List of members of the United States Congress by longevity of service
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This is a list of United States congressmen by longevity of service. It is meant to only cover those congressmen who have set records for longevity of service (over 36 years). It is divided up into several categories.
Key:
+ = Currently serving
H = Served in House (only shown for House and Senate combined categories)
S = Served in Senate (only shown for House and Senate combined categories)
I = Interruptions in service (only shown for total tenure categories)
In cases where there is a tie in time the following criteria will sort people higher:
- Achieved the time uninterrupted (total tenure rank only)
- Achieved the time first
- Senators over Representatives (House and Senate list only)
- Senate or House Seniority (Charles Rangel vs. Bill Young, Dan Rostenkowski vs. Neal Edward Smith)
- Amongst currently sitting congressmen, there are eleven on these lists: Robert Byrd, John Dingell, Daniel Inouye, Ted Kennedy, John Conyers, Dave Obey, Charles B. Rangel, Bill Young, Thad Cochran, Pete Stark, and Don Young.
- Amongst retired congressmen on these lists, there are twelve still living: Jack Brooks, Robert H. Michel, Ernest Hollings, William Broomfield, Dan Rostenkowski, Neal Edward Smith, Joseph McDade, Paul Sarbanes, Ted Stevens, Pete Domenici, Ralph Regula, and Joe Biden.
Contents |
[edit] House and Senate time
| Total Tenure Rank |
Uninterrupted Rank |
Name | Total Tenure Time | Uninterrupted Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Carl Hayden (H,S) | 56 years, 319 days | 56 years, 319 days |
| 2 | 2 | Robert Byrd (H,S) | +56 years, 184 days | +56 years, 184 days |
| 3 | 3 | John Dingell (H) | +53 years, 205 days | +53 years, 205 days |
| 4 | 4 | Jamie L. Whitten (H) | 53 years, 60 days | 53 years, 60 days |
| 5 | 5 | Carl Vinson (H) | 50 years, 61 days | 50 years, 61 days |
| 6 | 6 | Daniel Inouye (H,S) | +49 years, 319 days | +49 years, 319 days |
| 7 | 7 | Emanuel Celler (H) | 49 years, 305 days | 49 years, 305 days |
| 8 | 8 | Sam Rayburn (H) | 48 years, 257 days | 48 years, 257 days |
| 9 | Joseph Gurney Cannon (H,I) | 48 years, 0 days | n/a | |
| 10 | Sidney R. Yates (H,I) | 48 years, 0 days | n/a | |
| 11 | 11 | Strom Thurmond (S,I) | 47 years, 159 days | 46 years, 57 days |
| 12 | 9 | Wright Patman (H) | 47 years, 3 days | 47 years, 3 days |
| 13 | 10 | Ted Kennedy (S) | +46 years, 242 days | +46 years, 242 days |
| 14 | 12 | Adolph J. Sabath (H) | 45 years, 247 days | 45 years, 247 days |
| 15 | 13 | J. Lister Hill (H,S) | 45 years, 142 days | 45 years, 142 days |
| 16 | 14 | John Conyers (H) | +44 years, 184 days | +44 years, 184 days |
| 17 | 15 | George H. Mahon (H) | 44 years, 0 days | 44 years, 0 days |
| 18 | 16 | Warren Magnuson (H,S) | 44 years, 0 days | 44 years, 0 days |
| 19 | 17 | Charles Edward Bennett (H) | 44 years, 0 days | 44 years, 0 days |
| 20 | 18 | Justin Smith Morrill (H,S) | 43 years, 299 days | 43 years, 299 days |
| 21 | William B. Allison (H,S,I) | 43 years, 152 days | n/a | |
| 22 | 19 | Charles Melvin Price (H) | 43 years, 110 days | 43 years, 110 days |
| 23 | 20 | Henry M. Jackson (H,S) | 42 years, 241 days | 42 years, 241 days |
| 24 | Carter Glass (H,S,I) | 42 years, 157 days | n/a | |
| 25 | 21 | John William McCormack (H) | 42 years, 58 days | 42 years, 58 days |
| 26 | 22 | John Sparkman (H,S) | 42 years, 0 days | 42 years, 0 days |
| 27 | 23 | William R. Poage (H) | 42 years, 0 days | 42 years, 0 days |
| 28 | 24 | Jack Brooks (H) | 42 years, 0 days | 42 years, 0 days |
| 29 | 25 | Robert L. Doughton (H) | 41 years, 305 days | 41 years, 305 days |
| 30 | 26 | Joseph William Martin, Jr. (H) | 41 years, 305 days | 41 years, 305 days |
| 31 | 27 | Clarence Cannon (H) | 41 years, 69 days | 41 years, 69 days |
| 32 | 28 | John C. Stennis (S) | 41 years, 59 days | 41 years, 59 days |
| 33 | 29 | Kenneth McKellar (H,S) | 41 years, 30 days | 41 years, 30 days |
| 34 | 30 | William Huston Natcher (H) | 40 years, 240 days | 40 years, 240 days |
| 35 | Claude Pepper (H,S,I) | 40 years, 207 days | n/a | |
