HSS&T Chairman Hall Becomes Oldest House Member of Congress Ever

Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX), who remains chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology (HSS&T) Committee for another week, just became the oldest member of the House of Representatives ever.

Elected to Congress in 1980, Hall is an ardent supporter of a strong civil space program, particularly human spaceflight.  Under House Republican term-limit rules, he must relinquish his chairmanship of the committee at the end of the 112th Congress after six years of serving in the top Republican spot (four as ranking member when the Democrats controlled the House, and two as chairman).  Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), will take over when the 113th Congress begins on January 3, 2013.

Hall will be 90 years old in May.  An Associated Press (AP) story picked up by many newspapers points out that on Christmas he became the oldest member of the House of Representatives ever to serve, surpassing Rep. Charles Manly Stedman who died in office in 1930 at the age of 89 years, 7 months and 25 days.  Hall was just reelected to a 17th term in the House and said that he may run again:  “I’m just an old guy — lived pretty clean.  I have no ailments, I don’t hurt anywhere.  I may run again.  I’ll just wait and see.”

He is not the oldest person to serve in Congress overall, however.   It is not all that uncommon for Senators, who must run for reelection only every six years instead of two, to remain in office past the age of 90.  The late Senator Strom Thurmond holds the record.  He died in office in 2003 at the age of 100 years and 7 months.

Hall was a member of the Democratic party, but switched to the Republican party early in fellow Texan President George W. Bush’s term.   He handily won election as a Republican for the first time in 2004. 

Correction:  The spelling of chairman in the title has been corrected.