennessee	July 12, 1850
January 26, 1938	July 24, 1938	Obadiah Gardner	Maine	September 13, 1852
July 24, 1938	April 30, 1940	Furnifold Simmons	North Carolina	January 20, 1854
April 30, 1940	April 21, 1941[3]	Fountain Thompson	North Dakota	November 18, 1854
April 21, 1941	June 26, 1941	Andrew Houston[1]	Texas	June 21, 1854
June 26, 1941	February 4, 1942	Fountain Thompson	North Dakota	November 18, 1854
February 4, 1942	July 19, 1947	Robert Owen	Oklahoma	February 2, 1856
July 19, 1947	July 27, 1954	Joseph Ransdell	Louisiana	October 7, 1858
July 27, 1954	March 1, 1958	Lawrence Phipps	Colorado	August 30, 1862
March 1, 1958	March 3, 1961	Joseph Grundy	Pennsylvania	January 13, 1863
March 3, 1961	May 24, 1961	George Pepper	Pennsylvania	March 16, 1867
May 24, 1961	May 19, 1966	Theodore Green	Rhode Island	October 2, 1867
May 19, 1966	December 28, 1972	John Heiskell	Arkansas	November 2, 1872
December 28, 1972	July 29, 1974	George Radcliffe	Maryland	August 22, 1877
July 29, 1974	April 14, 1977	John Milton	New Jersey	January 21, 1881
April 14, 1977	May 15, 1983	Hall Lusk	Oregon	September 21, 1883
May 15, 1983	December 1, 1984	Stephen Young	Ohio	May 4, 1889
December 1, 1984	March 20, 1988	Samuel Reynolds	Nebraska	August 11, 1890
March 20, 1988	March 14, 1989	Gladys Pyle	South Dakota	October 4, 1890
March 14, 1989	September 23, 1992	Frank Briggs	Missouri	February 25, 1894
September 23, 1992	June 10, 1993	Milward Simpson	Wyoming	November 12, 1897
June 10, 1993	May 29, 1995	Margaret Smith	Maine	December 14, 1897
May 29, 1995	May 8, 1998	Jennings Randolph	West Virginia	March 8, 1902
May 8, 1998	June 26, 2003	Strom Thurmond[2]	South Carolina	December 5, 1902
June 26, 2003	August 18, 2004	Hiram Fong	Hawaii	October 15, 1906
August 18, 2004	present	Clifford Hansen	Wyoming	October 16, 1912

[edit] Current Oldest Living U.S. Senators

1. Clifford Hansen — born October 16, 1912
2. Harry F. Byrd, Jr. — born December 20, 1914
3. William B. Saxbe — born June 24, 1916
4. Robert Byrd^[4] — born November 20, 1917
5. Claiborne Pell — born November 22, 1918
6. Charles H. Percy — born September 27, 1919
7. Edward Brooke — born October 26, 1919
8. James B. Pearson — born May 7, 1920
9. John Glenn — born July 18, 1921
10. Henry Bellmon — born September 3, 1921
11. Jesse Helms — born October 18, 1921
12. Ernest Hollings — born January 1, 1922
13. Jocelyn Burdick — born February 6, 1922
14. Mark Hatfield — born July 12, 1922
15. George McGovern — born July 19, 1922
16. Charles Mathias, Jr. — born July 24, 1922
17. Paul Laxalt — born August 2, 1922
18. James Abdnor - born February 13, 1923
19. James L. Buckley — born March 9, 1923
20. Bob Dole — born July 22, 1923
21. Robert P. Griffin — born November 6, 1923
22. Ted Stevens^[4] — born November 18, 1923
23. Frank Lautenberg^[4] - born January 23, 1924
24. William Dodd Hathaway - born February 21, 1924
25. Jeremiah Denton - born July 15, 1924
26. John Melcher - born September 6, 1924
27. Daniel Inouye^[4] - born September 7, 1924
28. Wendell H. Ford - born September 8, 1924
29. Daniel Akaka^[4] - born September 11, 1924
30. James A. McClure - born December 27, 1924
31. Dale Bumpers - born August 12, 1925

[edit] #1 Most Senior Senators (Sitting or Former) (Historic)

Begin Date	End Date	Senator	State	1st Seniority Date
March 4, 1789	November 14, 1832	A tie between Paine Wingate, Charles Carroll, and the other 24 original members of the 1st United States Senate when they were alive.		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[5]	Michigan	March 4, 1847
June 13, 1896	January 6, 1901	James Bradbury	Maine	March 4, 1847
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 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. Dick	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[6] [4]	West Virginia	January 3, 1959

[edit] Current Most Senior Living U.S. Senators (Sitting or Former)

1. Robert Byrd^[4] — 1st Seniority January 3, 1959
2. Claiborne Pell — 1st Seniority January 3, 1961
3. James B. Pearson — 1st Seniority January 31, 1962
4. Ted Kennedy^[4] — 1st Seniority November 7, 1962
5. George McGovern — 1st Seniority January 3, 1963 (senior to Daniel Inouye based on length of service as a Representative)
6. Daniel Inouye ^[4]- 1st Seniority January 3, 1963 (senior to Birch Bayh because he was previously a Representative)
7. Birch Bayh — 1st Seniority January 3, 1963
8. Fred R. Harris — 1st Seniority November 4, 1964
9. Walter Mondale — 1st Seniority December 30, 1964
10. Joseph Tydings — 1st Seniority January 3, 1965
11. Harry F. Byrd, Jr. — 1st Seniority November 12, 1965
12. Robert P. Griffin — 1st Seniority May 11, 1966
13. Ernest Hollings — 1st Seniority November 9, 1966
14. Clifford Hansen — 1st Seniority January 3, 1967 (senior to Charles Percy because he was previously a Governor)
15. Charles H. Percy — 1st Seniority January 3, 1967 (senior to Edward Brooke based on state population )
16. Edward Brooke — 1st Seniority January 3, 1967 (senior to Howard Baker based on state population)
17. Howard Baker — 1st Seniority January 3, 1967
18. Mark Hatfield — 1st Seniority January 10, 1967
19. Marlow Cook — 1st Seniority December 17, 1968
20. Ted Stevens^[4] — 1st Seniority December 24, 1968

[edit] See also

• List of oldest Surviving members of the House of Representatives
• Oldest living United States president
• Oldest living United States governor
• Dean of the United States Senate
• Earliest serving United States governor
• List of United States Congressmen by longevity of service

[edit] Notes

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