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Permanent LinkRepresentative Benjamin Franklin Cummings View All Years
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN CUMMINGS was born in Windsor, Broome County, New York, April 5, 1864, and died in Marshalltown, Iowa, August 25, 1930. His parents were Dr. William C. and Mary Hannah Lounsbery Cummings. The family removed to Eddyville, Iowa, when the future judge was but three weeks old, and after a short residence there and later at Oskaloosa, settled in Marshalltown in 1865. B. F. was graduated from the Marshalltown High School in 1880 and from the Law Department of the University of Michigan in 1885. Beginning practice at Marshalltown he was elected city attorney in 1887 and served four years. In 1894 he was elected county attorney of Marshall County and was re-elected and served four years. In 1901 he was elected representative, and was re-elected two years later, serving in the Twenty-ninth, Thirtieth and Thirty-first general assemblies, being speaker pro tem in the latter two. In 1913 Governor Clarke appointed him judge of the Seventeenth Judicial District and by reason of elections he served until he resigned in February, 1930, to resume private practice. He was a member of the local school board several years and attained the rank of lieutenant in the Iowa National Guard. He was an able lawyer and a successful business man.