Ben Hedges, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Ben Hedges

American high jumper

Date of Birth: 08-Jun-1907

Place of Birth: Plainfield, New Jersey, United States

Date of Death: 31-Dec-1969

Profession: athletics competitor

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Benjamin Hedges (Benjamin Van Doren "Ben" Hedges, Jr.; June 8, 1907 - December 31, 1969) was an American athlete (Princeton Class of 1930) who competed mainly in the high jump. He competed for the United States in the 1928 Summer Olympics held in Amsterdam, Netherlands in the high jump where he won the silver medal, clearing 1.91 meters (6' 3-1/4").
Prior to graduating from Princeton in 1930, Ben Hedges won the IC4A high jump in 1929 With his second place in the 1928 high jump, Hedges is the last Princetonian to have won an Olympic track & field medal.
In 1931, Hedges joined Bankers Trust Co.
as a personnel administrator and later became executive vice-president of the Big Brother Movement.
He was also a war hero, winning 13 Battle Stars and receiving a Presidential Unit Citation for his work in the Pacific as an air combat intelligence officer.