Ben Grussendorf

Benjamin Franklin "Ben" Grussendorf, Jr. (February 23, 1942 – June 17, 2011) was an educator and Democratic politician from the U.S. state of Alaska. Grussendorf represented Sitka, Alaska (where he lived for most of his life) and surrounding areas for ten terms in the Alaska House of Representatives, and remains one of the body's longest-serving members. He also served as Speaker of the House, becoming the first person to be elected to that office for three terms.

Benjamin Franklin Grussendorf, Jr. was born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota to Fern (née Ross) and Benjamin Franklin Grussendorf. He grew up there, where his father was a judge. He received a M.A. degree from the University of Minnesota. He moved to Sitka, Alaska in 1966, where he worked as a teacher at Sitka High School and instructor in political science at Sitka Community College.

Grussendorf entered politics when he served on Sitka's charter commission in 1971, responsible for merging the City of Sitka and the Greater Sitka Borough into today's City and Borough of Sitka. From there, he served on the new municipality's Assembly and was deputy vice mayor. He was mayor of Sitka from 1975 to 1979, also serving as president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors.

Grussendorf originally ran for the Alaska House in 1972, unsuccessfully challenging appointed incumbent Edward Flynn in the primary election. Howard C. Bradshaw, Sitka's senator since statehood, resigned in late 1971 to become the director of the Sitka Pioneer Home. Sitka's representative, H. D. "Pete" Meland, was appointed to replace Bradshaw, with Flynn appointed to replace Meland. Flynn would lose in the general election to Republican nominee Richard Irving "Dick" Eliason, a former Sitka mayor who was originally elected to the seat in 1968 by 54 votes over Democratic incumbent Frank Getman, before losing reelection to Meland in 1970 by 22 votes.

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