Benjamin James Yerger PhD's Obituary
Benjamin James Yerger
December 8, 1930 -February 5, 2014
Ben died peacefully after being ill for several years. He was born in Hope, AR to Chester H. Yerger and Naomi L. Reddix Yerger. Ben graduated from Henry Clay Yerger High School and he graduated from Philander Smith in 1951. Ben moved to Richmond, CA and worked for the Richmond post office (1953-55). In 1956, Ben became the first African American to be employed at Chevron Research Laboratory until 1963. He married Bobbey Walker in 1957 and had two children and graduated from SF State in 1963. Ben worked at the Parks Job Corps Center in Pleasanton, CA (1965-66).
Ben was special assistant and Director of Community Services for Dr. Norvel Smith, President at Merritt College (1969-73). In 1970, Ben was recruited to the Ph.D. program in higher education at the University of California Berkeley where he met Charlene Harrington. They graduated and married in 1976 and made their home in the Berkeley hills for next 38 years.
In 1971, Ben was appointed president of the Grove campus by the Peralta board but after the campus was closed, Ben returned his position at the new Merritt campus (1971-1976). In 1976, Ben became the Director and then Dean of Community Services at the Peralta College for Non-Traditional Study (now Berkeley City College)(1978-85). He was Dean of Student Services at the College of Alameda (1985-88) and in counseling until his retirement from Peralta Colleges in 1997.
Those preceding Ben in death: his parents Chester and Naomi Yerger; brothers Henry and Chester Yerger, Jr and his wife Willie Mae. Ben is survived by his wife Charlene Harrington; daughter Dr. Valerie B. Yerger; son Benjamin Yerger, Jr.; granddaughters Shannon Long and Ainye Long; grandsons Craig Long, Jr. and Justin Long; great-granddaughter Tuesday.
A celebration of Ben’s life will be held in the Drawing Room at the Berkeley City Club at 2 pm on Sunday, March 2, 2014, located at 2315 Durant Avenue, Berkeley CA 94704. Gifts may be made to the Ben Yerger Fellowship in the Graduate School of Education at UC Berkeley to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds to become educators https://givetocal.berkeley.edu/egiving/index.cfm?Fund=FW8021000 or to the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, 339 11th St, Richmond, CA 94801.
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