Georgia became the fourth state to join the Union on January 2, 1788. Georgia’s first two senators, William Few and James Gunn, took office on March 4, 1789. Georgia’s longest-serving senators include Walter George (1922–1957) and Richard Russell (1933–1971). Among those who rose to leadership positions are George and Russell, as well as William Baldwin and Augustus Bacon, all of whom served as the Senate’s president pro tempore. In 1922 Rebecca Latimer Felton became the first woman to serve in the Senate.
