List of historical longest-serving members of the United States Congress

Last updated

This is a list of United States congressmen who have set records for longevity of service since the United States 1st Congress in 1789. It is divided up into several categories.

Contents

Uninterrupted time

Senate and House

Begin dateEnd dateNamePartyStateServiceLength of service
March 4, 1789March 3, 1807 John Brown Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican
Virginia/Kentucky March 4, 1789 - March 3, 1805 (S, H)5,842 dd
March 3, 1807November 13, 1892 Nathaniel Macon Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican
North Carolina March 4, 1791 - November 14, 1828 (S, H)13,769 dd
November 13, 1892December 28, 1950 Justin Smith Morrill Whig/Republican Vermont March 4, 1855 - December 28, 1898 (S, H)16,005 dd
December 28, 1950October 24, 1957 Adolph J. Sabath Democratic Illinois March 4, 1907 - November 6, 1952 (H)16,684 dd
October 24, 1957November 18, 2009 Carl Hayden Democratic Arizona February 19, 1912 - January 3, 1969 (S, H)20,773 dd
November 18, 2009June 6, 2013 Robert Byrd Democratic West Virginia January 3, 1953 - June 28, 2010 (S, H)20,995 dd
June 6, 2013 John Dingell Democratic Michigan December 13, 1955 - January 3, 2015 (H)21,571 dd

Senate

Begin dateEnd dateNamePartyStateServiceLength of service
March 4, 1789June 6, 1802 James Gunn Anti-Administration/
Federalist
Georgia March 4, 1789 - March 3, 18014,381 dd
John Langdon Pro-Administration/
Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican
New Hampshire
June 6, 1802December 6, 1808 Theodore Foster Pro-Administration/
Federalist/
Democratic-Republican
Rhode Island June 7, 1790 - March 3, 18034,651 dd
December 6, 1808December 25, 1811 James Hillhouse Federalist Connecticut March 12, 1796 - June 10, 18105,202 dd
December 25, 1811May 12, 1822 Joseph Anderson Democratic-Republican Tennessee September 26, 1797 - March 3, 18156,366 dd
May 12, 1822March 5, 1841 John Gaillard Democratic-Republican South Carolina December 6, 1804 - February 26, 18267,752 dd
March 5, 1841December 11, 1845 William R. King Democratic-Republican/
Democratic
Alabama December 14, 1819 - April 15, 18448,889 dd
December 11, 1845September 24, 1896 Thomas Hart Benton Democratic-Republican/
Democratic
Missouri August 10, 1821 - March 3, 185110,797 dd
September 24, 1896December 29, 1904 Justin Smith Morrill Whig/
Republican
Vermont March 4, 1867 - December 28, 189811,622 dd
December 29, 1904August 3, 1944 William B. Allison Republican Iowa March 4, 1873 - August 4, 190812,936 dd
August 3, 1944November 17, 1952 Ellison D. Smith DemocraticSouth CarolinaMarch 4, 1909 - November 17, 194413,042 dd
November 17, 1952January 3, 1963 Kenneth McKellar DemocraticTennesseeMarch 4, 1917 - January 3, 195313,089 dd
January 3, 1963September 9, 1998 Carl Hayden Democratic Arizona March 4, 1927 - January 3, 196915,281 dd
September 9, 1998February 28, 2005 Strom Thurmond Democratic/
Republican
South CarolinaNovember 7, 1956 - January 3, 200316,858 dd
February 28, 2005 Robert Byrd Democratic West Virginia January 3, 1959 - June 28, 201018,804 dd

House

Begin dateEnd dateNamePartyStateServiceLength of service
March 4, 1789March 3, 1803 George Thatcher Pro-Administration/
Federalist
Massachusetts March 4, 1789 - March 3, 18014,381 dd
March 3, 1803December 12, 1825 Nathaniel Macon Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican
North Carolina March 4, 1791 - December 13, 18159,049 dd
December 12, 1825March 9, 1908 Thomas Newton, Jr. Democratic-Republican Virginia March 4, 1801 - March 9, 183010,597 dd
March 9, 1908March 21, 1940 Henry H. Bingham Republican Pennsylvania March 4, 1879 - March 22, 191212,071 dd
March 21, 1940October 24, 1957 Adolph J. Sabath Democratic Illinois March 4, 1907 - November 6, 195216,684 dd
October 24, 1957July 18, 1963 Sam Rayburn Democratic Texas March 4, 1913 - November 16, 196117,789 dd
July 18, 1963January 5, 1992 Carl Vinson Democratic Georgia November 3, 1914 - January 3, 196518,324 dd
January 5, 1992February 10, 2009 Jamie L. Whitten Democratic Mississippi November 4, 1941 - January 3, 199519,418 dd
February 10, 2009 John Dingell Democratic Michigan December 13, 1955 - January 3, 201521,571 dd

