Quick Facts
Biography
John Netherland Heiskell (November 2, 1872 – December 28, 1972) served in the United States Senate from Arkansas for a brief period in 1913. He was the second U.S. Senator to reach the age of 100.
Biography
He was born on November 2, 1872 in Rogersville, Tennessee.
He served as Senator from Arkansas for a period of just 23 days, from January 6 to January 29, 1913, which remains a record for shortest period of service in the US Senate. He was appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the death of then Senator Jeff Davis.
Heiskell was a publisher by trade. He owned and edited the Arkansas Gazette from 1902 until his death. The paper garnered two Pulitzer Prizes (one for Meritorious Public Service in 1958) under his editorship. In 1958, Heiskell received the Elijah Parish Lovejoy Award as well as an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Colby College. He was also President of Gazette Publishing Co.
He died on December 28, 1972 in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Legacy
Despite his short time in the Senate, Heiskell's longevity eventually made him, not only the oldest living former Senator, but also the last surviving person to have been a Senator in the 1910s.
Heiskell was a grandson of two prominent Tennessee politicians, John Netherland and Frederick Heiskell.