Carville Dickinson Benson (August 24, 1872 – February 8, 1929) was a U.S. Congressman who represented the second Congressional district of

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

from 1918 to 1921.

Early life

Carville Benson was born near Halethorpe in Baltimore County, Maryland, Benson attended preparatory schools and

Lehigh University Lehigh University (LU) is a private research university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer and was originally affiliated with the Epi ...

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Bethlehem is a city in Northampton and Lehigh Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bethlehem had a total population of 75,781. Of this, 55,639 were in Northampton County and 19, ...

, in 1890. He graduated from the law department of

University of Baltimore The University of Baltimore (UBalt, UB) is a public university in Baltimore, Maryland. It is part of the University System of Maryland. UBalt's schools and colleges provide education in business, law, public affairs, and the applied arts and sc ...

in 1893, and was admitted to the bar the same year.

Career

Benson served as a member of the

Maryland House of Delegates The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the legislature of the State of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House on State Circle in Annapolis, ...

from 1904 to 1910 and again in 1918, serving as

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

in 1906. He also served as a member of the Maryland State Senate from 1912 to 1914. In 1918, Benson was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the Sixty-fifth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Joshua Frederick Cockey Talbott, and was re-elected to the Sixty-sixth Congress, serving from November 5, 1918, to March 3, 1921. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1920 to the Sixth-seventh Congress. After Congress, Benson resumed the

practice of law In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the profess ...

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, Maryland, and resided in Halethorpe. He was appointed the State insurance commissioner of Maryland in 1924 and served until his death.

Personal life

Benson died on February 8, 1929, in Baltimore. He is interred in Cedar Hill Cemetery of Brooklyn, Maryland.

External links

* 1872 births 1929 deaths People from Baltimore County, Maryland Lehigh University alumni University of Baltimore alumni Maryland lawyers Democratic Party members of the Maryland House of Delegates Democratic Party Maryland state senators Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland 19th-century American lawyers {{Maryland-politician-stub