An impressively high number of U.S. senators are Eagle Scouts

You’ve heard it again and again: Eagle Scouts become sports heroes, astronauts, CEOs and high-ranking politicians.

Now we have the numbers to prove just how many U.S. Senators — some of the country’s most powerful politicians — earned Scouting’s highest honor in their youth.

That number: 10. Ten of the 80 male senators in the 114th U.S. Congress are Eagle Scouts. At 12.5 percent, that’s higher than most professions. It’s two times higher than the percentage of Boy Scouts who become Eagle Scouts (6 percent).

The Eagle Scout senators include members of both political parties who represent states from coast to coast.

Eagle Scout senators in the 114th U.S. Congress

  • Lamar Alexander, Tennessee
  • Sherrod Brown, Ohio
  • Thad Cochran, Mississippi
  • Mike Crapo, Idaho
  • Mike Enzi, Wyoming
  • Mike Lee, Utah
  • Jeff Merkley, Oregon
  • Gary Peters, Michigan
  • Jeff Sessions, Alabama
  • Pat Toomey, Pennsylvania

What about the U.S. House of Representatives?

At least 17 of the 347 men in the U.S. House are Eagle Scouts (4.9 percent). I say at least because there may be some not included in this count. (If so, let me know in the comments!)

As with the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House includes Eagle Scouts on both sides of the aisle and from sea to shining sea.

Eagle Scout representatives in the 114th U.S. Congress

  • Sanford Bishop, Jr., Georgia
  • Jim Bridenstine, Oklahoma
  • Chris Collins, New York
  • Jim Cooper, Tennesee
  • Mike Fitzpatrick, Pennsylvania
  • John Garamendi, California
  • Louie Gohmert, Texas
  • Sam Graves, Missouri
  • Jeb Hensarling, Texas
  • David McKinley, West Virginia
  • Phil Roe, Tennesee
  • Dana Rohrabacher, California
  • Pete Sessions, Texas
  • Christopher Smith, New Jersey
  • Steve Stivers, Ohio
  • Glenn Thompson, Pennsyvlania
  • Greg Walden, Oregon

How to contact these Eagle Scouts

I’m betting these Eagle Scouts in the House and Senate would enjoy hearing from fellow Scouts and Eagle Scouts.

You can learn how to contact the senators here and the representatives here.


Hat tip: Thanks to the National Eagle Scout Association’s Jeff Laughlin for the info.


About Bryan Wendell 3280 Articles
Bryan Wendell, an Eagle Scout, is the founder of Bryan on Scouting and a contributing writer.