Benjamin Franklin Jones

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.