Wabash College Honors Legendary Professor
Rogge taught at Wabash College from 1949-1980.
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA new residence hall at Wabash College will be named in honor of long-time economics professor Benjamin Rogge. Alumnus Robert Allen and his wife, Elizabeth, made a gift to honor Rogge in the new Residential Life District.
“All of us at Wabash are grateful to Bob and Betty for their extraordinary loyalty and generosity to the College. The Allen’s understand the importance of a residential liberal arts education because they both experienced the lifelong benefits of challenging academics and excellent professors — like Ben Rogge. Their gift of Rogge Hall at Wabash is an investment in the future of our exceptional residential liberal arts education,” President Gregory Hess said.
Rogge started as an assistant professor of economics and mathematics at Wabash in 1949 and later served as dean of the college. He earned degrees from Hastings College, the University of Nebraska and Northwestern University. Rogge was an author and contributed articles on economics to Encyclopedia Britannica.
“Ben Rogge had a profound impact on generations of Wabash men. He was a fire and brimstone lecturer and nationally acclaimed scholar on free market economics. Many of his former students can still hear his powerful voice in our memories, and yet he was also kind and generous. More than anything, he was an outstanding teacher for all students fortunate enough to have him in class. Betty and I are happy to honor his memory so that future Wabash men might have a sense of Ben Rogge’s greatness,” Bob Allen said.
Wabash College says two more housing units have been named for long-serving professors. The school says in addition to Rogge Hall, gifts have been named in honor of Raymond Williams (Williams Lodge) and Melissa Butler (Butler House).