Members of the U.S. Congress Who Have Died of Other Than Natural Causes while in Office

^Pr^ep^ar^{ed f}^o^r^M^e^m^b^ers^an^d^Com^mⁱ^t^t^ees^of^C^ong^r^e^ss

This report provides an alphabetical list of the 61 Members of Congress who have died of other
than natural causes while serving in the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate. Each
entry includes party affiliation, the name of the state that the Member represented, dates of
service, chamber in which the Member served, and cause of death.
The report does not presume to be a complete list of Members who have died from other than
natural causes while in office. CRS relied exclusively on available sources, and the report reflects
only the extent to which they indicated the cause of a Member’s death.

Table 1. Members of the U.S. Congress Who Have Died of Other Than Natural Causes
While in Office.............................................................................................................................1
Author Contact Information............................................................................................................5

Table 1. Members of the U.S. Congress Who Have Died of Other Than Natural Causes While in Office
^Member^Party^State^{Dates of Service}^a^Chamber^{Cause of Death an}^{d Date of}^Death
^{ANDERSON, Carl Carey}^D^OH^03/0^4/1⁹⁰^{9- 1}^0/0^1/1⁹¹²^House^{Died in an automobile accident n}^{ear Fostoria, OH on 10/}^01/¹⁹^12.
^{R IL}^03/0^4/1⁸⁴^5-0^1/1^5/18⁴⁷^House^{BAKER, Edward Dickinson}^Kil^{led in the Battle of Balls Bluff,}^{VA on 10/}^21/1⁸⁶^1.
^03/0^4/1⁸⁴^9-0^3/0^3/18⁵¹
^{R OR}^10/2^1/1⁸⁶^0-1^0/2^1/18⁶¹^Senate
^{BATES, George Joseph}^R^MA^01/0^3/1⁹³^7-1^1/0^1/19⁴⁹^House^{Died in an airplane accident at W}^{ashington National Airport on}¹¹^/01/1⁹⁴⁹^.
^{BEGICH, Nic}^holas^D^AL^01/0^3/1⁹⁷^1-1^0/1^6/19⁷²^House^{Died in a plane cras}^{h in the}^{Alaskan wilderness on}^10/^16/¹⁹^72.
^{BOGGS, Thomas Hale}^D^LA^01/0^3/1⁹⁴^1-0^1/0^3/19⁴³^House^{Died in a plane cras}^{h in the}^{Alaskan wilderness on}^10/^16/¹⁹^72.
^01/0^3/1⁹⁴^7-1^0/1^6/19⁷²
⁷³⁵^{BONO, Sonny}^R^CA^01/0^3/1⁹⁹^5-0^1/0^5/19⁹⁸^House^{Died in a skiing accident at Lake}^{Tahoe, NV on 01/}^05/¹⁹^98.
^{BOYLE, Charles Aug}^ustu^s^D^IL^01/0^3/1⁹⁵^5-1^1/0^4/19⁵⁹^House^{Died in an automobile accident in Chicago, IL on 11/}^04/¹⁹^59.
ⁱ^ki/CRS-98-^BRANDEGE^{E, Frank B.}^R^CT^11/0^5/1⁹⁰^2-0^5/1^0/19⁰⁵^House^{Committed suicide in Washington, DC on 10/}^14/¹⁹^24.
^g/w^05/1^0/1⁹⁰^5-1^0/1^4/19²⁴^Senate
^s^.or^{BRODERICK, David C}^olbreth^D^CA^03/0^4/1⁸⁵^7-0^9/1^6/18⁵⁹^Senate^{Mortally wounded by David S. Terry, Chief J}^{ustice of the}^Supr^eme^Co^{urt of}
^le^ak^California,^{in a duel in San Fran}^{cisco on 09/}^13/¹⁸^{59 a}^{nd died on 09}^/16/1⁸⁵^9.
^://wiki^{BYRON, Wil}^{liam Devereux}^D^MD^01/0^3/1⁹³^9-0^2/2^7/19⁴¹^House^{Died in an airplane cras}^{h in Jo}^nes^{boro, GA on 0}^2/2^7/19^41.
^h^ttp^{CHAPMAN, Virgil Mundy}^D^KY^03/0^4/1⁹²^5-0^3/0^3/19²⁹^House^{Died from injuries received in an}^{automobile accident in Bethesda, MD on}
^03/0^4/1⁹³^1-0^1/0^3/19⁴⁹^03/0^8/1⁹⁵^1.
^01/0^3/1⁹⁴^9-0^3/0^8/19⁵¹^Senate
^CHICKERIN^{G, Charles Addison}^R^NY^03/0^4/1⁸⁹^3-0^2/1^3/19⁰⁰^House^{Died from injuries received in an}^{accidental fall from a window of}^{the G}^rand
^{Union Hotel in New York City on 0}^2/1^3/1⁹⁰^0.
^{CILLEY, Johnat}^han^D^b^ME^03/0^4/1⁸³^7-0^2/2^4/18³⁸^House^Kil^{led in a duel on the Ma}^{rlboro Pike, near Washington, DC by W}^ill^{iam J.}
^{Graves, a Rep}^resentative^{from K}^entucky^{on 0}^2/2^4/1⁸³^8.
^{CLARKE, John Daven}^port^R^NY^03/0^4/1⁹²^1-0^3/0^3/19²⁵^House^{Died as a result of an a}^{utomobile collis}^{ion near Delhi, NY on 11/}⁰^5/19^33.
^03/0^4/1⁹²^7-1^1/0^5/19³³
^{COFFEY, Robert Lewis, Jr.}^D^PA^01/0^3/1⁹⁴^9-0^4/2^0/19⁴⁹^House^{Died in an airplane accident in Al}^buq^uer^que,^{NM on}^04/^20/¹⁹^49.
^{COLLINS, George W.}^D^IL^11/0^3/1⁹⁷^0-1^2/0^8/19⁷²^House^{Died in an airplane cras}^{h in C}^{hicago, IL on 12/}^08/¹⁹^72.
^{CUTTING, Bronson M}^urray^R^NM^12/2^9/1⁹²^7-1^2/0^6/19²⁸^Senate^{Died in an airplane cras}^h^{near Atl}^{anta, MO on}^05/^06/¹⁹^35.
^03/0^4/1⁹²^9-0^5/0^6/19³⁵
^{DITTER, John Will}^iam^R^PA^03/0^4/1⁹³^3-1^1/2^1/19⁴³^House^{Died in an airplane cras}^h^{near Co}^{lumbia, PA on 11/}^21/¹⁹^43.

^Member^Party^State^{Dates of Service}^a^Chamber^{Cause of Death an}^{d Date of}^Death
^{EAST, John P.}^R^NC^01/0^3/1⁹⁸^1-0^6/2^9/19⁸⁶^Senate^{Committed suicide in Greenville, NC on 0}^6/2^9/1⁹⁸^6.
^{ELLIOTT, Douglas}^R^PA^04/2^6/1⁹⁶^0-0^6/1^9/19⁶⁰^House^{Committed suicide in Horse Vall}^{ey, PA on 06/}^19/1⁹⁶^0.
^{ERVIN, Joseph}^W.^D^NC^01/0^3/1⁹⁴^5-1^2/2^5/19⁴⁵^House^{Committed suicide in Washington, DC on 12/}^25/¹⁹^45.
^{FOLGER, Alonzo Dil}^lard^D^NC^01/0^3/1⁹³^9-0^4/3^0/19⁴¹^House^{Died in an automobile accident in Mount Airy,}^{NC on 0}^4/3^0/1⁹⁴^1.
^{GANLY, James Vince}^nt^D^NY^03/0^4/1⁹¹^9-0^3/0^3/19²¹^House^{Died in an automobile accident in New York City on 0}^9/0^7/1⁹²^3.
^03/0^4/1⁹²^3-0^9/0^7/19²³
^HAMILTO^{N, Cornelius Springer}^R^OH^03/0^4/1⁸⁶^7-1^2/2^2/18⁶⁷^House^Kil^{led by an insa}^{ne son in}^Marys^{ville, OH on 12/2}^2/1⁸⁶^7.
^HEI^{NKE, George}^Henr^y^R^NE^01/0^3/1⁹³^9-0^1/0^2/19⁴⁰^House^{Died as a result of injuries receiv}^{ed in an automobile accident n}^e^a^r^Morr^ilton,
^{AR while en route to Washingto}^{n DC to attend the}^{opening of t}^h^e³^rd^session^th
^{of the 7}⁶^Cong^{ress on}^01/^02/¹⁹^40.
⁷³⁵^HEI^{NZ, H. John II}^I^R^{PA 11/0}^2/1⁹⁷^1-0^1/0^3/19⁷⁷^House^{Died in a mid-a}^{ir coll}^{ision between his c}^harter^{plane a}^{nd a helicop}^{ter over a}
^01/0^3/1⁹⁷^7-0^4/0^4/19⁹¹^Senate^sub^urba^{n Philadelphia schoolyard on 04/}^04/¹⁹^91.
ⁱ^ki/CRS-98-^{HINDS, James}^R^AR^06/2^2/1⁸⁶^8-1^0/2^2/18⁶⁸^House^{Assassinated near}^{Indian Bays, A}^R^{on 10/}^22/1⁸⁶^8.
^g/w^{HUNT, Lester C.}^D^WY^01/0^3/1⁹⁴^9-0^6/1^9/19⁵⁴^Senate^{Committed suicide in Washington, DC on 06/}^19/¹⁹^54.
^s^.or^{HUSTING, Paul Oscar}^D^WI^03/0^4/1⁹¹^5-1^0/2^1/19¹⁷^Senate^{Died accidentally while duck hunt}^{ing on Rush}^{Lake, near}^{Picketts, WI on}
^le^ak^10/2^1/1⁹¹^7.
^c^VA^03/0^4/1⁸³^1-0^6/1^7/18³²^House^{Drowned near one}^{of the docks i}ⁿ^{Alexandria, VA on 0}^6/1^7/1⁸³^2.
^://wiki^{JOHNSTON, Cha}^{rles Clement}^D
^h^ttp^{JOHNSTON, Josiah Stoddard}^D^LA^03/0^4/1⁸²^1-0^3/0^3/18²³^01/1^5/1⁸²^4-0^5/1^9/18³³^House^Senate^Kil^{led by an e}^{xplosion on the ste}^amboat^Lioness^oⁿ^{the Red River}^{in Louisiana}^{on 05/}^19/¹⁸^33.
^{KAYNOR, Wil}^{liam K}^irk^R^MA^03/0^4/1⁹²^9-1^2/2^0/19²⁹^House^{Died in an airplane accident}^near^{Washington, DC on 12/}^20/¹⁹^29.
^{KENDALL, Samuel A.}^R^PA^03/0^4/1⁹¹^9-0^1/0^8/19³³^House^{Committed suicide in his office in the Hous}^{e Office B}^{uilding on 01/}^08/1⁹³³
^KENN^{EDY, Robert F.}^D^NY^03/0^3/1⁹⁶^5-0^6/0^6/19⁶⁸^Senate^{Assassinated in Los Angeles, CA}^{on 06/}^06/¹⁹^68.
^{KINNARD, George L.}^D^IN^03/0^4/1⁸³^3-1^1/2^6/18³⁶^House^{Died from injuries received in an}^{explosion on the stea}^mer^Flora^{on the}^Ohio
^{River on 11/}^26/¹⁸^36.
^{LANE, James}^H.^D^IN^03/0^4/1⁸⁵^3-0^3/0^3/18⁵⁵^House^{Committed suicide near Ft. Leavenworth, KS on 0}^7/1^1/1⁸⁶^6.
^R^KS^04/0^4/1⁸⁶^1-0^7/1^1/18⁶⁶^Senate
^{LANHAM, He}^nderson^Lovelace^D^GA^01/0^3/1⁹⁴^7-1^1/1^0/19⁵⁷^House^Kil^{led when his a}^{utomobile coll}^id^{ed with a train at a c}^{rossing in R}^{ome, GA on}
^11/1^0/1⁹⁵^7.
^{LELAND, George}^{T. (Mickey)}^D^TX^01/0^3/1⁹⁷^9-0^8/0^7/19⁸⁹^House^{Died in a plane cras}^{h on 0}^8/0^7/1⁹⁸⁹^{in Et}^{hiopia while on a fact-fin}^{ding tour to}
^{study h}^unge^{r among r}^efugee^s.

