Roe, Benjamin M., 1898-

Benjamin Roe was born in 1898 and grew up in a Jewish ghetto in a small village in Russia. His formal education was truncated. In his own words, "I am holding a distinction that many of my friends and associates cannot boast of; insofar as my formal education stopped at the age of fourteen, I have never had the pleasure of finishing any grade or receiving any degree in my entire life. I have never had the pleasure of walking up an aisle with my outstretched hand to receive a certificate indicating a completion of any grade. In spite of that, my hunger for education and books has never subsided."

Roe immigrated to the United States in 1913 at age fifteen without either parent. At age forty he was newly married with no means of support, except his creative mind, and in debt. Since that time his accomplishments have been extraordinary.

His life may be thought to exemplify a Horatio Alger story, except that Ben did it all by himself. He was bankrupt and starting a new business in 1939 and by 1955 he had retired from business. Also, unlike Alger's heroes, his criterion of success was not to own an important business or earn a huge profit, but rather to give of himself to his community. During one of our talks I was lucky to capture on tape Ben's philosophy of life in his own words:

"I believe that every man in his humble way, in accordance with his abilities must help make this a better world to live in for everybody. Developing your own goodness and extracting whatever values your abilities permit is very worthwhile, but you must also bear in mind that if you continue extracting those values and developing that goodness and do not replace it, you will sooner or later go dry. I, as an immigrant who knows the value of freedom, liberty, equality, and opportunity, know better than many people what it means to be deprived of those things. Therefore, I've always tried to pay society back in whatever my abilities and education permitted for all the kindness and goodness and opportunities I was privileged to enjoy. America is the greatest haven in the world for the oppressed. I cannot express it as well as the poem inscribed on the Statue of Liberty, written--did you know--by Emma Lazarus, a Jew."

Ben is too modest to list all of the activities and organizations that he began or became involved with. When he was given the coveted Chai Award in 1966, however, a partial list was made. It stated that he was a past President of Temple B'nai Israel, former board member of the Jewish Community Center, one of the original organizers of the University of Utah's Model United Nations, past Commander of American Legion Post Number 18, former board member of the United Jewish Council, Chairman of the American Jewish Tercentenary for Utah 1654-1954. He served as Past Chairman of the Israel Bond Committee and the United Jewish Appeal. He was awarded the Purple Heart during his service in the Army in World War I.

He was also President of the 91st Division Association and board member of the Utah Citizens Organization for Civil Rights, the Utah Association for the United Nations, Intermountain Chapter Hemophelia Foundation, University of Utah Judaica Library Board, History Committee of Jews in Utah and Idaho, and the National Committee on American and Israel Public Affairs. In addition, he was treasurer of the American Civil Liberties Union, Regional Vice President of the Z.O.A. [Zionist Organization of America], Shriner-Mason 32nd Degree, and Trustee of Youth Tobacco Advisory Council. He was also a board member of the American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, Metropolitan Salt Lake Services for the Aging, and, in addition to being a board member, an organizer of the Jewish Community Center, Friends of the University of Utah Libraries, and the Alberta Henry Education Foundation.

The above biography was written by James M. Rock, associate professor of economics, University of Utah.

From the guide to the Benjamin M. Roe papers, 1905-1974, (J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah)