Ben Gelman author of Birdwatching with Ben

Ben Gelman, while still a high school student in the Bronx, was privileged to go on bird walks with young men whou would achieve fame as ornithologists: Joseph Hickey, Allan GGruicksbank, and Roger Tory Peterson. In 1956he joined the staff of the Southern Illinoisan, serving as photographer, reporter, regional editor, Sunday news editor, and columnist until 1982. He is presently managing editorfor the SIU Courier, a weekly newspaper published by Southern Illinois University.