Benjamin F. Funk
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Franklin Funk was a U.S. Representative
from Illinois
, father of Frank Hamilton Funk.
Born in Funk's Grove Township, McLean County, Illinois, Funk attended the public schools and Illinois Wesleyan University
in Bloomington, Illinois
.
He left school in 1862 to enlist in the Sixty-eighth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, as a private
, and served five months during the Civil War
.
After the war, he returned to the university and finished the course. After this, he engaged in agricultural
pursuits.
He returned to Bloomington, in 1869, and served as its mayor
from 1871 to 1876 and from 1884 to 1886. He also served as president of the board of trustees at Wesleyan University
for twenty years, served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention
in 1888 and was a trustee of the asylum for the blind in Jacksonville
.
Funk was elected as a Republican
to the Fifty-third Congress
(March 4, 1893-March 3, 1895). His candidacy for renomination in 1894 failed, so he returned to agriculture. He died on February 14, 1909 in Bloomington, Illinois. He is currently buried in Bloomington Cemetery.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, father of Frank Hamilton Funk.
Born in Funk's Grove Township, McLean County, Illinois, Funk attended the public schools and Illinois Wesleyan University
Illinois Wesleyan University
Illinois Wesleyan University is an independent undergraduate university located in Bloomington, Illinois. Founded in 1850, the central portion of the present campus was acquired in 1854 with the first building erected in 1856...
in Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States and the county seat. It is adjacent to Normal, Illinois, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
.
He left school in 1862 to enlist in the Sixty-eighth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, as a private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
, and served five months 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...
.
After the war, he returned to the university and finished the course. After this, he engaged in agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
pursuits.
He returned to Bloomington, in 1869, and served as its mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
from 1871 to 1876 and from 1884 to 1886. He also served as president of the board of trustees at Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
for twenty years, served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...
in 1888 and was a trustee of the asylum for the blind in Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Illinois
Jacksonville is a city in Morgan County, Illinois, United States. The population was 18,940 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Morgan County....
.
Funk was elected 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 Fifty-third Congress
53rd United States Congress
The Fifty-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1893 to March 4, 1895, during the fifth and sixth...
(March 4, 1893-March 3, 1895). His candidacy for renomination in 1894 failed, so he returned to agriculture. He died on February 14, 1909 in Bloomington, Illinois. He is currently buried in Bloomington Cemetery.