A Remembrance of Benjamin J. Russell
1909 - 2002

Nadine Stoner

[Reprinted from GroundSwell, 2002]

On the night of June 11, Ben Russell died at age 92 years and 9-1/2 months under the care of Hospice and his wife, Ellen, in Mountain Home, Ark. Ben had recovered from a broken hip a couple of years ago, but he broke another hip in February and this time succumbed.

Ben is survived by his second wife of 16 years, Ellen, two sisters, a daughter Margaret of Seattle, and a son Philip of Exton, PA, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his first wife, Margaret (Baker) in 1975.

Ben was active in the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. His Eulogist commented, "Indeed he was a man who tried, and did, make a difference in the world he occupied for some 93 years. I believe the concluding paragraph from "Progress and Poverty" reflects the philosophy of life and death that Ben would want expressed at this memorial service.

...page 563: "What then is the meaning of life--of life absolutely and inevitably bounded by death? To me it seems intelligible only as the avenue and vestibule to another life. And its facts seem explainable only upon a theory which cannot be expressed but in myth and symbol, and which, everywhere and at all times, the myths and symbols in which men have tried to portray their deepest perceptions do in some form express.

Ben was born in Libertywille, Ill. and moved to Waukegan, Ill. in 1914. At the invitation of his brother- in-law, an instructor at the Henry George School of Chicago, Ben enrolled in 1943 in a Basic Economics class. Later Ben began teaching Basic Economics and taking advanced classes at the HGS-Chicago.

From the files in the HGS-Chicago, current Director Charles Metalitz provided the following information. (Former Director) Sam Venturella "told me that Ben sent us some historical materials, including a teachers' manual from the 1950s, along with a letter which we published in the Spring 2000 "Illinois Georgist" newsletter (quoted in part below).

"...The Executive Director of the Henry George School was a genius and a good friend by the name of John Monroe. After teaching classes in the Chicago area for about ten years, I was given the position of Associate Director in charge of Administrative Services" (for which he quit his job at Delco Radio Div. of G.M.), "which I held for 8 years. At that time we moved to Traverse City, MI where I taught both basic and advanced courses at Northwestern Community College (adult night school) for about 6 years. Then back to Chicago, where I continued teaching for the School until moving to Arkansas in 1962. I continued teaching and have conducted about 30 study groups in this part of the state. I have no groups at this time but (Henry George Institute Director) Lindy Davies sends me (correspondence course) students and I usually have about a half dozen taking the home-study course by regular mail. Over the years I have had the pleasure and challenge of working with an estimated 2400 to 2500 students."

In 1987 Ben got a series of 14 weekly lessons on "Understanding Economics" aired in the local Home Cable TV, and interested viewers picked up free lesson sheets at the (TV) office. The series was subsequently also aired on Yellville (AR)-Summit Cable TV, and on American Christian Television System.

Ben's writings include a book, "Comments on Causes and Cures" published in 1987, a booklet "In Inquiry" published in 1990, and a book "Comments on Causes and Cures" published in 1993. Ben had many letters to the editor published over a 20-year span, especially in the Baxter Bulletin in Arkansas.

In May 1989, the Council for Economic Inquiry was formed in Mountain Home, Ark. with Ben as the Program Director. A web page was established in 1990, www.mtnhomechamber.com/clp/clublis2.htm.