Key Pittman (September 19, 1872 - November 10, 1940) was a United States Senator from Nevada. He was a Democrat. Pittman was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi in 1872 and was educated by private tutors and at the Southwestern Presbyterian University in Clarksville, Tennessee. He studied law, then later became a lawyer. In 1897, he joined in the Klondike Gold Rush and worked as a miner until 1901. Pittman moved to Tonopah, Nevada in 1902 and continued the practice of law. He represented Nevada at the St. Louis Exposition, the Lewis and Clark Exposition, and the irrigation congress. In 1910, he made an unsuccessful run for the Senate. Later, he was elected as a Democrat to the Senate in 1913 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of George S. Nixon, and served until his death in 1940. Between 1933 and 1940 he was the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations and was also a member of the Committee on Territories and the Committee on Industrial Expositions. In addition, during those years Pittman was President pro tempore of the Senate.
It was rumored for years that he died before his final election in 1940, and that party leaders kept his body on ice in a hotel bathtub until he was re-elected; this story has been disproven . In fact, he suffered a severe heart attack before the election, and died after the election at the Washoe General Hospital in Reno, Nevada.
His brother, Vail M. Pittman, has served as the Governor of Nevada.
Several pieces of legislation bore his name, including the Pittman Act of 1918.
Preceded by: William A. Massey U.S. Senator from Nevada 1913-1940 Succeeded by: Berkeley L. Bunker Preceded by: George H. Moses President pro tempore of the United States Senate March 9, 1933-November 10, 1940 Succeeded by: William H. King Presidents pro tempore of the United States Senate Langdon • Lee • Langdon • Izard • H Tazewell • Livermore • Bingham • Bradford • Read • Sedgwick • Laurance • Ross • Livermore • Tracy • Howard • Hillhouse • Baldwin • Bradley • Brown • Franklin • Anderson • Smith • Bradley • Milledge • Gregg • Gaillard • Pope • Crawford • Varnum • Gaillard • Barbour • Gaillard • Macon • Smith • L Tazewell • White • Poindexter • Tyler • W R King • Southard • Mangum • Sevier • Atchison • W R King • Atchison • Cass • Bright • Stuart • Bright • Mason • Rusk • Fitzpatrick • Bright • Fitzpatrick • Foot • Clark • Foster •
