Cornelius Cole

Cornelius Cole (September 17, 1822 - November 3, 1924) served a single term in the United States House of Representatives as a Republican from 1863 to 1865 and in the United States Senate from 1867 to 1873. In his lifetime he practiced law in his native California and served in the Civil War.

On June 27, 1922, Cole spoke before Congress, as it was in recess, for a period of 5 minutes at the age of 99. When he died in 1924 he was the oldest U.S. Senator in American history and has yet to be beaten.