John N. Heiskell

John Netherland Heiskell
United States Senator from Arkansas
In office January 6, 1913 – January 29, 1913
Preceded by	Jeff Davis
Succeeded by	William M. Kavanaugh
Personal details
Born	November 2, 1872 Rogersville, Tennessee
Died	December 28, 1972 (aged 100) Little Rock, Arkansas
Political party	Democratic

John Netherland Heiskell (November 2, 1872 – December 28, 1972) 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. 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.^[1][2]

References

1. Marvin Byrd, A Unionist in East Tennessee: Captain William K. Byrd and the Mysterious Raid of 1861 (The History Press, 2011), pp. 87, 137.
2. Nathania Sawyer and John Thompson, "John Netherland Heiskell," Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture, 2012. Retrieved: 26 April 2013.

External links

• United States Congress. "John N. Heiskell (id: H000457)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• John N. Heiskell at Find a Grave