A-Ward Winning
Meet Ben Ward,

a professor
rich in talent and heart

By Elizabeth Varughese

(From The Chronicle, January 19, 1998)

BEN WARD sits at his piano, which he has played since he was a youth.
(Photo by Aliza Goldman)

Crammed into Associate Professor of Philosophy Benjamin Ward's tiny living room are
two grand pianos and a fish tank, each almost completely obscured by books and CD's.

"I've started looking for more free space," he admits ruefully. "I stopped counting [my
CD's] at 5,000."

Despite the overwhelming number of CD's, however, Ward can locate any given one.
This organized chaos is actually a fairly accurate representation of his entire lifestyle. His
daily schedule is jammed with an eclectic variety of interests and commitments-in fact, his
intensive community service efforts were recognized on Founder's Day last semester
when he received the Duke Humanitarian Service Award.

The award is given annually by Chapel sponsors to a member of the community who
consistently devotes time to community service. Ward earned the award, in part, for his
dedication to the House of Positive Endings, a community shelter in Durham.

For the past four years, Ward has organized the kitchen and prepared meals at HOPE,
but he still has time for the residents, helping them as a friend rather than as a counselor.
Sadie Jordan, a co-worker at HOPE, considers invaluable the various services Ward
provides for the shelter.

"He helps with [physical] work, spiritual development and even entertainment," she says,
adding proudly, "He plays the piano for us on chili night!"

Her pride is well-founded. This humble venue and Ward's own modesty belie his
reputation-he receives invitations from all across the nation to play at universities and
various prestigious events. So, it is surprising that he does not have any specific degrees in
music; instead, his instinctive talent and passion are responsible for his fame.

"Music is probably the one thing I could not live without," he says. "If I could no longer
play or hear others, it would remove a substantial incentive for living. Music is at the very
core of who I am."

Ward's passion for music began when he started playing the piano at age six. He was
soon performing regularly at the Montgomery Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Alabama.

The minister there was Martin Luther King, Jr.

Coretta, King's wife, sang in the church choir, and young Ward often accompanied her.
From this connection sprang a friendship between the two that has survived through the
years. Ward was often invited to the King residence, so he had the opportunity to
befriend the great leader at the King dinner table.

When Martin Luther King, Jr. won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, Coretta requested
that Ward, who was living in California at the time, come play at the honorary dinner in
Atlanta. He treasures the program from that event, which is emblazoned with the signature
of King himself, as well as a warm greeting from Coretta.

Ward was only 10 years old at the time.

He was also present at King's funeral at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in 1968. By
coincidence, the regular organist was sick and Coretta asked him instead to play at the
momentous event.

Despite his high musical profile and wealth of experience, Ward teaches philosophy at
Duke, not music. This is only one of his many capacities within the University-he works
with a host of student groups, ranging from the Pitchforks to the German Studies
Interdisciplinary Graduate Program. Among a number of other commitments, he also
coordinates the faculty-in-residence programs and is himself the faculty-in-residence of
the Arts Theme House, as well as an associate dean of student development.

In addition to philosophy, Ward has also taught courses in Arabic-one of eight different
languages in which he is fluent, including Greek, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and
German. He was adopted as an infant, and was raised by his parents in an international
setting. Against this backdrop, learning so many different languages was more instinct than
effort for Ward.

"It's different when you grow up with [the languages] and don't really know anything else,
than when you learn them at school," he explains.

Despite the demands of his University commitments, Ward devotes much of his time to
volunteering at shelters such as HOPE. He cooks three or four times a week, mainly
because he enjoys working with his hands.

"I like having a concrete task to perform," he says. Laughing quietly, he adds, "Hopefully
[the dinner] will be nutritious as well as edible."

He notes that this hands-on role as a cook at the shelter is very different from the capacity
in which he is involved with University life.

"[The different roles] complement each other well; they are mutually enriching," he says,
adding that he wouldn't be as happy as a counselor at HOPE because it would be too
similar to his work at the University.

Although Ward neither expects nor desires recognition, the people who know him best
can't help but extol his generosity and boundless energy. "He's a marvelous individual,"
Jordan says. "The world needs about a million more of him... you know, if they're going
to clone someone, they should clone him."

This sort of admiration illustrates the impact that Ward makes in the lives of others, and
validates the recognition of his work with the Humanitarian Service Award. Although he
admits he is "very pleased" with the recognition, he hopes the award will focus attention
less on himself, and more on the shelter and community service in general.

And in fitting testimony to his modesty and priorities, the award sits unobtrusively on his
piano bench, buried underneath his books and his music.