Interrupted time

Senate and House

Begin dateEnd dateNamePartyStateServiceLength of service
March 4, 1789March 3, 1807 John Brown Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican
Virginia/Kentucky March 4, 1789 - March 3, 1805 (S, H)5,842 dd
March 3, 1807October 15, 1831 Nathaniel Macon Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican
North Carolina March 4, 1791 - November 14, 1828 (S, H)13,769 dd
October 15, 1831April 2, 1894 Samuel Smith Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican
Maryland March 4, 1793 - March 3, 1815
January 31, 1816 - March 3, 1833 (S, H)
14,274 dd
April 2, 1894December 31, 1920 Justin Smith Morrill Whig/Republican Vermont March 4, 1855 - December 28, 1898 (S, H)16,005 dd
December 31, 1920February 14, 1958 Joseph G. Cannon Republican Illinois March 4, 1873 - March 3, 1891
March 4, 1893 - March 3, 1913
March 4, 1915 - March 3, 1923 (H)
16,797 dd
February 14, 1958November 18, 2009 Carl Hayden Democratic Arizona February 19, 1912 - January 3, 1969 (S, H)20,773 dd
November 18, 2009June 6, 2013 Robert Byrd Democratic West Virginia January 3, 1953 - June 28, 2010 (S, H)20,995 dd
June 6, 2013 John Dingell Democratic Michigan December 13, 1955 - January 3, 2015 (H)21,571 dd

Senate

Begin dateEnd dateNamePartyStateServiceLength of service
March 4, 1789June 6, 1802 James Gunn Anti-Administration/
Federalist
Georgia March 4, 1789 - March 3, 18014,381 dd
John Langdon Pro-Administration/
Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican
New Hampshire
June 6, 1802December 6, 1808 Theodore Foster Pro-Administration/
Federalist/
Democratic-Republican
Rhode Island June 7, 1790 - March 3, 18034,651 dd
December 6, 1808December 25, 1811 James Hillhouse Federalist Connecticut March 12, 1796 - June 10, 18105,202 dd
December 25, 1811May 12, 1822 Joseph Anderson Democratic-Republican Tennessee September 26, 1797 - March 3, 18156,366 dd
May 12, 1822March 8, 1832 John Gaillard Democratic-Republican South Carolina December 6, 1804 - February 26, 18267,752 dd
March 8, 1832February 28, 1842 Samuel Smith Democratic-Republican Maryland March 4, 1803 - March 3, 1815
December 16, 1822 - March 3, 1833
8,112 dd
February 28, 1842December 11, 1845 William R. King Democratic-Republican/
Democratic
Alabama December 14, 1819 - April 15, 1844 [1] 8,889 dd
December 11, 1845October 8, 1894 Thomas Hart Benton Democratic-Republican/
Democratic
Missouri August 10, 1821 - March 3, 185110,797 dd
October 8, 1894February 20, 1905 John Sherman Republican Ohio March 21, 1861 - March 8, 1877
March 4, 1881 - March 4, 1897
11,675 dd
February 20, 1905April 20, 1928 William B. Allison Republican Iowa March 4, 1873 - August 4, 190812,936 dd
April 20, 1928March 8, 1964 Francis E. Warren Republican Wyoming November 18, 1890 - March 3, 1893
March 4, 1895 - November 24, 1929
13,519 dd
March 8, 1964May 30, 1997 Carl Hayden Democratic Arizona March 4, 1927 - January 3, 196915,281 dd
May 30, 1997June 10, 2006 Strom Thurmond Democratic/
Republican
South CarolinaDecember 24, 1954 - April 4, 1956
November 7, 1956 - January 3, 2003
17,325 dd
June 10, 2006 Robert Byrd Democratic West Virginia January 3, 1959 - June 28, 201018,804 dd

House

Begin dateEnd dateNamePartyStateServiceLength of service
March 4, 1789March 3, 1803 George Thatcher Pro-Administration/
Federalist
Massachusetts March 4, 1789 - March 3, 18014,381 dd
March 3, 1803December 12, 1825 Nathaniel Macon Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican
North Carolina March 4, 1791 - December 13, 18159,049 dd
December 12, 1825March 11, 1904 Thomas Newton, Jr. Democratic-Republican Virginia March 4, 1801 - March 9, 1830
March 4, 1831 - March 3, 1833
11,327 dd
March 11, 1904November 3, 1908 John H. Ketcham Republican New York March 4, 1865 - March 3, 1873
March 4, 1877 - March 3, 1893
March 4, 1897 - November 4, 1906
12,295 dd
November 3, 1908February 28, 1959 Joseph G. Cannon Republican Illinois March 4, 1873 - March 3, 1891
March 4, 1893 - March 3, 1913
March 4, 1915 - March 3, 1923
16,797 dd
February 28, 1959July 18, 1963 Sam Rayburn Democratic Texas March 4, 1913 - November 16, 196117,789 dd
July 18, 1963January 5, 1992 Carl Vinson Democratic Georgia November 3, 1914 - January 3, 196518,324 dd
January 5, 1992February 10, 2009 Jamie L. Whitten Democratic Mississippi November 4, 1941 - January 3, 199519,418 dd
February 10, 2009 John Dingell Democratic Michigan December 13, 1955 - January 3, 201521,571 dd

