(CNN)-- A spokesperson for the office of US Senator Lindsey Graham (Republican of South Carolina) told CNN that he died "following a sudden health setback."

The spokesperson said the Graham family "appreciates the calls at this time and asks for privacy during this very difficult period."

Quick facts about Senator Lindsey Graham:

Personal information

Date of birth: July 9, 1955.

Place of birth: Central, South Carolina.

Birth name: Lindsey Olin Graham.

Father: Florence James Graham (owner of a restaurant, pool hall, and liquor store).

Mother: Millie Graham (owner of a restaurant, pool hall, and liquor store).

Education: University of South Carolina in Columbia (Bachelor's degree, 1977); University of South Carolina School of Law (Juris Doctor, 1981).

Military service: U.S. Air Force (1982-1988); South Carolina Air National Guard (1989-1995); U.S. Air Force Reserve (1995-2015); retired from the Air Force Reserve in 2015 as a colonel.

Religion: Southern Baptist Christianity

Other information

During his upbringing, Graham worked at the family-owned pool hall, known as the "Sanitary Cafe."

His parents died 15 months apart while Graham was still a college student; he helped raise his sister Darline, then 13, and later adopted her.

In 1994, he became the first Republican elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina since 1877.

He told reporters in March 2015 that he had never sent an email.

He was a close friend of the late Senator John McCain of Arizona.