Ben Selling (1852 or April 29, 1853 – 1931) was a businessman, philanthropist, civil rights advocate, and politician in

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

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. He was a noted leader in the

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

community, and he owned a clothing store in

downtown Portland Downtown Portland is the central business district of Portland, Oregon, United States. It is on the west bank of the Willamette River in the northeastern corner of the southwest section of the city and where most of the city's high-rise buildi ...

Early life

Selling was born in

San Francisco, California San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

. His parents, Caroline Auerbach and Philip Selling, were both

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immigrants. He arrived in Portland with his family circa 1862. There, his father ran a general merchandise store. Selling attended the Beth Israel Religious School and Portland Academy. Because his father needed his help in the store, Selling was unable to finish his education at Portland Academy.

Marriage and family

Selling married Matilda Hess on March 14, 1880 in San Francisco. Like her husband, Matilda Hess Selling was deeply involved in Portland's Jewish community. She was a member of the

National Council of Jewish Women The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Founded in 1893, the NCJW describes itself as the oldest Jewish women's grassroots organization organization in the USA and currently has over 225,000 members. ...

(NCJW), serving as the president of its Portland chapter from 1906 to 1908. From 1900 to 1930, she was also president of the sewing school at Neighborhood House, a community organization founded by the NCJW. The Sellings had two children; Rae Selling Berry, born in 1881, and Laurence Selling, born in 1882.

Businesses

In 1881, Selling opened a boot and shoe business called Akin, Selling & Company. By 1903, he was running a clothing store called Ben Selling, Clothier. He was regarded as "the outstanding Jewish leader in Portland", receiving the first First Citizen Award from the Portland Realty Board in 1928. Portland historian E. Kimbark MacColl remarked the choice of Selling was ironic because he "possessed none of the acquisitive instincts ... associated with the realty trade."

Philanthropy

Selling was known for his philanthropy. He organized kitchens for the unemployed during the

Panic of 1893 The Panic of 1893 was an economic depression in the United States. It began in February 1893 and officially ended eight months later. The Panic of 1896 followed. It was the most serious economic depression in history until the Great Depression of ...

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 suddenly fell almost ...

, serving over 450,000 meals. In 1914, he founded the Working Men's Club, which sold meals for five cents apiece to homeless and unemployed men. The club also provided some meals at no cost. The Working Men's Club included an employment bureau, which, according to the

Oregon Daily Journal ''The Oregon Journal'' was Portland, Oregon's daily afternoon newspaper from 1902 to 1982. The ''Journal'' was founded in Portland by C. S. "Sam" Jackson, publisher of Pendleton, Oregon's ''East Oregonian'' newspaper, after a group of Portlan ...

, helped 600 to 700 men find work within a year of opening. Selling closed the club in 1916 due to the improved economy.

The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the West Coast of the United States, U.S. West Coast, founded as a weekly by Tho ...

stated that it had served nearly 400,000 meals. In January 1916, Selling became treasurer of a committee to raise funds for Jews in Eastern Europe displaced by

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. He asked Portlanders of all religions to donate to the cause, saying that "for the first time in 50 years I am asking non-Jews to help my people." The committee raised more than $14,000 within two months. Selling heavily supported the

Armenian Relief Society The Armenian Relief Society (ARS) () is an independent, nonsectarian, philanthropic society serving the humanitarian, social and educational needs of Armenians and non-Armenians alike. It operates as a non-governmental organization and has enti ...

, bought $400,000 in

Liberty Bonds A liberty bond or liberty loan was a war bond that was sold in the United States to support the Allied cause in World War I. Subscribing to the bonds became a symbol of patriotic duty in the United States and introduced the idea of financia ...

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."

Political career

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 State legislature (United States), statewide legislature for the US state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. Ther ...

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, the upper house being the Oregon State Senate. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of ...

for one session, 1915. He ran for the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

in 1912, losing by a few hundred votes to

Harry Lane Harry Lane (August 28, 1855 – May 23, 1917) was an American politician in the state of Oregon. A physician by training, Lane served as the head of the Oregon State Hospital, Oregon State Insane Asylum before being forced out by political enemie ...

Death and legacy

Selling died on January 15, 1931 of bronchial pneumonia. In his will, he left a $100,000 trust fund to provide scholarships for college students. After his death, 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 1850s births 1931 deaths Businesspeople from Portland, Oregon Jewish American people in Oregon politics 20th-century Oregon politicians 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 20th-century members of the Oregon Legislative Assembly