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">August</span> Eighth month in the Julian and Gregorian calendars

August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and the fifth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. Its zodiac sign is Leo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of the United States</span> National flag

The national flag of the United States, often referred to as the American flag or the U.S. flag, consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton, referred to as the union and bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows, where rows of six stars alternate with rows of five stars. The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 U.S. states, and the 13 stripes represent the thirteen British colonies that declared independence from Great Britain, which they obtained in their victory in the American Revolutionary War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations</span> Intergovernmental organization

The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and serve as a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations. It is the world's largest international organization. The UN is headquartered in New York City, and the organization has other offices in Geneva, Nairobi, Vienna, and The Hague, where the International Court of Justice is headquartered.

The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. All six armed services are among the eight uniformed services of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan statistical area</span> Type of geographical region in the United States

In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the region. Such regions are not legally incorporated as a city or town would be and are not legal administrative divisions like counties or separate entities such as states. That makes the precise definition of any given metropolitan area vary with the source. The statistical criteria for a standard metropolitan area were defined in 1949 and redefined as a metropolitan statistical area in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal government of the United States</span> National government of the United States

The federal government of the United States is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, five major self-governing territories, several island possessions, and the federal district and national capital of Washington, D.C., where most of the federal government is based.

This gallery of sovereign state flags shows the national or state flags of sovereign states that appear on the list of sovereign states. For other flags, please see flags of active autonomist and secessionist movements, flags of extinct states and gallery of flags of dependent territories. Each flag is depicted as if the flagpole is positioned on the left of the flag, except for those of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, which are depicted with the hoist to the right.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Time Zone</span> North American time zone (UTC−5 and UTC−4)

The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, and the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Territories of the United States</span>

Territories of the United States are sub-national administrative divisions overseen by the federal government of the United States. The various American territories differ from the U.S. states and Indian reservations as they are not sovereign entities. In contrast, each state has a sovereignty separate from that of the federal government and each federally recognized Native American tribe possesses limited tribal sovereignty as a "dependent sovereign nation." Territories are classified by incorporation and whether they have an "organized" government through an organic act passed by the Congress. American territories are under American sovereignty and, consequently, may be treated as part of the United States proper in some ways and not others. Unincorporated territories in particular are not considered to be integral parts of the United States, and the Constitution of the United States applies only partially in those territories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States</span> Country primarily located in North America

The United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, is a country primarily located in North America and consisting of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territories, nine Minor Outlying Islands, and 326 Indian reservations. It is the world's third-largest country by both land and total area. It shares land borders with Canada to its north and with Mexico to its south and has maritime borders with the Bahamas, Cuba, Russia, and other nations. With a population of over 333 million, it is the most populous country in the Americas and the third-most populous in the world. The national capital of the United States is Washington, D.C., and its most populous city and principal financial center is New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. state</span> Constituent political entity of the United States

In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sovereignty with the federal government. Due to this shared sovereignty, Americans are citizens both of the federal republic and of the state in which they reside. State citizenship and residency are flexible, and no government approval is required to move between states, except for persons restricted by certain types of court orders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States dollar</span> Official currency of the United States of America

The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it into 100 cents, and authorized the minting of coins denominated in dollars and cents. U.S. banknotes are issued in the form of Federal Reserve Notes, popularly called greenbacks due to their predominantly green color.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Navy</span> Maritime service branch of the U.S. military

The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of its active battle fleet alone exceeding the next 13 navies combined, including 11 allies or partner nations of the United States as of 2012. It has the highest combined battle fleet tonnage and the world's largest aircraft carrier fleet, with eleven in service, two new carriers under construction, and five other carriers planned. With 336,978 personnel on active duty and 101,583 in the Ready Reserve, the United States Navy is the third largest of the United States military service branches in terms of personnel. It has 290 deployable combat vessels and more than 2,623 operational aircraft as of June 2019.

References

  1. Also served from July 1, 1848 to December 20, 1852, but Benton surpassed his tenure in 1845.