Benjamin F. Ward

Who was Benjamin F. Ward?

Benjamin F. Ward, Jr. was an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Duke University Department of Philosophy and is the Associate Dean for Faculty Program at Duke. He was an accomplished pianist who began playing at the age of six. He died in 2013 in Durham, NC, after battling a long illness.

He played organ at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in 1968 for the memorial service of Dr. Martin Luther King.

An obituary from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts:

Since 1980 Professor Benjamin Ward taught various courses in philosophy, Arabic language, and German studies at Duke University. In addition, he was extraordinarily active in many aspects of undergraduate life. He was Duke’s first faculty-member-in-residence and continued to nurture and expand the program over the years. He directed and performed with The Pitchforks, Duke’s oldest a cappella group. Ward became an active supporter of several varsity athletic teams at Duke, including men’s and women’s cross country, track and field and soccer, and he served as a volunteer faculty athletic associate. Beyond Duke, he was a passionate fan of the Durham Bulls Baseball Club and the Wake Forest University baseball program.