Benjamin Franklin Jones (December 31, 1869 – September 26, 1935) was an American jurist and Republican Party politician who served as the Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly in 1900.
Jones was born in Brooklyn in 1869, the son of Rev. John Jones and Elizabeth Holland. He was educated at Public School 10 and Brooklyn High School. He attended New York University, receiving a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1895 and a Master of Laws degree two years later. He was admitted to the New York bar in 1897.
He then moved to Maplewood, New Jersey and became involved in Republican politics. In 1899 he was elected to the General Assembly from Essex County. In 1900, at the age of 30, he served as Speaker of the Assembly for one term.
In 1906 Jones was appointed District Court Judge of the city of Orange, serving for five years. Following his retirement from the bench, he was appointed Essex County counsel, serving for three years. He also served as president of the Essex County Tax Board from 1917 to 1920, and during World War I served as a Government Appeal Agent.
Jones married Mabel L. Stevens in Homer, New York on May 17, 1917. They had two children: Benjamin Franklin, Jr., and Mabel Elizabeth.
Jones died at his home in Maplewood in 1935. He was 65.
Famous quotes containing the words franklin, jones and/or jersey:
“We are not certain, we are never certain. If we were we could reach some conclusions, and we could, at last, make others take us seriously.
In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790)
“Come all you rounders if you want to hear
A story ‘bout a brave engineer;
Casey Jones, that was the rounder’s name
On a heavy eight-wheeler he rode to fame.”
—Unknown. Casey Jones (l. 1–4)
“To motorists bound to or from the Jersey shore, Perth Amboy consists of five traffic lights that sometimes tie up week-end traffic for miles. While cars creep along or come to a prolonged halt, drivers lean out to discuss with each other this red menace to freedom of the road.”
—For the State of New Jersey, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)