William Christie Benet Jr. (December 26, 1879 – March 30, 1951) was a

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

politician who briefly represented the state of

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

in 1918.

Early years

Benet was born in Abbeville, South Carolina; he attended the common schools in his youth, and matriculated at the

College of Charleston The College of Charleston (CofC or Charleston) is a public university in Charleston, South Carolina. Founded in 1770 and chartered in 1785, it is the oldest university in South Carolina, the 13th oldest institution of higher learning in the Unit ...

, the University of South Carolina, and 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 ...

, where he graduated in 1902.

Football

He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

as a

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

and was a star tackle for

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, selected All-Southern in 1901. Benet coached football at South Carolina in 1903 and 1907. He assisted coach and Virginia teammate

Bob Williams Robert, Rob, Robbie, Bob or Bobby Williams may refer to: Entertainment Film * Robert Williams (actor, born 1894) (1894–1931), American stage and film actor * Robert B. Williams (actor) (1904–1978), American film actor * R. J. Williams (born ...

in 1902, when Carolina upset

John Heisman John William Heisman (October 23, 1869 – October 3, 1936) was a player and coach of American football, baseball, and basketball, as well as a sportswriter and actor. He served as the head football coach at Oberlin College, Buchtel College ...

's Clemson team.

Law career

He studied the law, and upon his admission to the bar began practice in

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...

, in 1903.

Solicitor A solicitor is a legal practitioner who traditionally deals with most of the legal matters in some jurisdictions. A person must have legally-defined qualifications, which vary from one jurisdiction to another, to be described as a solicitor and ...

of the fifth judicial circuit in 1908, Benet became Columbia's

city attorney A city attorney is a position in city and municipal government in the United States. The city attorney is the attorney representing the municipality. Unlike a district attorney or public defender, who usually handles criminal cases, a city at ...

from 1910 to 1912. He was the secretary of the Democratic State committee three times.

Senator

On July 6, 1918 he was appointed to the Senate to fill out the term of

Benjamin R. Tillman Benjamin Ryan Tillman (August 11, 1847 – July 3, 1918) was an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as governor of South Carolina from 1890 to 1894, and as a United States Senator from 1895 until his death in 1918. A whi ...

, who died in office. He served until November 5, when a successor to the position was elected; Benet himself was an unsuccessful candidate in the same election to fill the vacancy. During his brief time in the Senate, Benet was the chairman of the Committee on National Banks; upon his defeat, he resumed his practice.

State hospital

From 1915 he was a member of the

board of regents In the United States, a board often governs institutions of higher education, including private universities, state universities, and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual col ...

of the

South Carolina State Hospital The South Carolina State Hospital is a publicly funded state-run psychiatric hospital in Columbia, South Carolina. Founded in 1821 as the South Carolina Lunatic Asylum, it was one of the first public mental hospitals established in the United Stat ...

, later becoming the chairman of the board; in this capacity he served until 1946.

War and death

World War II

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Benet chaired the War Finance Committee for South Carolina.

Death

He was serving as the chairman of the Alien Enemy Hearing Board for the state's eastern district at his death; he died in Columbia, and was interred locally in Elmwood Cemetery. Benet Hall, a residence hall at

Clemson University Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enro ...

, is named in his honor.

Head coaching record

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Benet, Christie 1879 births 1951 deaths American athlete-politicians American football guards American football tackles Clemson University trustees Democratic Party United States senators from South Carolina South Carolina Democrats South Carolina state solicitors South Carolina Gamecocks athletic directors South Carolina Gamecocks football coaches South Carolina Gamecocks football players Virginia Cavaliers football coaches Virginia Cavaliers football players College of Charleston alumni All-Southern college football players University of South Carolina alumni People from Abbeville, South Carolina Coaches of American football from South Carolina Players of American football from South Carolina