George Benson (civic organizer)
George Benson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Seattle City Council from Position 4 | |
| In office 1974–1994 | |
| Preceded by | Liem Tuai |
| Succeeded by | Jan Drago |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 10, 1919 Minneapolis, MN |
| Died | October 22, 2004 (aged 85) Edmonds, Washington |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Evelyn Benson |
| Children | 2 children |
| Alma mater | University of Washington (BA) |
George Benson (1919–2004) was an American politician from Seattle. He was a five-time elected member of the Seattle City Council from 1974 to 1994.[1] Benson had a reputation for being a community advocate and insider due to his background, activism, and activity in city council.[1]
While he was on city council, Benson advocated for transit options.[2] His major project was establishing the Waterfront Streetcar, which was later named in his honor.[2]
Benson was born in Minnesota but moved to Seattle in 1938.[3] He graduated from the University of Washington School of Pharmacy in 1950.[4] While he was there he met Evelyn, whom he married.[4] Benson interacted with the pharmacy school throughout his life.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Crowley, Walt (November 2, 2004). "George Benson: Seattle's Favorite Unpolitician". www.historylink.org.
- ^ a b Frey, Christine; Mulady, Kathy (October 27, 2004). "George Benson, 1919-2004: Waterfront streetcar is his legacy". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
- ^ Burrows, Alyssa (November 4, 2004). "Benson, George (1919-2004), Father of the Seattle Waterfront Streetcar". HistoryLink. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
- ^ a b c Johnson, Karen (March 1, 2005). "George Benson, 1919-2004". University of Washington Magazine. Retrieved July 24, 2022.