Benton McMillin
Encyclopedia
Benton McMillin was governor of the U.S. state
of Tennessee
from 1899 to 1903. A Democrat
, he was a native of Monroe County, Kentucky
and an attorney
.
from 1875 to 1877, and served in the United States Congress
from 1879 until his election as governor in November, 1898. He was governor during the settlement of a long-running boundary dispute between Tennessee and Virginia
. He pushed for the adoption of uniform textbooks in the state public schools and a tax increase to support public high school
s. Re-elected in 1900, he subsequently entered the insurance
business at the end of his second term.
McMillin later was appointed by President
Woodrow Wilson
as U.S.
Minister to Peru
from 1913 to 1919, and as Minister to Guatemala
from 1919 to 1923.
He advocated the introduction of an income tax while serving in Congress and in a later article in the Saturday Evening Post.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
from 1899 to 1903. A Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, he was a native of Monroe County, Kentucky
Monroe County, Kentucky
Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 11,756. Its county seat is Tompkinsville. The county is named for President James Monroe. It is a prohibition or dry county.-History:...
and an attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
.
Biography
McMillin was a member of the state legislatureTennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional structure:According to the Tennessee State Constitution of 1870, the General Assembly is a bicameral legislature and consists of a Senate of thirty-three members and a House of Representatives of...
from 1875 to 1877, and served in the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
from 1879 until his election as governor in November, 1898. He was governor during the settlement of a long-running boundary dispute between Tennessee and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. He pushed for the adoption of uniform textbooks in the state public schools and a tax increase to support public high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s. Re-elected in 1900, he subsequently entered the insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
business at the end of his second term.
McMillin later was appointed by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
as U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Minister to Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
from 1913 to 1919, and as Minister to Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
from 1919 to 1923.
He advocated the introduction of an income tax while serving in Congress and in a later article in the Saturday Evening Post.