Representative Henry Stanley Benedict

Henry Stanley Benedict (February 20, 1878 – July 10, 1930) was an American lawyer and politician who served briefly as a U.S. Representative from California from 1916 to 1917. A member of the Republican Party, he represented a California district in the Sixty-fourth Congress during a significant period in American history, participating in the legislative process and representing the interests of his constituents.

Benedict was born in Boonville, Cooper County, Missouri, on February 20, 1878. In 1888 he moved with his parents to Los Angeles, California, where he was raised. He attended the public schools of Los Angeles, completing both grammar and high school there. His relocation to Southern California in the late nineteenth century placed him in a rapidly growing region whose economic and political development would shape his later legal and political career.

After his early schooling, Benedict pursued legal studies at the University of Southern California College of Law in Los Angeles. He completed his legal education and was admitted to the bar in 1910. Following his admission, he commenced the practice of law in Los Angeles, establishing himself professionally at a time when the city was expanding as a commercial and transportation center. Alongside his legal work, he began to build connections in local civic and political circles that would soon lead to elective office.

Benedict entered public life as a member of the California State Assembly, serving from 1910 to 1914. In that role he participated in state legislative deliberations during an era marked by Progressive Era reforms and the restructuring of California’s political institutions. He subsequently advanced to the California State Senate, where he served from 1914 to 1916. His tenure in both chambers of the state legislature provided him with experience in lawmaking and public administration and positioned him for federal office.

A Republican, Benedict was elected as a Representative to the Sixty-fourth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of United States Representative William D. Stephens. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from November 7, 1916, to March 3, 1917. His brief term in Congress coincided with the closing months of the Wilson administration’s neutrality period prior to the United States’ entry into World War I, a time of significant national debate over foreign policy, preparedness, and domestic reform. Although his service was limited to this single term, he contributed to the legislative process as part of the Republican delegation from California. He was subsequently nominated by the Progressive Party for election to the Sixty-fifth Congress but withdrew his candidacy in favor of the Republican nominee, reflecting the complex partisan realignments of the period and his continued identification with the Republican Party.

Throughout his political career, Benedict continued to practice law in Los Angeles and also engaged in banking, reflecting a professional portfolio that combined legal expertise with financial and regulatory interests. After leaving Congress, he remained active in state public service. He served as a member of the California State Board of Control from 1919 to 1921, participating in the oversight of state expenditures and administrative practices. From 1921 to 1923 he was a member of the California State Railroad Commission, a key regulatory body responsible for supervising public utilities and transportation enterprises during a time when railroads and related infrastructure were central to California’s economic life.

In his later years, Benedict continued his professional and public activities until his death. While on a visit abroad, he died in London, England, on July 10, 1930. His remains were returned to California, and he was interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.