BENNY BENSON

'John Ben "Benny" Benson, Jr.' (1913-1972) is the designer of the flag of Alaska. Benny was 13 when he won in a contest to design the flag for the Territory of Alaska, which became a state in 1959.

Contents

Benny Benson's Life

External links

References

Benny Benson's Life

Benny Benson was born in Chignik, Alaska. When Benny Benson was four his mother died, forcing his father to send him and his brother Carl to boarding school, since Benny's father couldn't take care of them. Benny grew up at the Jesse Lee Children's Home in Unalaska and later in Seward.
After graduating high school in 1932, Benny left the Jesse Lee Home. He returned to Aleutians to work with his father in a fox farm at Ugaiushak Island. The rate for furs began to decline so Benny moved to Seattle in 1936. He used his prize money of $1,000 to enroll in the Hemphill Diesel Engineering School for diesel engine repair, and in 1938, Benson married Betty Van Hise. The couple's first child, Anna May, was born in October of 1938. Their second daughter, Charlotte Abbot, was born in June of 1940. Benson divorced in 1950 and moved with his daughters to Kodiak where he became an airplane mechanic for Kodiak Airways.
Benny met his sister in the mid 1950s, 30 years after their separation. She died soon after. His brother Carl also died in 1965. Benson's right leg had to be amputated in 1969 due to an injury which he sustained long back. Shortly after that, he met and married a former Jesse Lee Home resident, Anna Sophie Jenks in the 1972. Benson had several stepchildren and grandchildren. He died of a heart attack on July 2, 1972, in Kodiak, Alaska at the age of 58. The Benny Benson Memorial is located at Mile 1.4 of the Seward Highway in Alaska.

External links

★ http://www.museums.state.ak.us/EightStars/src/exhibit_catalog.pdf

★ Benny Benson - Alaska's Flag Fairbanks, Alaska Commercial Site

★ "Alaska State Flag, and Song, Intertwined Around Benny Benson" University of Alaska

★ "The Alaska State Flag"

★ "Last Benson flag" Alaska Native Heritage Center (with photo of John Ben "Benny" Benson)

References