^Member^Party^State^{Dates of Service}^a^Chamber^{Cause of Death an}^{d Date of}^Death
^LITTON,^Jerry^{D MO}^03/0^3/1⁹⁷^3-0^8/0^3/19^{76 House}^{Died in a plane cras}^{h en}^{route to}^{Kansas City, MO on}^08/^03/¹⁹^76,^{on the}^night
^{of his victory in the}¹⁹⁷⁶^{Democratic U.S. Senate primary.}
^{LONG, H}^{uey Pierce}^D^LA^01/2^5/1⁹³^2-0^9/1^0/19³⁵^Senate^{Assassinated in the}^{State Capitol Building, Bat}^{on Rouge, LA on 09/}^08/1⁹³^5;^died
^{on 09/}^10/¹⁹^35.
^LUNDEE^{N, Er}^nest^R^d^MN^03/0^4/1⁹¹^7-0^3/0^3/19¹⁹^House^{Died in an airplane cras}^h^{near Lo}^{vettsville, VA}^{on 08/}^31/1⁹⁴^0.
^03/0^4/1⁹³^3-0^1/0^3/19³⁷
^01/0^3/1⁹³^7-0^8/3^1/19⁴⁰^Senate
^{McCORMICK, Josep}^{h Medill}^R^IL^03/0^4/1⁹¹^7-0^3/0^3/19¹⁹^House^{Committed suicide in Washington, DC on 02/}^25/¹⁹²⁵^e
^03/0^4/1⁹¹^9-0^2/2^5/19²⁵^Senate
^{McDONALD, Lar}^ry^D^GA^01/0^3/1⁹⁷^5-0^9/0^1/19⁸³^House^{Died in crash of Korean Airlines f}^{light shot down by a Ru}^{ssian fight}^{er plane o}ⁿ
^09/0^1/1⁹⁸^3.
⁷³⁵^MILL^{ER, Clement Woodnutt}^D^CA^01/0^3/1⁹⁵^9-1^0/0^7/19⁶²^House^{Died in an airplane cras}^h^near^Eu^{reka, CA on 10/}^07/¹⁹^62.
^{MILLS, William}^R^MD^05/2^7/1⁹⁷^1-0^5/2^4/19⁷³^House^{Committed suicide near Easton,}^{MD on 0}^5/2^4/19^73.
ⁱ^ki/CRS-98-^MONTG^{OMERY, John}^Gallagher^D^PA^03/0^4/1⁸⁵^7-0^4/2^4/18⁵⁷^House^{Died on 04/2}^4/18^57,^pres^umably^{from the e}^{ffects of}^{food poisoning c}^ontracted^{while staying at the}^{National Hotel in Washington, DC.}
^g/w
^s^.or^{MURPHY, Richard Louis}^D^IA^03/0^4/1⁹³^3-0^7/1^6/19³⁶^Senate^{Died in an automobile accident n}^{ear Chipp}^{ewa Falls, WI on 07/1}^6/¹⁹³^6.
^le^ak^{PETTIS, Jerry L.}^R^CA^01/0^3/1⁹⁶^7-0^2/1^4/19⁷⁵^House^{Died in a plane cras}^{h in Ban}^{ning, San Bernardino County, CA on}⁰^2/14/¹⁹^75.
^://wiki^{PETTIS, Spencer Darwin}^D^MO^03/0^4/1⁸²^9-0^8/2^8/18³¹^House^{During the}^{campaign of}¹⁸³^{0, his}^{opinions on the U.S. Bank issue}^p^recip^{itated a}
^h^ttp^quar^{rel and su}^bse^que^{ntly a duel}^{with Major Thomas Biddle, and both fell}^{mortally wounded on 08/}^28/¹⁸³¹^.
^{PINCKNEY, John}^McPhe^rson^D^TX^11/1^7/1⁹⁰^3-0^4/2^4/19⁰⁵^House^{Assaulted and killed at Hempstea}^{d, TX on 04/24/}¹⁹^05.
^{QUITMAN, Joh}^{n Ant}^hony^D^MS^03/0^4/1⁸⁵^5-0^7/1^7/18⁵⁸^House^{Died on 07/1}^7/18^58,^pres^umably^{from the e}^{ffects of}^{food poisoning contra}^cted
^{in 18}^{57 w}^{hile staying at th}^{e National Hotel in Washington, DC.}
^{RYAN, Leo J.}^D^CA^01/0^3/1⁹⁷^3-1^1/1^8/19⁷⁸^House^{Died from gunshot wou}^{nds rec}^{eived while visiting an American r}^eligious
^{commune in}^G^{uyana, South Am}^e^{rica on 11/}^18/¹⁹^78.
^{SCHALL, Thomas David}^R^MN^03/0^4/1⁹¹^5-0^3/0^3/19²⁵^House^{Died after being str}^uck^{by an}^aut^{omobile in Washington, DC on 12/22/}¹⁹^35.
^03/0^4/1⁹²^5-1^2/2^2/19³⁵^Senate
^{SMITH, Larkin}^R^MS^01/0^3/1⁹⁸^9-0^8/1^3/19⁸⁹^House^{Died in a plane cras}^{h in the}^{DeSoto National Forest, MS on 08/1}^3/¹⁹⁸^9.
^{STERLING, Joh}^{n Allen}^R^IL^03/0^4/1⁹⁰^3-0^3/0^3/19¹³^House^{Died as a result of an a}^{utomobile accident near}^{Pontiac, IL on 1}^0/1^7/19^18.
^03/0^4/1⁹¹^5-1^0/1^7/19¹⁸
^{SULLIVAN, Timothy Daniel}^D^NY^03/0^4/1⁹⁰^3-0^7/2^7/19⁰⁶^House^Kil^{led by a locomotive near Pelham Parkway, NY on 0}^8/3^1/1⁹¹^3.

