# Benjamin K. Focht > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Benjamin_K._Focht > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Benjamin_K._Focht.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_K._Focht > Source revision: 1345599718 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) American politician (1863–1937) This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please help improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (April 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. Please help improve this article by citing more sources. Find sources: "Benjamin K. Focht" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Benjamin K. Focht Focht, 1921–1922 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania In office March 4, 1933 – March 27, 1937 Preceded by Joseph Franklin Biddle Succeeded by Richard M. Simpson Constituency 18th district In office March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1923 Preceded by Franklin Lewis Dershem Succeeded by Herbert Wesley Cummings Constituency 17th district In office March 4, 1907 – March 3, 1913 Preceded by Thaddeus Maclay Mahon Succeeded by Franklin Lewis Dershem Constituency 17th 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 Died March 27, 1937(1937-03-27) (aged 74) Washington, D.C. Party Republican Alma mater Susquehanna University **Benjamin Kurtz Focht** (March 12, 1863 – March 27, 1937) was a [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) member of the [U.S. House of Representatives](/source/U.S._House_of_Representatives) from [Pennsylvania](/source/Pennsylvania). ## Biography Benjamin K. Focht was born in [New Bloomfield, Pennsylvania](/source/New_Bloomfield%2C_Pennsylvania). He attended [Bucknell University](/source/Bucknell_University) in [Lewisburg, Pennsylvania](/source/Lewisburg%2C_Pennsylvania), [Pennsylvania State College](/source/Pennsylvania_State_College) at [State College, Pennsylvania](/source/State_College%2C_Pennsylvania), and [Susquehanna University](/source/Susquehanna_University) in [Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania](/source/Selinsgrove%2C_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](/source/Pennsylvania_National_Guard). He was a member of the [Pennsylvania House of Representatives](/source/Pennsylvania_House_of_Representatives) from 1893 to 1897, and a member of the [Pennsylvania State Senate](/source/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](/source/60th_United_States_Congress), [Sixty-first](/source/61st_United_States_Congress), and [Sixty-second](/source/62nd_United_States_Congress) Congresses. He was unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1912. He was again elected to the [Sixty-fourth](/source/64th_United_States_Congress) and to the three succeeding Congresses. He served as Chairman of the [United States House Committee on War Claims](/source/United_States_House_Committee_on_War_Claims) during the [Sixty-sixth](/source/66th_United_States_Congress) Congress, and the [United States House Committee on the District of Columbia](/source/United_States_House_Committee_on_the_District_of_Columbia) during the [Sixty-seventh](/source/67th_United_States_Congress) 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](/source/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](/source/73rd_United_States_Congress), [Seventy-fourth](/source/74th_United_States_Congress), and [Seventy-fifth](/source/75th_United_States_Congress) Congresses and served until his death in [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington%2C_D.C.) ## See also - [List of members of the United States Congress who died in office (1900–1949)](/source/List_of_members_of_the_United_States_Congress_who_died_in_office_(1900%E2%80%931949)) ## Sources - United States Congress. ["Benjamin K. Focht (id: F000230)"](http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=F000230). *[Biographical Directory of the United States Congress](/source/Biographical_Directory_of_the_United_States_Congress)*. - [The Political Graveyard](http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/flynt-fogg.html) U.S. House of Representatives Preceded by Thaddeus M. Mahon Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 17th congressional district 1907–1913 Succeeded by Franklin L. Dershem Preceded by Franklin L. Dershem Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 17th congressional district 1915–1923 Succeeded by Herbert W. Cummings Preceded by Joseph F. Biddle Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district 1933–1937 Succeeded by Richard M. Simpson v t e Chairs of the United States House Committee on the District of Columbia Lewis Love Van Horne Lewis Kent Tucker Herbert Kent Alexander Powers Doddridge Washington Chinn Shepard Bouldin W. Johnson Underwood Campbell Hunter Chapman Inge Brown Ficklin Hamilton Matteson Dodd Goode Carter Conkling Lovejoy Dumont Ingersoll Cook Starkweather Hale Buckner Blackburn Hunton Neal Barbour Hemphill Grout Hemphill Heard Babcock Smith B. Johnson Mapes Zihlman Focht Reed Zihlman Norton Palmisano Randolph McMillan Dirksen McMillan Simpson McMillan Diggs Dellums Stark Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF WorldCat National United States People US Congress Other SNAC --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Benjamin K. Focht](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_K._Focht) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_K._Focht?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.