Ben F. Jensen

Benton Franklin "Ben" Jensen (born December 16, 1892 in Marion , Linn County , Iowa , † February 5, 1970 in Washington, DC ) was an American politician . Between 1939 and 1965 he represented the state of Iowa in the US House of Representatives .

Career

Ben Jensen was the tenth of 13 children in a Danish immigrant family. He attended the public schools in his home country. He then worked for a wood processing company as a worker and in accounting. In 1918, it was during the First World War, a lieutenant in the US Army . From 1919 to 1938 Jensen was the manager of a company in the wood industry.

Politically, Jensen was a member of the Republican Party . In 1938 he was elected to the US House of Representatives in Washington in the seventh constituency of Iowa, where he succeeded Otha Wearin from the Democratic Party on January 3, 1939 . After twelve re-elections, he was able to complete 13 consecutive terms in Congress by January 3, 1965 . During this time he survived a gunshot attack in 1954. His time in Congress was initially shaped by the Federal Government's New Deal laws. Then came the Second World War , the Korean War , the Cold War and the Vietnam War . During Jensen's time in Congress, the 22nd , 23rd and 24th Amendment to the Constitution were discussed and passed in Congress.

In the 1964 election, Jensen was defeated by the Democrat John R. Hansen . This election result was then part of the federal trend in favor of the Democrats. After his tenure in Congress ended, he settled in Exira, Iowa. He died in February 1970 in the federal capital Washington and was buried in Exira.

Web links

• Ben F. Jensen in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• Ben F. Jensen in the database of Find a Grave (English)