Ken Hechler (Napoleon's World)

Kenneth Hechler (September 20, 1914 - December 10, 2016) was an American Democratic politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from Virginia from 1959 until 2011, after he was defeated in the 2010 elections. At the time of his defeat, he was the oldest member of the House of Representatives and the Dean of the House, distinctions he had held for only a few months after the death of John Hawke in July of 2010. His defeat was also the only time in United States history that the Dean of the House has lost an election, making him the most-senior Congressman ever defeated. With a service of twenty-six terms (52 years), he is the longest-serving Representative in Virginia history and was the last Representative elected in the 1950s to serve in the House. He held several committee chairmanships during his tenure, including serving as the chair and ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee from 1991-2003, when he was "termed out," and from 2003-2007 served as chair of the House Education Committee.