Bennet, William S. (William Stiles), 1870-1962

William Stiles Bennet was a U.S. Representative from New York. He was the father of Augustus Witschief Bennet, who also served as a U.S. Representative. Bennet was born in Port Jervis, NY on November 9, 1870. He was a lawyer in private practice, a member of the New York State Assembly (1901-1902), a Justice of the Municipal Court of New York City (1903), a member of the United States Immigration Commission (1907-1910), and a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1908 and 1916. He served as a Republican in the 59th through 61st Congresses (March 4, 1905-March 3, 1911) and was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1910. He was elected to the 64th Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of U.S. Representative Joseph A. Goulden (November 2, 1915-March 3, 1917), but was not reelected following that term. Bennet served as the official parliamentarian of the Republican National Convention at Chicago in 1916. From 1920 to 1933, Bennet was General Counsel to the Edward Hines Lumber Company. During the later 1930s and 1940s, he was a lobbyist and advocate for the lumber industry. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the 75th Congress in 1936. That same year Bennet sought the Republican nomination for Vice President. He was nominated by the Oregon primary due to his connection with the lumber industry in that state, but by the time of the national Republican Convention he was no longer considered a viable candidate and lost the nomination. He served as a delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention in 1938. He ran unsuccessfully in a special election in 1944 to fill a vacancy in the 78th Congress. Bennet died on December 1, 1962, in Central Valley, NY.

From the description of William Stiles Bennet papers, 1884-1959. (University at Albany). WorldCat record id: 427547920

Lawyer, congressman.

From the description of Reminiscences of William Stiles Bennet : oral history, 1951. (Columbia University In the City of New York). WorldCat record id: 309720963