Benjamin Palmer Whitaker ’58

Ben Whitaker, of Rochester, N.Y., died April 19, 1999, after a brief illness. He was born in Hartford, Conn., on July 4, 1937. After recovering from polio at age 13, Ben prepped at Hotchkiss, where he played football and basketball. At Princeton, Ben majored in Economics and was a member of Campus Club and Whig-Clio. He was an active participant in the Bridge Club and in intramural athletics. His senior year roommates were Win Foster, Tom Thornbury, and Howard Zeft.

Graduating cum laude from Albany law school in 1961, he became an administrative assistant to the honorable Samuel Stratton in the US House of Representatives, and then served in the judge advocate general corps of the US Air Force until 1965. Ben practiced law in the Rochester area for 25 years, was active in Monroe County Democratic Party politics, and helped to create the Democratic majority that continued for more than 20 years. He served on the boards of the United Way and of the Assn. of the Blind.

In retirement, Ben was active in church affairs and an avid reader of Christian authors. The class extends its deepest sympathy to his wife, Janet, his daughter, Jeanne, his two sons, Benjamin III '87 and Scott '90, his brother, Robert '65, three stepsons, and three grandchildren.

The Class of 1958