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U.S. NEWS Friday 8 March 2019

Ralph Hall, oldest-ever member

of U.S. House, dead at age 95

By WILL WEISSERT voice who put the needs in 2014. “I saw them. But I
Associated Press of his constituents above don’t think it’s that unusual.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — For- all else.” They were a lot of places.”
mer Texas Rep. Ralph Hall, Hall, who flew Hellcat fight- Hall joined the Navy at
the oldest-ever member of ers during World War II, was 19. He married Mary Ellen
the U.S. House and a man known in Congress for pro- Murphy in November 1944,
who claimed to have once moting NASA and energy while serving in Pensacola,
sold cigarettes and Coca- production. Hailing from Florida. The couple had In this March 8, 2004, file photo, then President Bush, left, waves
with Rep. Ralph Hall, R-Texas, right, as they step off Air Force
Cola to the bank-robbing Rockwall, east of Dallas, he three sons: Hampton, Brett One upon Bush’s arrival in Dallas.
duo of Bonnie and Clyde, was fond of saying that he and Blakeley.q Associated Press
has died at age 95. voted with his party often
The Republican and World but always voted with his
War II pilot died at his home district.
in Rockwall on Thursday He was probably most pop-
morning, said Ed Valen- ular for mailing or person-
tine, Hall’s longtime strate- ally handing out pennies
gist. Asked about a cause fitted with a special silver
of death, Valentine simply band bearing his name.
cited Hall’s age, saying Only three U.S. senators
he hadn’t been suffering were older than Hall while
from any known long-term still serving in Congress:
health problems. South Carolina Republi-
Hall was 91 when he left can Strom Thurmond, who
the House after being de- was 100 when he retired in
feated in a 2014 Republi- 2003; Democrat Theodore
can primary runoff election Francis Green of Rhode Is-
by John Ratcliffe. The for- land, who left the Senate
mer U.S. attorney was less at age 93; and West Virgin-
than half Hall’s age and ia Democrat Robert Byrd,
well-schooled in digital and who died in office in 2010
data-heavy campaigning. at age 92.
An avid jogger, Hall marked Hall stuck to retail politick-
Memorial Day 2012 — when ing, preferring to greet vot-
he was 89 — by skydiving ers personally rather than
to honor American service organize formal campaign
members. stops. That was enough
That Christmas, he be- to retain his House seat in
came the oldest member 2012, when he bested a
of Congress’ lower cham- tea party primary oppo-
ber, breaking the record nent.
set by North Carolina Rep. But in 2014, Ratcliffe paint-
Charles Manly Stedman, ed his opponent as a
who died in office when he Washington insider, noting
was 89 years, 7 months and that Hall had represented
25 days old. the district long enough to
“I’m just an old guy — lived have an airport, lake and
pretty clean,” Hall said af- highway named after him.
ter breaking the record. “I Hall tried to modernize,
have no ailments. I don’t joining Twitter in 2013 and
hurt anywhere.” marking former President
Getting ousted by his own Ronald Reagan’s 102nd
party in 2014 came a de- birthday with his first Tweet.
cade after Hall became But that proved no match
a Republican as Texas for Ratcliffe, who ran un-
moved further to the right. opposed in the deeply red
He served 12 terms in Con- district in the November
gress as a Democrat but an- 2014 general election.
nounced in January 2004 While working in a phar-
that he’d made the switch, macy in his hometown as a
backed by his friend, then- boy, Hall said then-fugitives
President George W. Bush. Clyde Barrow and Bonnie
In a statement Thursday, Parker used curb-side ser-
Bush said “Ralph Hall epito- vice. Hall said they bought
mized decency, class, and “two cartons of Old Golds,
patriotism.” Republican two Coca-Colas and all
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott the newspapers we had.”
said the former congress- “He was a funny looking
man “distinguished himself little guy. She was accept-
as a fiercely independent able looking,” Hall said