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. 

 

Current Faculty Holder

Devon E. Quick