Ben Eder

Essay question #3-Imagine it is fifty years in the future and you have been asked to provide a draft copy of your obituary. How would you like to be able to summarize your life, and/or your contributions?

Benjamin Alan Eder was an honorable man, in every respect of the word. Always composed and rarely without a smile on his face, he led a modest yet significant life. Working for the good of man and country, and never for personal glory or recognition, he developed radical new chemicals which have changed the course of civilization forever.

The son of a fisherman and a lawyer, Ben learned early the meaning of hard work and the rewards it offered. Working intensely in the summers and studying with vigor during the school year, Ben graduated from high school well prepared for the life that lay ahead.

Ben decided to attend the Oregon State University Honors College and majored in Chemistry with a minor in Psychology. Working very hard , he was able to graduate in three years and continue onto graduate school at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The years at OSU had done an excellent job of preparing him for these rigorous two years spent earning his masters in Chemical Engineering. Still not satisfied with his understanding, Ben earned his doctorate in Chemical Engineering while working for DuPont.

While this work paid well and interested Ben, he decided to begin research on his own. This way he was able to work on the exact problems he desired. During this period he met his loving wife and started a family. Ben and his wife settled down in Chicago to raise a family and continue his research.
Devoting much of his time to his family, he raised two children and sent them to college. They have both gone into the world and have been as successful as Ben. With his children gone, Ben and his wife were able to focus on their respective careers. During this time, and up to his death Ben made several great contributions to science. He would prefer that we look at the manner in which he did things and his priorities rather than what he did. To the end he attempted to give rather than receive. Today, we mourn the loss of a great man and his beloved wife. It is a terrible shame that Phosphorous is explosive when exposed to the air.