Elizabeth Gasque Van Exem (February 26, 1886 – November 2, 1989), named Elizabeth Hawley Gasque during her tenure in Congress, was an American politician who served as the

U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

for

South Carolina's 6th congressional district The 6th congressional district of South Carolina is in central and eastern South Carolina. It includes all of Allendale, Bamberg, Clarendon, Colleton, Hampton, Jasper and Williamsburg counties and parts of Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, C ...

from September 13, 1938, to January 3, 1939. She was the first woman elected to Congress from

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. At the age of 103 years, 249 days, Gasque is the longest-lived member of

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

ever, a record that still stands as of 2023.

U.S. House of Representatives

Gasque was elected to the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

on September 13, 1938, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of her husband, Allard Henry Gasque. She never actually attended Congress, which was not in session during her months of office. Gasque was not a candidate for renomination. After her tenure in Congress, she was an author and lecturer.

Personal life and death

The

Social Security Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifical ...

death records state that Gasque was born in 1893, under her later married name of Van Exem. However, census records support the 1886 birth year. Gasque died aged 103 in

Ridgeway, South Carolina Ridgeway is a town in Fairfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 319 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Blink Bonnie, Camp Welfare, Century House, Hunt ...

where she lived.GASQUE, Elizabeth Hawley , US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives
Retrieved 2018-06-20. She was the longest-lived member of Congress since Maurice Thatcher, who died in 1973. In 1982, a section of South Carolina state road was named the ''Elizabeth Gasque Van Exem Highway.''

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1886 births 1989 deaths American centenarians Female members of the United States House of Representatives Women in South Carolina politics Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American women politicians People from Blythewood, South Carolina People from Ridgeway, South Carolina Women centenarians {{South Carolina-politician-stub

U.S. House of Representatives

Personal life and death

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