List of historical longest-serving members of the United States Congress
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.
Uninterrupted time
[edit]Senate and House
[edit]| Begin date | End date | Name | Party | State | Service | Length of service |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 4, 1789 | March 3, 1807 | John Brown | Anti-Administration/ Democratic-Republican |
Virginia/Kentucky | March 4, 1789 - March 3, 1805 (S, H) | 5,842 dd |
| March 3, 1807 | November 13, 1892 | Nathaniel Macon | Anti-Administration/ Democratic-Republican |
North Carolina | March 4, 1791 - November 14, 1828 (S, H) | 13,769 dd |
| November 13, 1892 | December 28, 1950 | Justin Smith Morrill | Whig/Republican | Vermont | March 4, 1855 - December 28, 1898 (S, H) | 16,005 dd |
| December 28, 1950 | October 24, 1957 | Adolph J. Sabath | Democratic | Illinois | March 4, 1907 - November 6, 1952 (H) | 16,684 dd |
| October 24, 1957 | November 18, 2009 | Carl Hayden | Democratic | Arizona | February 19, 1912 - January 3, 1969 (S, H) | 20,773 dd |
| November 18, 2009 | June 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
[edit]| Begin date | End date | Name | Party | State | Service | Length of service |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 4, 1789 | June 6, 1802 | James Gunn | Anti-Administration/ Federalist |
Georgia | March 4, 1789 - March 3, 1801 | 4,381 dd |
| John Langdon | Pro-Administration/ Anti-Administration/ Democratic-Republican |
New Hampshire | ||||
| June 6, 1802 | December 6, 1808 | Theodore Foster | Pro-Administration/ Federalist/ Democratic-Republican |
Rhode Island | June 7, 1790 - March 3, 1803 | 4,651 dd |
| December 6, 1808 | December 25, 1811 | James Hillhouse | Federalist | Connecticut | March 12, 1796 - June 10, 1810 | 5,202 dd |
| December 25, 1811 | May 12, 1822 | Joseph Anderson | Democratic-Republican | Tennessee | September 26, 1797 - March 3, 1815 | 6,366 dd |
| May 12, 1822 | March 5, 1841 | John Gaillard | Democratic-Republican | South Carolina | December 6, 1804 - February 26, 1826 | 7,752 dd |
| March 5, 1841 | December 11, 1845 | William R. King | Democratic-Republican/ Democratic |
Alabama | December 14, 1819 - April 15, 1844 | 8,889 dd |
| December 11, 1845 | September 24, 1896 | Thomas Hart Benton | Democratic-Republican/ Democratic |
Missouri | August 10, 1821 - March 3, 1851 | 10,797 dd |
| September 24, 1896 | December 29, 1904 | Justin Smith Morrill | Whig/ Republican |
Vermont | March 4, 1867 - December 28, 1898 | 11,622 dd |
| December 29, 1904 | August 3, 1944 | William B. Allison | Republican | Iowa | March 4, 1873 - August 4, 1908 | 12,936 dd |
| August 3, 1944 | November 17, 1952 | Ellison D. Smith | Democratic | South Carolina | March 4, 1909 - November 17, 1944 | 13,042 dd |
| November 17, 1952 | January 3, 1963 | Kenneth McKellar | Democratic | Tennessee | March 4, 1917 - January 3, 1953 | 13,089 dd |
| January 3, 1963 | September 9, 1998 | Carl Hayden | Democratic | Arizona | March 4, 1927 - January 3, 1969 | 15,281 dd |
| September 9, 1998 | February 28, 2005 | Strom Thurmond | Democratic/ Republican |
South Carolina | November 7, 1956 - January 3, 2003 | 16,858 dd |
| February 28, 2005 | Robert Byrd | Democratic | West Virginia | January 3, 1959 - June 28, 2010 | 18,804 dd |
House
[edit]| Begin date | End date | Name | Party | State | Service | Length of service |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 4, 1789 | March 3, 1803 | George Thatcher | Pro-Administration/ Federalist |
Massachusetts | March 4, 1789 - March 3, 1801 | 4,381 dd |
| March 3, 1803 | December 12, 1825 | Nathaniel Macon | Anti-Administration/ Democratic-Republican |
North Carolina | March 4, 1791 - December 13, 1815 | 9,049 dd |
| December 12, 1825 | March 9, 1908 | Thomas Newton, Jr. | Democratic-Republican | Virginia | March 4, 1801 - March 9, 1830 | 10,597 dd |
| March 9, 1908 | March 21, 1940 | Henry H. Bingham | Republican | Pennsylvania | March 4, 1879 - March 22, 1912 | 12,071 dd |
| March 21, 1940 | October 24, 1957 | Adolph J. Sabath | Democratic | Illinois | March 4, 1907 - November 6, 1952 | 16,684 dd |
| October 24, 1957 | July 18, 1963 | Sam Rayburn | Democratic | Texas | March 4, 1913 - November 16, 1961 | 17,789 dd |
| July 18, 1963 | January 5, 1992 | Carl Vinson | Democratic | Georgia | November 3, 1914 - January 3, 1965 | 18,324 dd |
| January 5, 1992 | February 10, 2009 | Jamie L. Whitten | Democratic | Mississippi | November 4, 1941 - January 3, 1995 | 19,418 dd |
