Celebrating a Lafayette friendship

By Bryan Hay 

Fred Benson III ’59 often reflects on the story his father shared with him about his arrival at Lafayette College as a first-year student more than a century ago.

Frederick Benson Jr.,Class of 1926, stood at the base of the steep, historic escarpment staircase with some cash in his pocket and a threadbare bag holding his belongings, tied together with a rope.

“Everything he owned and needed was stuffed in that bag,” Benson says, recalling the story. “He told me this later, ‘I didn’t know where I was going, but I knew Lafayette was my way there.’”

His father worked his way through college waiting tables at the YMCA in downtown Easton and at a fraternity on campus.

“He got to Lafayette with $50 in his pocket, and he graduated with $52 in his pocket,” Benson says. “And then he went to Syracuse University and supported his way through Syracuse Law School by teaching freshman English. That’s where he met my mother.”

After law school, Benson’s father practiced law at a private firm and then worked as general counsel for Kemper Corp., an insurance provider, ending up as its vice president for East Coast operations.

Fred Benson III ’59 (contributed photo)

His father’s success after a hardscrabble start instilled a deep sense of gratitude and connection to Lafayette, and served as a beacon for Benson as he started his own journey, ultimately inspiring his generous support of high-achieving Lafayette students.

“I was drawn to Lafayette primarily because of my father’s love of this school,” says Benson, who as a kid would accompany his father to his class reunions and meet his friends. “He absolutely loved the place and the people. Lafayette was so instilled in my thinking; it was the only college I applied to. Lafayette was a great opportunity for me.”

His Lafayette foundation led to an eclectic and successful career, from military and government service to the private sector, and as a Lafayette College trustee and president of the Alumni Association.

His military career was inspired when he saw an unusual Army aircraft flying low over the Quad one day as it prepared to land at nearby Braden Airpark in Forks Township. Curious, he headed to the airport, struck up a conversation with the pilot, and eventually ended up learning to fly in Lafayette’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program.

After graduating from Lafayette with a degree in government and law, Benson commanded a helicopter unit in the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam and in the only U.S. battalion on active combat duty in the Korean demilitarized zone, earning two Distinguished Flying Crosses, a Bronze Star Medal for Valor, and 19 Air Medals.

Benson, who also has a master’s degree in political science from Auburn University and attended Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program, says his military career, from 1959 to 1979, prepared him to accept responsibilities and value trust, and taught him problem-solving skills.

“You take big responsibilities in the military, and you take them seriously. Sometimes it’s accompanied by risk of one kind or another. But you’ve got to take it,” he says. “Secondly, trust. The military, particularly a combat unit, cannot work without trust. The person to your left and right depend on trust. It’s as simple as that. Often there are no clear answers to much of what you’re asked to do in the Army, particularly in a combat role. You have to sort out what you think are the best things to do and give it a try. And if it doesn’t work, you make sure you have an option B.”

He also served in senior positions in the offices of the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Army, led aviation and ground command assignments in Korea, Vietnam, and Alaska, and was selected as a White House fellow in 1973, subsequently serving as a member of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Benson ultimately retired from the Army as one of the youngest full colonels on active duty.

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark (left) discusses free trade with Fred Benson III ’59 at a conference in Auckland, New Zealand, in December 2001. (Contributed photo).

After military retirement, he worked for American Forest & Paper Association, International Paper Co., and served as vice president of national and international affairs for Weyerhaeuser Co. and subsequently as president of the United States-New Zealand Business Council, a consortium of 31 U.S. companies with active business presence in that country. In 2007, he was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit by Queen Elizabeth II for his work on international trade negotiations.

A faithful and steadfast advocate for helping Lafayette students succeed, Benson would often host and mentor students as part of his work in Washington, D.C., and supported them through an endowed scholarship fund for financial aid he established in 1990 in memory of his father, the Frederick S. Benson ’26 Scholarship Fund. Countless students have benefited from his mentorship and generosity.

A friendship for the ages

But one student will always stand out: Pamela Passman ’83, who served as a trustee from 2015 to 2025 and recently received emeritus status.

Pamela Passman ’83 reunited with Fred Benson III ’59 at his home in Maine in 2025. (Contributed photo).

