Benjamin Franklin Buchanan (October 4, 1857 – February 21, 1932) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 21st

Lieutenant Governor of Virginia The lieutenant governor of Virginia is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The lieutenant governor is elected every four years along with the governor and attorney general. The office is currently held by Winsome Earle S ...

from 1918 to 1922.

Early life and education

Buchanan was born October 4, 1857, in

Smyth County, Virginia Smyth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,800. Its county seat is Marion. History Smyth County was formed on February 23, 1832, from Washington and Wythe counties. The county i ...

, and graduated from the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

in 1880. He also received an LL.B. from the University of Virginia in 1884.

Career

Buchanan practiced law in Marion and Abingdon. He also served as general counsel to the office of the United States comptroller of the currency from 1915 to 1921. He served several terms in the Senate of Virginia representing Smyth and Washington Counties, where he became one of the General Assembly's foremost authorities on taxation. In 1917 Buchanan, a Democrat, won election as lieutenant governor of Virginia. He served from February 1, 1918, to February 1, 1922.

Death and legacy

Buchanan died of a heart attack on February 21, 1932, in Richmond, where he was attending a session of the General Assembly. He was buried in Round Hill Cemetery in Marion. In 1934 the General Assembly designated the road that became state highway 16 in Smyth County the B. F. Buchanan Highway.

Personal life

On March 2, 1887, Buchanan married Eleanor Fairman Sheffey. They had four sons and three daughters, including John Preston Buchanan, who succeeded Buchanan in the Senate.

References

* John T. Kneebone et al., eds., ''

Dictionary of Virginia Biography The ''Dictionary of Virginia Biography'' (''DVB'') is a multivolume biographical reference work published by the Library of Virginia that covers aspects of Virginia's history and culture since 1607. The work was intended to run for a projected fou ...

'' (Richmond: The

Library of Virginia The Library of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia, is the library agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It serves as the archival agency and the reference library for Virginia's seat of government. The Library moved into a new building in 1997 and i ...

, 1998– ), 2:366–367.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Buchanan, Benjamin Franklin 1857 births 1932 deaths Democratic Party Virginia state senators Lieutenant Governors of Virginia University of Virginia alumni People from Smyth County, Virginia 19th-century American lawyers 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American politicians Virginia lawyers University of Virginia School of Law alumni People from Marion, Virginia