Last World War II veteran to serve in the state or nation's legislatures will retire on Monday
Risser is also the last World War II veteran to serve in the state or nation's legislatures.
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Longest-serving legislator in US history, WWII veteran Fred Risser, will leave Wisconsin's Senate on Monday
By MITCHELL SCHMIDT | The Wisconsin State Journal | Published: December 30, 2020
MADISON, Wis. (Tribune News Service) The electric watch went on sale, the Montgomery Bus Boycott ended, future NBA legend Larry Bird was born and Fred Risser started a record-breaking run in elected office.
On Monday, 64 years later, Risser, D-Madison, will depart from state politics, capping the longest tenure of any state or federal legislator in the country's history.
Risser, 93, will leave the state Senate after being elected to that body in 1962 after six years in the Assembly. In addition to more than six decades in office, Risser is also the last World War II veteran to serve in the state or nation's legislatures.
In a statement Tuesday, Risser said he was honored to represent the Madison area in the Legislature.
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