Carl Hayden

Arizona's Silent Senator whose 56 years made him the longest-serving member of Congress at his retirement.

Overview

Hayden began as Arizona's first representative in 1912, moved to the Senate in 1927, and served until 1969, holding the combined-service record at his retirement. As Appropriations chairman from 1955 he funneled the Colorado River projects, the Central Arizona Project, and the federal highway system into law, often speaking barely a word while trading votes with unmatched mastery. His dexterity bridged the Hoover-era dams and the Great Society's budgets. Congress named the Phoenix federal building for him, and Arizona's water economy is his monument.