Benton F. Jensen
| Benton Franklin Jensen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Former U.S. Representative from Iowa's 7th Congressional District From: January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1965 | |||
| Predecessor | Otha Wearin | ||
| Successor | John R. Hansen | ||
| Information | |||
| Party | Republican | ||
| Spouse(s) | Charlotte F. Hadden | ||
| Religion | Lutheran[1] | ||
| Military Service | |||
| Allegiance | United States | ||
| Service/branch | United States Army | ||
| Rank | Second Lieutenant | ||
| Battles/wars | World War I | ||
Benton Franklin Jensen (December 16, 1892 – February 5, 1970), often referred to as Ben F. Jensen, was a Republican from Iowa who served as the state's U.S. representative from the late 1930s to the mid-1960s, representing the 7th congressional district.
Early life and career
Jensen was born in Marion, Iowa (located in Linn County) to Danish immigrants, being the tenth of thirteen children. He attended local rural schools and worked in a lumber company during his early career. When the U.S. entered World War I, Jensen joined the Army and served as a Second Lieutenant.
After the war, Jensen returned to Iowa and was the manager of a lumber company before being elected to public office.
U.S. House of Representatives
Jensen was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1938 and re-elected twelve times.[2]
He was shot and injured in 1954 when Puerto Rican nationalists opened fire in Capitol Hill.[3][4]
Similar to his colleague Harold Royce "H. R." Gross (who represented the 3rd congressional district), Jensen opposed some civil rights legislation[5][6] though voted for the 24th Amendment to rid the poll tax in all federal-level elections.[7]
A pro-free market fiscal conservative who was referred to as the "watchdog of the Treasury",[8] Jensen advocated cutting spending during the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson.[9] He opposed some public power projects as well as a proposal for a transmission program. However, Jensen would back federal programs which bolstered agricultural regions including his district.
Jensen lost re-election in 1964 as his Democrat opponent Harold R. Hansen rode the coattails of President Johnson to victory.[10][11] He died six years later[8] and is interred at Exira, Iowa.
References
- ↑ Jennison to Jewell. The Political Graveyard. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
- ↑ Jensen, Ben F.. Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ↑ Dunlap, David W. (March 28, 2016). 1954 | In Harm’s Way on Capitol Hill. The New York Times. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ↑ Roig-Franzia, Manuel (February 22, 2004). A Terrorist in the House. Washington Post. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ↑ HR 8601. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1960. APPROVAL BY THE HOUSE OF THE SENATE'S AMENDMENTS.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ↑ H.R. 7152. PASSAGE.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ↑ S.J. RES. 29. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BAN THE USE OF POLL TAX AS A REQUIREMENT FOR VOTING IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 February 6, 1970. Ben F. Jensen Is Dead at 77; Ex‐Representative From Iowa. The New York Times. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ↑ February 10, 1964. G.O.P. FINDS ‘MYTH’ IN SPENDING CUTS; Says Johnson Is Planning to Outdo Kennedy's Program. The New York Times. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ↑ November 4, 1964. House Gain for Democrats. The New York Times. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ↑ IA District 7 Race - Nov 03, 1964. Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
