Balfoura Friend Levine - The Jewish Georgian

November-December 2006 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 27
A small town celebrates a famous native son
Friday, September 1 was Ben Bernanke
Day in
Dillon, South
Carolina, the
place where
the current
chair of the
Federal
Reserve
Board was
born and
grew up. This
was indeed a
big event for
this small
(pop. 6,316)
town, the seat
Ben Bernanke
of Dillon
County.
The celebration took place from 10:00
a.m.-12:00 noon on the courthouse lawn.
Seated in the front row during the celebration
were Ben’s proud family and his teachers.
Behind them were the 62 members of
his graduating class of 1971. There was also
a large public turnout.
Ben Bernanke (center) with family
and friends (Photo: Mitchell Gough)
Ben’s cousin Mindy Bernanke Cohen;
my cousin Robert Cohen, one of Ben’s
Sunday school classmates; and Robert’s
wife, Diana, all of Atlanta, were there, too.
Mayor Todd Davis welcomed everyone,
and James Crawford gave the invocation.
The mayor presented Ben with a miniature
version of Dillon’s town clock.
Councilman John Braddy, a classmate
of Ben’s in grades K-12, gave him an event
scrapbook and shared many anecdotes.
Their school became integrated during the
time they attended it, and Ben wrote articles
that were instrumental in making a successful
transition.
John and Ben formed a rock band while
in school but played just once in public.
They were also in the school band,
which was playing in Washington when Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated.
They had to have a police escort out of
Washington because of the ensuing riots.
Braddy said that was the first of Ben’s
police escorts, which he always has now.
Representative Jackie Hayes presented
Ben with a framed resolution declaring Ben
Bernanke Day in South Carolina.
Governor Mark Sanford spoke afterwards.
He presented Ben with the Order of
the Palmetto, the highest civilian award in
South Carolina.
BY
Cecile
Waronker
Ben Bernanke (front row, 3rd from
right) played the alto saxophone in
a Dillon High School orchestra
group, the “Dillionaires” (Photo:
courtesy of the USC Caroliniana
Library)
Ben Bernanke receiving the Order of
the Palmetto award from Governor
Mark Sanford (Photo: Mitchell
Gough)
Then Ben Bernanke spoke. Ben is a
quiet and humble person. He told of working
one summer at a hospital construction
site for $1.75 an hour. The next summer, he
worked at a restaurant at South of the
Border with a waitress who was saving
money to go to college. These experiences
had an impact on him that continues to this
day. As he made his professional ascent, he
always kept in mind what average working
American men and women have to do.
Witty, creative, clever, and talented are
just a few of the words that classmates,
friends, and acquaintances use to describe
the young Ben Bernanke. At the celebration,
these same people saw firsthand that
Ben is still the same. One classmate
recalled being amazed that Ben could sit
down just before a psychology test, flip
through the chapter, and make a 100. “I
knew he was headed for great, scholarly
adventures.”
One of Ben’s teachers shared another
story. She said that when it came time for
the daily devotion, she allowed Ben to talk
to the class about Judaism, of which he was
so proud. Everyone at the celebration said
they read and listen to news of his accomplishments
with great pride and contentment
and wish him the best in his new role.
A reception followed the ceremony, and
then Ben was whisked away to fly back to
Washington. Family, friends, and members
of the synagogue that used to be in Dillon
went to his Uncle Mortimer’s home for
dessert and to share more memories.
Everyone was beaming over the day, especially
Ben’s parents, Edna and Phillip
Bernanke, who now live in Charlotte, North
Carolina.
Ben S. Bernanke, who is now chairman
of the Federal Reserve Board, graduated
from Dillon High School in 1971. He graduated
from Harvard University summa cum
laude in 1975 and received a Ph.D. in economics
from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology in 1979. At Princeton
University, he was professor of economics
and public affairs, 1985-1996, and the
Howard Harrison and Gabrielle Snyder
Beck Professor of Economics and Public
Affairs and chairman of the economics
department, 1996-2002. He served on the
board of governors of the Federal Reserve
System, 2002-2004. He became chairman
of the Federal Reserve Board in 2006. Quite
an impressive background for this nice
Jewish man.
Shows you what you can do regardless
of where you are from. Ben has made a
wonderful name for himself, and he is still
the same smart and nice person he was
growing up.
Ben Bernanke, Dillon High School
graduate, 1971 (Photo: courtesy of
the USC Caroliniana Library)