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| Affiliation | Democratic |
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1955-01-01 |
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| Name | Ben Bezoff |
| Address |
Denver, Colorado , United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
April 18, 1914
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| Died | December 30, 1979
(65 years)
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| Contributor | BrentinCO |
| Last Modifed | BrentinCO
Apr 29, 2019 09:27pm |
| Tags |
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| Info | The son of Russian immigrants, Ben Bezoff was born in Denver on April 18, 1914. He attended Denver public schools and graduated from North High School at the age of 16. He continued his education at the University of Colorado, but soon transferred to the University of Wisconsin to study drama.
Bezoff returned to Denver in the early 1930s and attempted to find work as an actor. After a role in the Central City Opera Association’s production of “Othello” in 1934, he went to New York in search of better opportunities. He returned to Denver in 1935 and started a career in radio. His radio career began as a soap opera actor for KLZ. For a short time, he worked for KOA, but returned to Oklahoma City where he was the news and special events director for WKY until 1941. During his tenure at WKY, he developed a friendship with subordinate Walter Cronkite. After leaving Oklahoma City, he worked in the state of New York for a brief period.
Once again, Bezoff returned to Denver. He was named as the news department director and chief announcer for radio station KMYR. During World War II, he was regional director for the Office of War Information and a war correspondent in Europe. At the end of the war, Bezoff resumed his work at KMYR as assistant station manager. While in that position, he became widely known for his commentary on political developments in Colorado. Responding to a challenge from one of his listeners, he successfully campaigned for a seat in the Colorado House of Representatives in 1946. He was re-elected in 1948 and was chosen Majority Floor Leader for the 1949-1950 biennium. Following the death of Speaker Pat Magill, Jr., in 1949, Bezoff was elected Speaker for the 1950 extraordinary session.
In 1950, Bezoff won election to the Colorado Senate. He made an unsuccessful bid for his party’s gubernatorial nomination in 1952. Choosing not to run for re-election in 1954, Bezoff instead became public relations director and lobbyist for the Colorado Motor Carriers Association. He continued in that capacity until 1959.
From 1947 to 1966, Bezoff also ran his own advertising agency. He dissolved the agency in 1966, when Denver’s Mayor Thomas Currigan named him chairman of the Commission on Community Relations and director of information at Stapleton International Airport. In 1971, he was named administrative aide to Denver’s Mayor William McNichols and continued in that office until he resigned because of health reasons in 1976. Bezoff died on December 30, 1979, in Denver.
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