Josephat T. Benoit
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| Josephat T. Benoit | |
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| In office 1944 – 1961 |
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| Preceded by | Wilfrid A. Laflamme |
| Succeeded by | John C. Mongan |
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| Born | March 3, 1900 Sainte-Madeleine, Quebec |
| Died | May 14, 1976 (aged 76) Manchester, New Hampshire |
| Political party | Democrat |
| Profession | newspaper editor |
Josephat T. Benoit (March 3, 1900 - May 14, 1976) was the 41st mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire from 1944 to 1961. A New Deal Democrat, he held that office for a record nine consecutive terms.
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[edit] Early life and career
Benoit was born in Sainte-Madeleine, Quebec on March 3, 1900.[1] The youngest of seven children, he migrated to Fitchburg, Massachusetts with his family in 1907. He received two Ph.D.s in his lifetime: one in philosophy from the Université de Montréal in 1921, the other in political economy and sociology from the Sorbonne in 1935.[1] He also received two honorary degrees: a Doctor of Literature from the Université de Montréal and a Doctor of Laws from Saint Anselm College. He was a Knight of the Order of St. Gregory the Great.
He moved to Manchester, New Hampshire in 1937 and took the position of editor-in-chief of L'Avenir National, a French-language newspaper.[1] He remained in that position until 1943 when he entered local politics.
After retiring from politics in 1961, Benoit served as the director of New Hampshire's Small Business Administration until 1973.[1] He died in Manchester, New Hampshire on May 14, 1976[1] and was buried at Mount Calvary Cemetery in the same city. He was survived by his son, Jean Benoit, a daughter, Francoise (Benoit) Lozier, and two grandchildren.
[edit] Political career
Benoit first ran for mayor in 1943, defeating the sitting mayor, Wilfred A. Laflamme.[2] He quickly rose to prominence in New Hampshire politics, serving as a delegate to the 1944 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where President Franklin D. Roosevelt was nominated for an unprecedented fourth term.[3] The following year, he was the state chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party. [3] Benoit was re-elected mayor in 1945 and, after serving one term as Mayor of Manchester, made an unsuccessful bid for New Hampshire's 1st congressional district in 1946 against sitting Republican Chester E. Merrow. [4] He would go on to win six additional mayoral elections, each against a different candidate. In 1959, he defeated John C. Mongan, the man who would become his successor.[2] Benoit retired from politics, after serving nine consecutive terms as mayor, in 1961.[2] He cited pressure from his family as well as the city's return to partisan elections after ten years of non-partisan elections as reasons for his retirement. During his nine terms, several new schools were built in Manchester. He supported the establishment of public housing in Manchester and opposed fluoridation of the city's water supply.
[edit] See also
Mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e "The Records of Josaphat T. Benoit". City of Manchester, NH. Retrieved on 2008-03-26.
- ^ a b c "Election Results, Board of Mayor and Aldermen, Manchester, NH, 1846-2007". City of Manchester, NH. Retrieved on 2008-03-26.
- ^ a b "Index to Politicians: Bennetts to Bensmiller". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved on 2008-03-26.
- ^ William Graf (1947). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 1946". U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved on 2008-03-26.
