Ben Willingham, Jr. - Community Leader and Historian
Over the course of his career, Ben Willingham, Jr., has not only led his own entrepreneurial ventures in the areas of commercial and agricultural real estate, but has also overseen the European activities of a multinational apparel manufacturer. Now retired, Ben Willingham, Jr., is actively involved as a leader in his Jacksonville, Florida, community. He served for a decade on the board of directors and President of the Park Plaza Condominium and now serves as board president of the Ortega Boulevard Condominium community. A former aviator in the United States Navy and Naval Reserves, he has also been instrumental in developing the local branch of the Association of Naval Aviation. With Mr. Willingham’s guidance over the past two decades, the Jacksonville Bald Eagle Squadron has grown its membership by 500 percent, organized monthly luncheons featuring veterans and civic leaders, and helped send a number of local high school graduates to the National Flight Academy in Pensacola.
Ben Willingham, Jr., has also drawn on his managerial experience to serve as the president of the Museum of Southern History in Jacksonville, which provides educational opportunities for local schoolchildren. A historian who has written extensively on the Civil War and its impact on Florida, Mr. Willingham has a particular interest in genealogy that led to his involvement with the Military Order of the Stars and Bars. Ben Willingham, Jr., is currently the historian general of the organization’s National Order and a recipient of the Robert E. Lee Chalice, its highest honor. His latest book “Florida in Turmoil” was released in June 2016.
Ben Willingham, Jr., has also drawn on his managerial experience to serve as the president of the Museum of Southern History in Jacksonville, which provides educational opportunities for local schoolchildren. A historian who has written extensively on the Civil War and its impact on Florida, Mr. Willingham has a particular interest in genealogy that led to his involvement with the Military Order of the Stars and Bars. Ben Willingham, Jr., is currently the historian general of the organization’s National Order and a recipient of the Robert E. Lee Chalice, its highest honor. His latest book “Florida in Turmoil” was released in June 2016.