# Benjamin F. Jonas

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Benjamin_F._Jonas
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Benjamin_F._Jonas.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_F._Jonas
> Source revision: 1345746124
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

American politician (1834–1911)

Benjamin F. Jonas United States Senator from Louisiana In office March 4, 1879 – March 4, 1885 Preceded by James B. Eustis Succeeded by James B. Eustis Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives In office 1865-1868 1876-1879 Personal details Born Benjamin Franklin Jonas (1834-07-19)July 19, 1834 Williamsport, Kentucky, U.S. Died December 21, 1911(1911-12-21) (aged 77) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. Party Democratic Military service Allegiance Confederate States of America Branch/service Confederate States Army Years of service 1862-1865 Rank Major Battles/wars American Civil War

**Benjamin Franklin Jonas** (July 19, 1834 – December 21, 1911) was an American politician who was a [Democratic](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) [U.S. Senator](/source/United_States_Senate) from [Louisiana](/source/Louisiana) and an officer in the [Confederate States Army](/source/Confederate_States_Army) during the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War). He was the third [Jew](/source/Judaism) to serve in the Senate. Jonas was also the last Jewish Senator from the [Deep South](/source/Deep_South) until [Jon Ossoff](/source/Jon_Ossoff) won his seat [in Georgia in 2021](/source/2020-21_United_States_Senate_election_in_Georgia).

## Life and career

He was born in [Williamsport](/source/Williamsport%2C_Kentucky), [Grant County, Kentucky](/source/Grant_County%2C_Kentucky) to [Abraham Jonas](/source/Abraham_Jonas_(politician)) (1801–1864), a merchant and lawyer, and Louisa Block. As a boy, he moved with his parents to [Quincy, Illinois](/source/Quincy%2C_Illinois), where his father became a [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) [state legislator](/source/Illinois_General_Assembly) and [postmaster](/source/United_States_Postal_Service), and was acquainted with [Abraham Lincoln](/source/Abraham_Lincoln). (In 1864, Lincoln appointed the widowed Mrs. Jonas postmaster in succession to her late husband.)

Benjamin attended the public schools in Quincy. In 1853, he moved to [New Orleans, Louisiana](/source/New_Orleans%2C_Louisiana); his maternal uncle, Abraham Block, was well known there, being an important figure in the nearby [Red River](/source/Red_River_of_the_South) settlements. He studied law at the University of Louisiana (now [Tulane University](/source/Tulane_University)). In 1855, he graduated, was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in New Orleans.

Despite his family's strong Republican connections, Benjamin Jonas cast his lot with the South in the Civil War. In 1862 he enlisted in the [Confederate States Army](/source/Confederate_States_Army). He was a member of Fenner's Battery, and Adjutant of a Battalion of Artillery in Hood's Corps in the Army of Tennessee.[1] He served till the end of the war, rising to the rank of [major](/source/Major_(United_States)).

After the war, he returned to New Orleans and became active in state politics as a Democrat. In 1865, he was elected to the [state House of Representatives](/source/Louisiana_House_of_Representatives), and served until 1868.

In 1872, he was elected to the [State Senate](/source/Louisiana_State_Senate), but declined to take the seat. In 1875, he was appointed city attorney of New Orleans, and served until 1879. He was again elected state Representative in 1876.

In 1879, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, and served from March 4, 1879 to March 4, 1885. In the 46th Congress, he was chairman of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. He sought another term in 1884, but was not re-elected.

In 1885, he was appointed Collector of the port of New Orleans, serving until 1889. He then resumed the practice of law.

Jonas died in New Orleans on December 21, 1911, and was buried in [Dispersed of Judah Cemetery](/source/Dispersed_of_Judah_Cemetery) (listed in [Historic Cemeteries of New Orleans](/source/Historic_Cemeteries_of_New_Orleans)).

He was the second Jewish U.S. Senator from Louisiana, the first having been [Judah P. Benjamin](/source/Judah_P._Benjamin) (1853–1861), and the third Jewish Senator overall, the others being Benjamin and [David Levy Yulee](/source/David_Levy_Yulee) of [Florida](/source/Florida) (1845–1851, 1855–1861). However, both Yulee and Benjamin married [Christian](/source/Christianity) wives, and did not openly practice Judaism afterward.[2] Jonas was the first practicing Jew in the Senate. Jonas was also the first [Ashkenazi Jew](/source/Ashkenazi_Jews) in the Senate; while the two previous Jewish senators were of [Sephardic](/source/Sephardi_Jews) descent, as were the majority of U.S. Jews at the time. He was a member of [The Boston Club](/source/The_Boston_Club) of New Orleans.[3]

## See also

- [List of Jewish members of the United States Congress](/source/List_of_Jewish_members_of_the_United_States_Congress)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Louisiana_Bar_Association_1-0)** *Report of the Louisiana Bar Association for 1912-1913* (Volume 14 ed.). New Orleans: Louisiana Bar Association. 1913. p. 401.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Notes and Documents: Winston de Ville, "The Marriage Contract of Judah P. Benjamin and Natalie St. Martin"](https://www.jstor.org/pss/4233263), *Louisiana History*, Vol. 37, No. 1, Winter, 1996, at JSTOR, accessed July 24, 2011; ["Jewish Virtual Library: David Levy Yulee"](https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/yulee.html). Retrieved May 15, 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["History of the Boston club, organized in 1841, by Stuart O. Landry"](https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nnc1.cu09362126&seq=330).

## Sources

- [Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress](http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=J000204)

- Rechcigl, Miloslav Jr. ["Early Jewish Immigrants in America From the Czech Historic Lands and Slovakia"](http://www.jewishgen.org/austriaczech/early_immig.html). JewishGen. Retrieved August 21, 2010.

U.S. Senate Preceded by James B. Eustis U.S. senator (Class 3) from Louisiana 1879–1885 Served alongside: William P. Kellogg, Randall L. Gibson Succeeded by James B. Eustis

v t e United States senators from Louisiana Class 2 Destréhan Posey Brown Claiborne Johnson Bouligny Livingston Waggaman Nicholas Barrow Soulé Downs Benjamin Harris West Kellogg Gibson Caffery Foster Ransdell H. Long tenure R. M. Long Ellender Edwards J. B. Johnston Landrieu Cassidy Class 3 Magruder Fromentin Brown J. S. Johnston Porter Mouton Conrad Porter Johnson Soulé Slidell Kellogg Eustis Jonas Eustis White Blanchard McEnery Thornton R. Broussard Guion Gay E. Broussard Overton Feazel R. B. Long Breaux Vitter Kennedy

Authority control databases International VIAF FAST WorldCat National United States People US Congress Other SNAC Yale LUX

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Benjamin F. Jonas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_F._Jonas) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_F._Jonas?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.