{{Short description|American politician (1872–1939)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = William Ben Cravens | image = Rep. William B. Cravens (D-AR).jpg | state = Arkansas | district = 4th | term_start1 = March 4, 1933 | term_end1 = January 13, 1939 | preceded1 = Effiegene L. Wingo | succeeded1 = William F. Cravens | term_start2 = March 4, 1907 | term_end2 = March 3, 1913 | preceded2 = John S. Little | succeeded2 = Otis Wingo | birth_date = {{birth-date|January 17, 1872}} | death_date = {{death-date and age|January 13, 1939|January 17, 1872}} | birth_place = Fort Smith, Arkansas, U.S. | death_place = Washington, D.C., U.S. | spouse = Carolyn Dyal Cravens | children = William Fadjo Cravens | party = Democrat | alma_mater = University of Missouri <!--Military service--> | nickname = | allegiance = | branch = | service_years = | rank = | unit = | commands = | battles = | awards = }} '''William Ben Cravens''' (January 17, 1872 – January 13, 1939) was an American politician and a U.S. representative from Arkansas, father of William Fadjo Cravens and cousin of Jordan Edgar Cravens.

==Biography== Cravens was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, son of William Murphy and Mary Eloise (Rutherford) Cravens. He attended the common schools, Louisville Military Academy in Kentucky, and Staunton Military Academy in Virginia. He graduated from the law department of the University of Missouri in 1893, and was married to Carolyn Dyal on December 19, 1895.

==Career== Cravens was admitted to the bar in Arkansas in 1893, and commenced practice in Fort Smith, Arkansas. From 1898 until 1902 he was City attorney of Fort Smith, and the prosecuting attorney for the twelfth judicial district of Arkansas from 1902 until 1908.<ref>{{cite web|title=William B. Cravens|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=C000886|publisher=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|access-date=21 June 2013}}</ref>

Cravens was elected as a Democrat to the Sixtieth, Sixty-first, and Sixty-second Congresses and served from March 4, 1907 until March 3, 1913. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1912 to the Sixty-third Congress. After serving in Congress he resumed the practice of law.

Again elected to the Seventy-third and to the three succeeding Congresses, Cravens also served from March 4, 1933, until his death.<ref>{{cite web|title=William B. Cravens|url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/william_cravens/402998|publisher=Govtrack US Congress|access-date=21 June 2013}}</ref> His son William Fadjo Cravens of Arkansas, was elected to the Seventy-Sixth Congress, to fill the term of his vacancy.

==Death== Cravens died in Washington, D.C., on January 13, 1939 (age 66 years, 361 days). He is interred at Oak Cemetery, Fort Smith, Arkansas.<ref>{{cite web|title=William B. Cravens|url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/cravens-cravotta.html|publisher=The Political Graveyard|access-date=21 June 2013}}</ref>

==See also== {{Portal|Biography}} * List of members of the United States Congress who died in office (1900–1949)

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{CongBio|C000886}} * {{Find a Grave|16988763}}

{{Bioguide}}

{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-hs}} {{US House succession box | state=Arkansas | district=4 | years=1907-1913 | before=John S. Little | after=Otis Wingo }} {{US House succession box | state=Arkansas | district=4 | years=1933-1939 | before=Effiegene L. Wingo | after=William F. Cravens }} {{s-end}}

{{Authority control}} {{U.S. Arkansas Representatives}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cravens, William Ben}} Category:1872 births Category:1939 deaths Category:Politicians from Fort Smith, Arkansas Category:Democratic Party United States representatives from Arkansas Category:Arkansas lawyers Category:Staunton Military Academy alumni Category:University of Missouri alumni Category:20th-century United States representatives Category:American people of English descent