Ben Selling (1852 or April 29, 1853 – 1931) was a businessman, philanthropist, civil rights advocate, and politician in Portland, Oregon, United States. He was a noted leader in the Jewish community, and he owned a clothing store in downtown Portland. Selling arrived in Portland with his family in circa 1862. He started with a boot and shoe business, then a clothing store. He was regarded as "the outstanding Jewish leader in Portland", receiving the first First Citizen Award from the Portland Realty Board in 1928. MacColl remarked the choice of Selling was ironic because he "possessed none of the acquisitive instincts ... associated with the realty trade." He also organized kitchens for the unemployed during the

Panic of 1893 The Panic of 1893 was an economic depression in the United States that began in 1893 and ended in 1897. It deeply affected every sector of the economy, and produced political upheaval that led to the political realignment of 1896 and the pres ...

and

Panic of 1907 The Panic of 1907, also known as the 1907 Bankers' Panic or Knickerbocker Crisis, was a financial crisis that took place in the United States over a three-week period starting in mid-October, when the New York Stock Exchange fell almost 50% from ...

, serving over 450,000 meals. He heavily supported the Armenian Relief Society, bought $400,000 in Liberty Bonds during World War I, and supported the Waverly Baby Home and Jewish Neighborhood House, both in Portland. MacColl also stated "Suffice it to say, Ben Selling probably gave away more money in proportion to his income than any Oregon citizen since the state was founded." He served on the Port of Portland Commission, then on the Portland Dock Commission. After being elected to the

Oregon State Senate The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the statewide legislature for the US state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the state Sena ...

in 1910, he served as President of the Senate for one session in 1911. He was also Speaker of the

Oregon House of Representatives The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 65,000. The House meets in the west wing of the ...

for one session, 1915. He ran for the United States Senate in 1912, losing by a few hundred votes to Harry Lane. After he died in 1931, four of his 40 employees sued his estate, saying he had promised the business to them. Their claims were rejected, as Selling was known for being honest and writing everything down.

References

External links

Selling Building
article from the ''Jewish Review''

on building renaming
Ben Selling scholarship
{{DEFAULTSORT:Selling, Ben 1853 births 1931 deaths Businesspeople from Portland, Oregon Jewish American people in Oregon politics Jews and Judaism in Portland, Oregon Presidents of the Oregon State Senate Speakers of the Oregon House of Representatives Republican Party members of the Oregon House of Representatives Philanthropists from Oregon

See also

References

External links