Hayden, Carl Trumbull (1877-1972), an Arizona Democrat, served in the United States Congress from 1912 until 1969—a length of service that stood as a record for 40 years. In 2009, Robert C. Byrd, a senator and former U.S. representative from West Virginia, surpassed Hayden’s mark. Hayden served in the House of Representatives from 1912, when his state was admitted to the Union, until 1927, when he entered the U.S. Senate. Hayden became chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations in 1955. He served as president pro tempore of the Senate from 1957 to 1969, when he retired.
Hayden advocated legislation to advance forest preservation, federal highway construction, and irrigation of dry regions. In 1968, he played a leading role in the passage of legislation that established the Central Arizona Project (CAP). The project gave his home state access to much-needed water resources for agricultural development. CAP provides water from the Colorado River to Tucson and Phoenix through a series of canals, tunnels, and pipelines.
Hayden was born on Oct. 2, 1877, in Hayden’s Ferry (now Tempe), Arizona. He attended Stanford University. He died on Jan. 25, 1972.
