Hollister Benjamin Sykes *48

At age 101, Ben died June 13, 2025, in Westfield, N.J.

Born Sept. 18, 1923, in Polson, Mont., he entered the chemical engineering program at the University of Pennsylvania in 1942. His education was interrupted for service in the Naval Reserve as an officer on a minesweeper that cleared areas around the Panama Canal Zone and the Philippines during and after World War II. Following his Navy service, he completed his undergraduate studies at Penn and earned an M.S. in chemical engineering from Princeton in 1948.

After Princeton, Ben joined Exxon. He was responsible for new venture investments in computer technology and energy alternatives, including fuel cells, solar cells, and electric vehicle batteries. He retired as senior vice president in 1982.

In retirement Ben became an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at New York University and a consultant for AT&T, Kodak, DuPont, and Motorola on new business development projects. He published several papers in the Harvard Business Review and The Journal of Business Venturing and posted articles on the Social Science Research Network. Under the sponsorship of Rutgers, Ben chaired the New Jersey Entrepreneurs Forum executive committee for six years.

Ben is survived by his wife, Adele, and sons Robert and Richard.

Graduate alumni memorials are prepared by the APGA.