Former Congressman Ralph Hall passes away

Former Congressman Ralph Hall of Rockwall died Thursday, aged 95.

Governor Greg Abbott said in tribute to Hall:

“Cecilia and I ask that all Texans join us in praying for the family of Ralph Hall as they mourn his passing. Congressman Hall heroically served his country in World War II and went on to a career in politics where he distinguished himself as a fiercely independent voice who put the needs of his constituents above all else. He represented the best of the Lone Star State and will be forever remembered as one of the finest Texans to ever serve our great nation.”

Ralph Moody Hall (May 3, 1923 – March 7, 2019) served as the United States Representative for Texas's 4th congressional district from 1981 to 2015. He was first elected in 1980, and was the chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology from 2011 to 2013. He was also a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. In 2004, he switched to the Republican Party after having been a member of the Democratic Party for more than 50 years.

At 91, he was the oldest serving member of Congress at the end of his last term in office, the oldest person to ever serve in the House of Representatives, the oldest person ever elected to a House term and the oldest House member ever to cast a vote, and the last member of Congress from the G.I. Generation.