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Earliest serving United States senator

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This page contains a list of the earliest serving United States senators among those currently living (sitting or former) and a list of those 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 Fred R. Harris. He was sworn in as a senator on November 4, 1964.

Earliest serving senators (historic)[edit]

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 First Entered Senate
March 4, 1789 March 12, 1790 William Grayson[1] Virginia March 4, 1789
June 19, 1794 Richard Henry Lee[1] Virginia
September 21, 1798 George Read[1] Delaware
December 16, 1798 John Henry[1] Maryland
July 30, 1801 James Gunn[1] Georgia
April 16, 1804 William Maclay[1] Pennsylvania
May 30, 1804 Ralph Izard[1] South Carolina
November 18, 1804 Philip Schuyler[1] New York
May 8, 1806 Robert Morris[1] Pennsylvania
September 9, 1806 William Paterson[1] New Jersey
November 26, 1807 Oliver Ellsworth[1] Connecticut
August 15, 1815 Richard Bassett[1] Delaware
May 30, 1817 Tristram Dalton[1] Massachusetts
September 3, 1817 Jonathan Elmer[1] New Jersey
September 18, 1819 John Langdon[1] New Hampshire
November 7, 1819 Caleb Strong[1] Massachusetts
November 14, 1819 William Samuel Johnson[1] Connecticut
February 15, 1822 Pierce Butler[1] South Carolina
July 16, 1828 William Few[1] Georgia
November 14, 1832 Charles Carroll of Carrollton[1] Maryland
March 7, 1838 Paine Wingate[1] New Hampshire
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 Maine March 4, 1829
October 13, 1880 March 19, 1888 John Pendleton 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 W. Bradbury Maine
January 6, 1901 April 12, 1913 John B. Henderson Missouri January 17, 1862
April 12, 1913 September 11, 1915 William Sprague IV 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 F. M. 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
May 31, 1962 December 28, 1972 John N. Heiskell Arkansas January 6, 1913
December 28, 1972 January 6, 1975 Burton K. Wheeler Montana March 4, 1923
January 14, 1978 Clarence Dill Washington
January 14, 1978 August 16, 1979 F. Ryan Duffy Wisconsin March 4, 1933
August 16, 1979 March 13, 1985 Elmer A. 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 June 28, 2010 Robert Byrd[1] West Virginia January 3, 1959
June 28, 2010 October 21, 2012 George McGovern South Dakota January 3, 1963
December 17, 2012 Daniel Inouye[1] Hawaii
March 14, 2019 Birch Bayh Indiana
March 14, 2019 present Fred R. Harris Oklahoma November 4, 1964

Earliest serving senators currently living[edit]

This is a list of the 30 earliest-serving senators,[2] current or former, currently living, who first assumed office at least 20-40 years ago.

Rank Senator Date of birth Entered Senate Left Senate State served Party Time since entry
1 Fred R. Harris November 13, 1930 November 4, 1964 January 3, 1973 Oklahoma Democratic 60 years, 1 day
2 Bob Packwood September 11, 1932 January 3, 1969 October 1, 1995 Oregon Republican 55 years, 307 days
3 Sam Nunn September 8, 1938 November 8, 1972 January 3, 1997 Georgia Democratic 51 years, 363 days
4 J. Bennett Johnston June 10, 1932 November 13, 1972 Louisiana Democratic 51 years, 358 days
5 Joe Biden November 20, 1942 January 3, 1973 January 15, 2009 Delaware Democratic 51 years, 307 days
6 Jake Garn October 12, 1932 December 21, 1974 January 3, 1993 Utah Republican 49 years, 320 days
7 Gary Hart November 28, 1936 January 3, 1975 January 3, 1987 Colorado Democratic 49 years, 307 days
Patrick Leahy March 31, 1940 January 3, 2023 Vermont Democratic
9 John Danforth September 5, 1936 December 27, 1976 January 3, 1995 Missouri Republican 47 years, 314 days
10 Donald Riegle February 4, 1938 December 30, 1976 Michigan Democratic 47 years, 311 days
11 Dennis DeConcini May 8, 1937 January 3, 1977 Arizona Democratic 47 years, 307 days
Harrison Schmitt July 3, 1935 January 3, 1983 New Mexico Republican
13 Donald Stewart February 8, 1940 November 8, 1978 January 2, 1981 Alabama Democratic 45 years, 363 days
14 Max Baucus December 11, 1941 December 15, 1978 February 6, 2014 Montana Democratic 45 years, 326 days
15 Nancy Kassebaum July 29, 1932 December 23, 1978 January 3, 1997 Kansas Republican 45 years, 318 days
16 Rudy Boschwitz November 7, 1930 December 30, 1978 January 3, 1991 Minnesota Republican 45 years, 311 days
17 Alan Simpson September 2, 1931 January 1, 1979 January 3, 1997 Wyoming Republican 45 years, 309 days
18 David Boren April 21, 1941 January 3, 1979 November 15, 1994 Oklahoma Democratic 45 years, 307 days
Bill Bradley July 28, 1943 January 3, 1997 New Jersey Democratic
William Cohen August 28, 1940 Maine Republican
Gordon J. Humphrey October 9, 1940 December 4, 1990 New Hampshire Republican
Larry Pressler March 29, 1942 January 3, 1997 South Dakota Republican
23 George J. Mitchell August 20, 1933 May 19, 1980 January 3, 1995 Maine Republican 44 years, 170 days
24 Al D'Amato August 1, 1937 January 3, 1981 January 3, 1999 New York Republican 43 years, 307 days
Chris Dodd May 27, 1944 January 3, 2011 Connecticut Democratic
Chuck Grassley September 17, 1933 in office Iowa Republican
Bob Kasten June 19, 1942 January 3, 1993 Wisconsin Republican
Mack Mattingly January 7, 1931 January 3, 1987 Georgia Republican
Frank Murkowski March 28, 1933 December 2, 2002 Alaska Republican
Don Nickles December 6, 1948 January 3, 2005 Oklahoma Republican

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 Attained most Senior Senator status while serving uninterrupted terms.
  2. Source: US Senate Historical Office's "Senators, 1789 to Present."


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