Alfred W. Benson
Encyclopedia
Alfred Washburn Benson was a United States Senator from Kansas
.
Born in Poland, Chautauqua County, New York
, he moved to Jamestown, New York
in 1860, and attended Jamestown and Randolph Academies. During the Civil War
, he enlisted in 1862 as a private in the One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry, and at the close of the war held a commission as major.
He studied law, and was admitted to the bar
in Buffalo, New York
in 1866 and commenced practice in Sherman, New York
. He moved to Ottawa, Kansas in 1869, held various local offices, and was a member of the Kansas Senate
from 1881 to 1885.
He was a judge of the fourth judicial district of Kansas from 1885 to 1897, and was appointed as a Republican
to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Joseph R. Burton; he served from June 11, 1906 to January 23, 1907, when a successor was elected.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1907 to fill this vacancy, and was appointed and subsequently elected associate justice of the Kansas Supreme Court
, on which he served from 1907 to 1915, when he resigned.
He retired from public life and died in Topeka in 1916, aged 72. Interment was in Highland Cemetery, Ottawa, Kansas
.
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
.
Born in Poland, Chautauqua County, New York
Poland, Chautauqua County, New York
Poland is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, U.S. The population was 2,467 at the 2000 census.The Town of Poland is on the county's eastern border.-History:The town was first settled in 1804....
, he moved to Jamestown, New York
Jamestown, New York
Jamestown is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the United States. The population was 31,146 at the 2010 census.The City of Jamestown is adjacent to Town of Ellicott and is at the southern tip of Chautauqua Lake...
in 1860, and attended Jamestown and Randolph Academies. During the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, he enlisted in 1862 as a private in the One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry, and at the close of the war held a commission as major.
He studied law, and was admitted to the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
in 1866 and commenced practice in Sherman, New York
Sherman, New York
Sherman, New York is the name of two places in Chautauqua County, New York, USA:* Sherman , New York* Sherman , New York, a village in the northern part of the town...
. He moved to Ottawa, Kansas in 1869, held various local offices, and was a member of the Kansas Senate
Kansas Senate
The Kansas Senate is the upper house of the Kansas Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Kansas. It is composed of 40 Senators representing an equal amount of districts, each with a population of at least 60,000 inhabitants. Members of the Senate are elected to a four year term....
from 1881 to 1885.
He was a judge of the fourth judicial district of Kansas from 1885 to 1897, and was appointed as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Joseph R. Burton; he served from June 11, 1906 to January 23, 1907, when a successor was elected.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1907 to fill this vacancy, and was appointed and subsequently elected associate justice of the Kansas Supreme Court
Kansas Supreme Court
The Kansas Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in the state of Kansas. Composed of seven justices, led by Chief Justice Lawton Nuss, the Court supervises the legal profession, administers over the judicial branch, and serves as the state court of last resort in the appeals...
, on which he served from 1907 to 1915, when he resigned.
He retired from public life and died in Topeka in 1916, aged 72. Interment was in Highland Cemetery, Ottawa, Kansas
Ottawa, Kansas
Ottawa is a city situated along the Marais des Cygnes River in the central part of Franklin County, located in east-central Kansas, 50 miles southwest of Kansas City, Mo., in the central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,649. It is the county seat and most populous...
.