Maecenas Eason Benton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maecenas Eason Benton
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From Volume 1 of 1899's Autobiographies and Portraits of the President, Cabinet, Supreme Court, and Fifty-fifth Congress
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri's 15th district |
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| In office March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1905 |
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| Preceded by | Charles Germman Burton |
| Succeeded by | Cassius M. Shartel |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 29, 1848 Dyersburg, Tennessee |
| Died | April 27, 1924 (aged 76) Springfield, Missouri |
| Resting place | Odd Fellows Cemetery, Neosho, Missouri |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | Thomas Hart Benton |
| Alma mater | Saint Louis University |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Confederate States of America |
| Branch/service |  Confederate States Army |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Maecenas Eason Benton (born January 29, 1848 – died April 27, 1924) was a politician from Missouri. He served as a U.S. Representative, which means he was elected to represent his state in the United States Congress. He was also the father of a famous painter named Thomas Hart Benton.
Early Life and Education
Maecenas Eason Benton was born in a place called Dyersburg, Tennessee. He went to school at two academies in west Tennessee and later attended Saint Louis University. He studied law at the Cumberland School of Law at Cumberland University and became a lawyer in 1870. During the American Civil War, he served in the Confederate States Army.
His Career as a Lawyer and Public Servant
After becoming a lawyer, Benton started his practice in Neosho, Missouri. He worked as a prosecuting attorney for Newton County, Missouri, from 1878 to 1884. This job meant he was the lawyer who represented the government in court cases. Later, he became a United States attorney from 1885 to 1889, which is a similar role but for the federal government.
In 1896, he was chosen as a delegate to the 1896 Democratic National Convention. This was a big meeting where the Democratic Party decided who they wanted to run for president. On June 24, 1888, he married Elizabeth Wise from Waxahachie, Texas.
Serving in Congress
Benton was elected as a Democrat to the United States Congress. He served four terms, from March 4, 1897, to March 3, 1905. During this time, he represented Missouri's 15th congressional district.
In 1904, he tried to be re-elected for another term but was not successful. After his time in Congress, he went back to practicing law in Neosho, Missouri. He also helped write new laws for Missouri by serving in the State constitutional conventions in 1922 and 1924.
Maecenas Eason Benton passed away in Springfield, Missouri, on April 27, 1924. He was buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Neosho, Missouri.