| 36 | 31 | William P. Frye (H,S) | 40 years, 157 days | 40 years, 157 days |
| 37 | 32 | Dave Obey (H) | +40 years, 96 days | +40 years, 96 days |
| 38 | 33 | Ted Stevens (S) | 40 years, 10 days | 40 years, 10 days |
| 39 | 34 | Carl Curtis (H,S) | 40 years, 0 days | 40 years, 0 days |
| 40 | 35 | Peter W. Rodino (H) | 40 years, 0 days | 40 years, 0 days |
| 41 | Jennings Randolph (H,S,I) | 39 years, 364 days | n/a | |
| 42 | Eugene Hale (H,S,I) | 39 years, 363 days | n/a | |
| 43 | 36 | Leslie C. Arends (H) | 39 years, 362 days | 39 years, 362 days |
| 44 | 37 | Daniel A. Reed (H) | 39 years, 352 days | 39 years, 352 days |
| 45 | 38 | George William Norris (H,S) | 39 years, 305 days | 39 years, 305 days |
| 46 | 39 | John Taber (H) | 39 years, 305 days | 39 years, 305 days |
| 47 | 40 | William M. Colmer (H) | 39 years, 305 days | 39 years, 305 days |
| 48 | Samuel Smith (H,S,I) | 39 years, 9 days | n/a | |
| 49 | John Little McClellan (H,S,I) | 38 years, 329 days | n/a | |
| 50 | 41 | Charles B. Rangel (H) | +38 years, 184 days | +38 years, 184 days |
| 51 | 42 | Bill Young (H) | +38 years, 184 days | +38 years, 184 days |
| 53 | 43 | Morris Sheppard (H,S) | 38 years, 145 days | 38 years, 145 days |
| 53 | 44 | Ernest Hollings (S) | 38 years, 55 days | 38 years, 55 days |
| 54 | 45 | Richard Russell, Jr. (S) | 38 years, 9 days | 38 years, 9 days |
| 55 | John Sherman (H,S,I) | 38 years, 4 days | n/a | |
| 56 | 46 | Russell B. Long (S) | 38 years, 3 days | 38 years, 3 days |
| 57 | 47 | Frederick H. Gillett (H,S) | 38 years, 0 days | 38 years, 0 days |
| 58 | 48 | Wilbur Mills (H) | 38 years, 0 days | 38 years, 0 days |
| 59 | 49 | Dante Fascell (H) | 38 years, 0 days | 38 years, 0 days |
| 60 | 50 | Robert H. Michel (H) | 38 years, 0 days | 38 years, 0 days |
| 61 | Robert Crosser (H,I) | 37 years, 305 days | n/a | |
| 62 | Robert L. F. Sikes (H,I) | 37 years, 290 days | n/a | |
| 63 | 51 | Nathaniel Macon (H,S) | 37 years, 255 days | 37 years, 255 days |
| 64 | 52 | Henry Cabot Lodge (H,S) | 37 years, 250 days | 37 years, 250 days |
| 65 | Alben W. Barkley (H,S,I) | 37 years, 74 days | n/a | |
| 66 | 53 | Henry B. Gonzalez (H) | 37 years, 60 days | 37 years, 60 days |
| 67 | Francis E. Warren (S,I) | 37 years, 6 days | n/a | |
| 68 | 54 | Thad Cochran (H,S) | +36 years, 184 days | +36 years, 184 days |
| 69 | 55 | Pete Stark (H) | +36 years, 184 days | +36 years, 184 days |
| 70 | 56 | Don Young (H) | +36 years, 122 days | +36 years, 122 days |
| 71 | James Eastland (S,I) | 36 years, 83 days | n/a | |
| 72 | 57 | Joe Biden (S) | 36 years, 12 days | 36 years, 12 days |
| 73 | 58 | Henry L. Dawes (H,S) | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
| 74 | 59 | Felix Edward Hébert (H) | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
| 75 | 60 | Edward Boland (H) | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
| 76 | 61 | William Broomfield (H) | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
| 77 | 62 | Dan Rostenkowski (H) | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
| 78 | 63 | Neal Edward Smith (H) | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
| 79 | 64 | Claiborne Pell (S) | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
| 80 | 65 | Joseph McDade (H) | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
| 81 | 66 | Paul Sarbanes (H,S) | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
| 82 | 67 | Pete Domenici (S) | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
| 83 | 68 | Ralph Regula (H) | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
| 84 | Shelby M. Cullom (H,S,I) | 36 years, 0 days | n/a | |
| 85 | Henry A. Cooper (H,I) | 36 years, 0 days | n/a |
[edit] Senate time
| Total Tenure Rank |
Uninterrupted Rank |
Name | Total Tenure Time | Uninterrupted Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Robert Byrd | +50 years, 184 days | +50 years, 184 days |
| 2 | 4 | Strom Thurmond (I) | 47 years, 159 days | 46 years, 57 days |
| 3 | 2 | Ted Kennedy | +46 years, 242 days | +46 years, 242 days |
| 4 | 3 | Daniel Inouye | +46 years, 184 days | +46 years, 184 days |
| 5 | 5 | Carl Hayden | 41 years, 305 days | 41 years, 305 days |