^03/0^4/1⁹¹^3-0^8/3^1/19¹³

^Member^Party^State^{Dates of Service}^a^Chamber^{Cause of Death an}^{d Date of}^Death
^{THOMPSON, Theo Ashton}^D^LA^01/0^3/1⁹⁵^3-0^7/0^1/19⁶⁵^House^{Died in an automobile accident in Gastonia, NC on 0}^7/0^1/1⁹⁶^5.
^WEDEM^{EYER, Will}^{iam Walter}^R^MI^03/0^4/1⁹¹^1-0^1/0^2/19¹³^House^{Accidentally drowned in the ha}^rb^{or of Colon, Panama on 01/0}^2/1⁹^13.
^{WELLSTONE, Paul David}^D^MN^01/3/¹⁹^91-^10/^25/2⁰⁰²^Senate^{Died al}^{ong with his wife , their d}^{aughter, two cam}^{paign staf}^{fers, a}^{nd a}
^{Minnesota Democratic pa}^{rty offic}^{ial in a plane crash}^{in Ev}^{eleth, M}^N^on
^10/2^5/0^2.
^{WICKLIFFE, Robert Charles}^D^LA^03/0^4/1⁹⁰^9-0^6/1^1/19¹²^House^Kil^{led by a train w}^{hile walking on a railroad track in Washington,}^D^{C on}
^06/1^1/1⁹¹^2.
^{ZIONCHECK, Marion}^D^WA^03/0^4/1⁹³^3-0^8/0^7/19³⁶^House^Jumped^{from an}^{office b}^{uilding in Seattle, WA on 08/07/}¹⁹^36.
^Sources:^Int^{er-University Conso}^{rtium for Political and Soc}^{ial Rese}^{arch, An}^{n Ar}^{bor, MI;}^{Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-1998}^{; various editions of}
^{Weekly Reports}^{, p}^ublished^{by Con}^{gressional Quarterly, I}^{nc.; and va}^{rious news}^paper^articles.
⁷³⁵^a.^{Note that t}^{he date of the}^Mem^be^{r’s death is the sa}^{me as t}^{he last date of his service.}
^b.^{Rep. Cilley was a Jacksonian Democrat.}
ⁱ^ki/CRS-98-^c.^{Rep. Johnston was}^{a States Rights}^Democrat.
^g/w^d.^{Rep., later Sen. Lundeen, was a}^m^{ember of t}^{he Farme}^{r La}^{bor Party}^when^{elected to the Hous}^{e in 1}⁹^{33 a}^{nd the Se}^{nate in 1}⁹³^7.
^s^.or^e.^{Sen. McCormick’s death was initially not ruled a suicide. See Kristi}^{e Miller,}^{Ruth Han}^{na McCormick}^,^{A Life in Politics 1880-1944}^(Albuq^uerq^{ue: University of}^{New Me}^xic^o
^le^ak^{Press, 19}^{92), p. 1}^51.

^://wiki
^h^ttp

^Mild^r^e^d^Am^er
^Specialis^{t on}^t^h^{e C}^oⁿ^g^r^es^s
^m^a^m^e^r@^crs^.^l^o^c.g^o^v^,^7-⁸³⁰⁴