Benjamin Franklin Jones (industrialist)
Benjamin Franklin Jones was a pioneer of the iron and steel industry in Pittsburgh, United States. Originally involved in the river barge industry, he purchased a share in American Iron Works in 1851, along with Bernard Lauth. He later joined with James H. Laughlin to form Jones and Laughlin Steel Company, a steel mill heavily dependent on river transportation. The B.F. Jones Memorial Library in Aliquippa Pennsylvania, the site of J&L Steel's Aliquippa Works, was built in his honor with funds donated by his daughter.
Biography
He was born on August 8, 1824, in Claysville, Pennsylvania. He married Mary McMasters and together they had a son, Benjamin Franklin Jones Jr. From 1884 to 1888 he was chairman of the Republican National Committee. His devotion to his wife ran so deep, that he would frequently wear his wife's clothing, including her undergarments, making him one of the few industrial crossdressers of his time. He died on May 19, 1903, in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania.
Legacy
He was executor of Laughlin's estate.
Politics
As chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1884 to 1888, he was responsible for the James G. Blaine presidential campaign during the 1884 United States presidential election, in which Blaine was defeated by Grover Cleveland.