| 6 | 6 | John C. Stennis | 41 years, 59 days | 41 years, 59 days |
| 7 | 7 | Ted Stevens | 40 years, 10 days | 40 years, 10 days |
| 8 | 8 | Ernest Hollings | 38 years, 55 days | 38 years, 55 days |
| 9 | 9 | Richard Russell, Jr. | 38 years, 9 days | 38 years, 9 days |
| 10 | 10 | Russell B. Long | 38 years, 3 days | 38 years, 3 days |
| 11 | Francis E. Warren (I) | 37 years, 6 days | n/a | |
| 12 | James Eastland (I) | 36 years, 83 days | n/a | |
| 13 | 11 | Warren G. Magnuson | 36 years, 20 days | 36 years, 20 days |
| 14 | 12 | Joe Biden | 36 years, 12 days | 36 years, 12 days |
| 15 | 13 | Claiborne Pell | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
| 16 | 14 | Pete Domenici | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
[edit] House time
| Total Tenure Rank |
Uninterrupted Rank |
Name | Total Tenure Time | Uninterrupted Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | John Dingell | +53 years, 205 days | +53 years, 205 days |
| 2 | 2 | Jamie L. Whitten | 53 years, 60 days | 53 years, 60 days |
| 3 | 3 | Carl Vinson | 50 years, 61 days | 50 years, 61 days |
| 4 | 4 | Emanuel Celler | 49 years, 305 days | 49 years, 305 days |
| 5 | 5 | Sam Rayburn | 48 years, 257 days | 48 years, 257 days |
| 6 | Joseph Gurney Cannon (I) | 48 years, 0 days | n/a | |
| 7 | Sidney R. Yates (I) | 48 years, 0 days | n/a | |
| 8 | 6 | Wright Patman | 47 years, 3 days | 47 years, 3 days |
| 9 | 7 | Adolph J. Sabath | 45 years, 247 days | 45 years, 247 days |
| 10 | 8 | John Conyers | +44 years, 184 days | +44 years, 184 days |
| 11 | 9 | George H. Mahon | 44 years, 0 days | 44 years, 0 days |
| 12 | 10 | Charles Edward Bennett | 44 years, 0 days | 44 years, 0 days |
| 13 | 11 | Charles Melvin Price | 43 years, 110 days | 43 years, 110 days |
| 14 | 12 | John William McCormack | 42 years, 58 days | 42 years, 58 days |
| 15 | 13 | William R. Poage | 42 years, 0 days | 42 years, 0 days |
| 16 | 14 | Jack Brooks | 42 years, 0 days | 42 years, 0 days |
| 17 | 15 | Robert L. Doughton | 41 years, 305 days | 41 years, 305 days |
| 18 | 16 | Joseph William Martin, Jr. | 41 years, 305 days | 41 years, 305 days |
| 19 | 17 | Clarence Cannon | 41 years, 69 days | 41 years, 69 days |
| 20 | 18 | William Huston Natcher | 40 years, 240 days | 40 years, 240 days |
| 21 | 19 | Dave Obey | +40 years, 96 days | +40 years, 96 days |
| 22 | 20 | Peter W. Rodino | 40 years, 0 days | 40 years, 0 days |
| 23 | 21 | Leslie C. Arends | 39 years, 362 days | 39 years, 362 days |
| 24 | 22 | Daniel A. Reed | 39 years, 352 days | 39 years, 352 days |
| 25 | 23 | John Taber | 39 years, 305 days | 39 years, 305 days |
| 26 | 24 | William M. Colmer | 39 years, 305 days | 39 years, 305 days |
| 27 | 25 | Charles B. Rangel | +38 years, 184 days | +38 years, 184 days |
| 28 | 26 | Bill Young | +38 years, 184 days | +38 years, 184 days |
| 29 | 27 | Wilbur Mills | 38 years, 0 days | 38 years, 0 days |
| 30 | 28 | Dante Fascell | 38 years, 0 days | 38 years, 0 days |
| 31 | 29 | Robert H. Michel | 38 years, 0 days | 38 years, 0 days |
| 32 | Robert Crosser (I) | 37 years, 305 days | n/a | |
| 33 | Robert L. F. Sikes (I) | 37 years, 290 days | n/a | |
| 34 | 30 | Henry B. Gonzalez | 37 years, 60 days | 37 years, 60 days |
| 35 | 31 | Pete Stark | +36 years, 184 days | +36 years, 184 days |
| 36 | 32 | Don Young | +36 years, 122 days | +36 years, 122 days |
| 37 | 33 | Felix Edward Hébert | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
| 38 | 34 | Edward Boland | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
| 39 | 35 | William Broomfield | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
| 40 | 36 | Dan Rostenkowski | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
| 41 | 37 | Neal Edward Smith | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
| 42 | 38 | Joseph McDade | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
| 43 | 39 | Ralph Regula | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
| 44 | Henry A. Cooper (I) | 36 years, 0 days | n/a |
[edit] See also
- Dean of the United States House of Representatives
- Dean of the United States Senate
- Earliest living United States Senator