“Pamela was unique,” says Benson, recalling a Lafayette career night he staffed in Alexandria, Va., where he first met her and established a lifelong bond. “Pamela Passman walked up to me and within about a minute, I saw brains, sensitivity, and intellectual curiosity. She just exudes these things.”

Passman vividly remembers the evening and the encounter.

It was the fall of her senior year at Mount Vernon High School in Fairfax County, outside of Washington, D.C., in northern Virginia. She had her sights set on attending University of Virginia.

“But here he was, sitting at the Lafayette College table, and for some reason I stopped by and engaged in a conversation,” Passman remembers. “He became quite engaged and animated, and followed up with me. He got me interested enough to want to visit Lafayette and apply. Then I was accepted to the College, which met every expectation for a small liberal arts college environment. And suddenly I had a colleague and friend for life in Fred.”

Seeing great potential in his younger colleague, Benson hired Passman in the summer between her first and sophomore year to work with him and his staff when he was working in government relations at International Paper Co. in Washington, D.C.

“At the time, a freshman getting to know somebody who’s interested in public policy and getting a job like that was, and still is, quite extraordinary,” Passman says.

Benson says that over the decades their relationship quickly evolved into one “based on infinite respect and trust.” He remains impressed by Passman’s natural leadership gifts, which were revealed to him during her sophomore year when she walked the campus with the Lafayette president and identified areas to improve safety and by her detailed, professional work on Superfund legislation while working with him at International Paper.

“I asked her to write a summary of the proposed legislation and the politics surrounding it, which she did, and it went to the board and then to the president and CEO of the company. It was that good,” Benson says.

Passman, who served as a trustee from 2015 to 2025, went on to earn her law degree at University of Virginia after graduating from Lafayette with a degree in government and law. She practiced law in Washington, D.C., with Covington and Burling and also practiced in Tokyo before joining Microsoft, first in Tokyo and then in Redmond, Wash. She currently serves as global chair, corporate advisory, for APCO Worldwide, and chairs the board of the children’s immigrant rights organization Kids in Need of Defense (KIND).

Pamela Passman ’83 (Contributed photo).

Like Benson, Passman is equally passionate about student success and, in 2018,  also established a named scholarship fund, the Pamela S. Passman ’83 Scholarship Fund, to provide financial aid.

She says Benson’s support during her formative years grew into an enduring friendship, a foundational relationship that helped her succeed in her career.

“He has been a champion, a cheerleader, just a dear friend,” Passman adds. “There have been long periods of time where we haven’t been in touch. But we always manage to pick up from where we left off. My daughter and I visited him at his home on Mount Desert Island, Maine, last summer. He took us to Acadia National Park, and he wanted to be sure we saw and enjoyed the beauty of his corner of Maine. We just had an incredible visit with Fred. He’s been a mentor and advocate for so many Lafayette students and alumni.”

Like his father, Benson found a home at Lafayette, although he harbored doubts during first year if he had what it would take to succeed.

“I woke up on a Sunday morning, really nervous, upset. I didn’t feel I was up to it. To be honest with you, I really didn’t think I should be there,” Benson remembers. “I was just overwhelmed by everything going on around me.”

Distraught, he went to Colton Chapel for some self-reflection. He sat quietly in the pew once assigned to his father, who had attended mandatory services there during his era.

“It was dark, early in the morning, and the sun came up and hit a beautiful stained  glass window on the east side of the chapel,” he remembers. “It’s gorgeous glass, and it filled that church with vibrant color. When I sat down in it, I had the feeling my father was there for me. And all of a sudden, everything was all right.”

Lafayette, part of his life’s trilogy

“The most important things in my life, in order, were having been married for 64 years and loved for 71 years by the girl I met in French class in high school, Ann, who just died two years ago. She was my rock, my best friend, a beloved mother to a wonderful son, the best person in the world one could have as a partner,” Benson says. “Second, I give the Army credit for taking a raw guy and teaching him so many skills that apply not only to military life, but civilian life as well. And I’m going to tell you this: number three is Lafayette. My experience there gave me an exceptionally strong start on life.”

Lafayette engenders profound moments and memories, and brings people together.

“Whenever I get to see Pamela, I’m reminded about how meaningful relationships, Lafayette relationships in particular, can change the direction of a person’s life,” Benson says. “Our relationship proves that.”