Benjamin Kurtz Focht (March 12, 1863 – March 27, 1937) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.

Benjamin K. Focht
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania
In office
March 4, 1933 – March 27, 1937
Preceded byJoseph Franklin Biddle
Succeeded byRichard M. Simpson
Constituency18th district
In office
March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1923
Preceded byFranklin Lewis Dershem
Succeeded byHerbert Wesley Cummings
Constituency17th district
In office
March 4, 1907 – March 3, 1913
Preceded byThaddeus Maclay Mahon
Succeeded byFranklin Lewis Dershem
Constituency17th district
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
In office
1893–1897
Member of the Pennsylvania Senate
In office
1901–1905
Personal details
Born(1863-03-12)March 12, 1863
New Bloomfield, Pennsylvania
DiedMarch 27, 1937(1937-03-27) (aged 74)
Washington, D.C.
Political partyRepublican
Alma materSusquehanna University

Biography

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Benjamin K. Focht was born in New Bloomfield, Pennsylvania. He attended Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State College at State College, Pennsylvania, and Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. He established the Lewisburg Saturday News in 1881, serving as editor and publisher until his death. He was a delegate to the Republican State Convention in 1889. He served as an officer of the Pennsylvania National Guard. He was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1893 to 1897, and a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1901 to 1905. He was water supply commissioner of Pennsylvania from 1912 to 1914.

Focht was elected as a Republican to the Sixtieth, Sixty-first, and Sixty-second Congresses. He was unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1912. He was again elected to the Sixty-fourth and to the three succeeding Congresses. He served as Chairman of the United States House Committee on War Claims during the Sixty-sixth Congress, and the United States House Committee on the District of Columbia during the Sixty-seventh Congress. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1922, 1924, 1926, 1928, and 1930, and also in 1932 for the unexpired term of Edward M. Beers. After his time in Congress he resumed business activities in Lewisburg. He served as deputy secretary of the Commonwealth in 1928 and 1929. Focht was again elected to the Seventy-third, Seventy-fourth, and Seventy-fifth Congresses and served until his death in Washington, D.C.

See also

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Sources

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  • United States Congress. "Benjamin K. Focht (id: F000230)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
  • The Political Graveyard
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 17th congressional district

1907–1913
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 17th congressional district

1915–1923
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district

1933–1937
Succeeded by