| February 10, 2009 | John Dingell | Democratic | Michigan | December 13, 1955 - January 3, 2015 | 21,571 dd |
Interrupted time
[edit]Senate and House
[edit]| Begin date | End date | Name | Party | State | Service | Length of service |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 4, 1789 | March 3, 1807 | John Brown | Anti-Administration/ Democratic-Republican |
Virginia/Kentucky | March 4, 1789 - March 3, 1805 (S, H) | 5,842 dd |
| March 3, 1807 | October 15, 1831 | Nathaniel Macon | Anti-Administration/ Democratic-Republican |
North Carolina | March 4, 1791 - November 14, 1828 (S, H) | 13,769 dd |
| October 15, 1831 | April 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, 1894 | December 31, 1920 | Justin Smith Morrill | Whig/Republican | Vermont | March 4, 1855 - December 28, 1898 (S, H) | 16,005 dd |
| December 31, 1920 | February 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, 1958 | November 18, 2009 | Carl Hayden | Democratic | Arizona | February 19, 1912 - January 3, 1969 (S, H) | 20,773 dd |
| November 18, 2009 | June 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
[edit]| Begin date | End date | Name | Party | State | Service | Length of service |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 4, 1789 | June 6, 1802 | James Gunn | Anti-Administration/ Federalist |
Georgia | March 4, 1789 - March 3, 1801 | 4,381 dd |
| John Langdon | Pro-Administration/ Anti-Administration/ Democratic-Republican |
New Hampshire | ||||
| June 6, 1802 | December 6, 1808 | Theodore Foster | Pro-Administration/ Federalist/ Democratic-Republican |
Rhode Island | June 7, 1790 - March 3, 1803 | 4,651 dd |
| December 6, 1808 | December 25, 1811 | James Hillhouse | Federalist | Connecticut | March 12, 1796 - June 10, 1810 | 5,202 dd |
| December 25, 1811 | May 12, 1822 | Joseph Anderson | Democratic-Republican | Tennessee | September 26, 1797 - March 3, 1815 | 6,366 dd |
| May 12, 1822 | March 8, 1832 | John Gaillard | Democratic-Republican | South Carolina | December 6, 1804 - February 26, 1826 | 7,752 dd |
| March 8, 1832 | February 28, 1842 | Samuel Smith | Democratic-Republican | Maryland | March 4, 1803 - March 3, 1815 December 16, 1822 - March 3, 1833 |
8,112 dd |
| February 28, 1842 | December 11, 1845 | William R. King | Democratic-Republican/ Democratic |
Alabama | December 14, 1819 - April 15, 1844[1] | 8,889 dd |
| December 11, 1845 | October 8, 1894 | Thomas Hart Benton | Democratic-Republican/ Democratic |
Missouri | August 10, 1821 - March 3, 1851 | 10,797 dd |
| October 8, 1894 | February 20, 1905 | John Sherman | Republican | Ohio | March 21, 1861 - March 8, 1877 March 4, 1881 - March 4, 1897 |
11,675 dd |
| February 20, 1905 | April 20, 1928 | William B. Allison | Republican | Iowa | March 4, 1873 - August 4, 1908 | 12,936 dd |
| April 20, 1928 | March 8, 1964 | Francis E. Warren | Republican | Wyoming | November 18, 1890 - March 3, 1893 March 4, 1895 - November 24, 1929 |
13,519 dd |
| March 8, 1964 | May 30, 1997 | Carl Hayden | Democratic | Arizona | March 4, 1927 - January 3, 1969 | 15,281 dd |
| May 30, 1997 | June 10, 2006 | Strom Thurmond | Democratic/ Republican |
South Carolina | December 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, 2010 | 18,804 dd |
House
[edit]| Begin date | End date | Name | Party | State | Service | Length of service |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 4, 1789 | March 3, 1803 | George Thatcher | Pro-Administration/ Federalist |
Massachusetts | March 4, 1789 - March 3, 1801 | 4,381 dd |
| March 3, 1803 | December 12, 1825 | Nathaniel Macon | Anti-Administration/ Democratic-Republican |
North Carolina | March 4, 1791 - December 13, 1815 | 9,049 dd |
| December 12, 1825 | March 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, 1904 | November 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, 1908 | February 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, 1959 | July 18, 1963 | Sam Rayburn | Democratic | Texas | March 4, 1913 - November 16, 1961 | 17,789 dd |
| July 18, 1963 | January 5, 1992 | Carl Vinson | Democratic | Georgia | November 3, 1914 - January 3, 1965 | 18,324 dd |
| January 5, 1992 | February 10, 2009 | Jamie L. Whitten | Democratic | Mississippi | November 4, 1941 - January 3, 1995 | 19,418 dd |
| February 10, 2009 | John Dingell | Democratic | Michigan | December 13, 1955 - January 3, 2015 | 21,571 dd |
References
[edit]- ^ Also served from July 1, 1848 to December 20, 1852, but Benton surpassed his tenure in 1845.