George Benson

George Benson (January 10, 1919 – October 22, 2004) was an American politician from Seattle. He was a five-time elected member of the Seattle City Council from 1973 to 1994. Benson advocated for expansion of public transit service in the city, with his major achievement being the creation of the Waterfront Streetcar, which was later named in his honor.

Early life and education Benson was born in Minnesota but moved to Seattle in 1938. He worked at pharmacies in the University District before registering for the University of Washington School of Pharmacy.

Benson returned to Seattle, immediately returned to school, and began working at the pharmacy. At his job, he met his wife, Evelyn, whom he married in June 1946. Benson faced his toughest reelection race in 1989 against Margaret Pageler, who was backed by the progressive group Vision Seattle, but he defeated Pageler in the general election by 707 votes.

One of Benson's most significant achievements on the council was the creation of the Waterfront Streetcar, a streetcar service along already existing railroad tracks, which he first proposed in 1974. The 1.6-mile line opened in 1982. The cost to implement the service was much higher than had been estimated in 1974, On its 20th anniversary, the line was renamed the "George Benson Waterfront Streetcar Line".

Benson was also pivotal in solving the growing trash and waste management issue plaguing Seattle in the 1980s. Through negotiations, Benson passed a 60-year contract with the city of Condon, Oregon, to use the city's landfill.

In his final two years in office, the council elected Benson the city council president until his retirement in January 1994.

Personal life Benson returned to working at Mission Pharmacy after he retired from the city council. He and his wife sold the pharmacy in 1994 after owning the business for 46 years. That same year, Benson was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the American Public Transit Association in 1997.

Evelyn died in 2002, with Benson dying two years later at a retirement home in Edmonds, Washington. Benson and his wife had two daughters.