Whiteley Faculty Scholar

December 31, 2017

Elaine and Ben Whiteley met at OSU and actively supported their alma mater – and many other educational, cultural, and civic organizations – throughout their lives. A 1951 College of Business graduate, Ben spent his career at Standard Insurance Company, where he was board chairman and CEO. He was a philanthropic leader in Portland for 40 years, giving countless hours of leadership to a long list of charitable organizations. After serving two decades on the OSU Foundation Board of Trustees, he was named a Lifetime Trustee. He also served for a decade on the OSU College of Science Board of Visitors.

In the mid ’90s he and Elaine – a 1953 College of Home Economics graduate – both served on the committee that led the $40 million expansion of the Valley Library. The Whiteleys generously contributed to the library initiative and an endowment in materials science. They provided seed funding for a summer program that gives undergraduates the opportunity to conduct research early in their college career. They also supported a physics lecture series honoring Elaine’s late father, Dr. Edwin Yunker, who served on the OSU faculty.

After Ben passed away in 2017, the Ben & Elaine Whiteley Faculty Scholar Fund for Teaching Excellence was established through his estate to support great teachers who are advancing teaching and learning excellence in support of increased student success.