Background
Dessaulles was born in Saint-Hyacinthe, Lower Canada in 1827, the son of Jean Dessaulles and a nephew of Louis-Joseph Papineau.
Dessaulles was born in Saint-Hyacinthe, Lower Canada in 1827, the son of Jean Dessaulles and a nephew of Louis-Joseph Papineau.
Dessaulles holds the record for the oldest serving politician. Appointed to the Canadian Senate representing the Province of Quebec in 1907 at age 80, Dessaulles served for 23 years before dying at age 102. Before becoming senator, Dessaulles was president of the Bank of Saint-Hyacinthe, and mayor of Saint-Hyacinthe.
He also represented Saint-Hyacinthe in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec from 1897 to 1900.
His 100th birthday was marked as a historic moment in the senate, because Dessaulles had become only the second sitting senator to reach the age of 100 (the other being David Wark). At his death in 1930, Dessaulles was the oldest sitting politician in the world.
To date, no one has beaten this record. Dessaulles is also renowned for only having spoken twice while serving as a Senator.
Once to deny that his appointment was part of a corrupt bargain, and a second time to thank his fellow senators for his portrait, on his 100th birthday.