Ben was a "rebel." He was the best pole valuter we had ever had up to that time. He was nationally ranked. The football coach at the time (don't remember his name) was a little conservative and required all members of the sports teams to have very short hair. Ben had long golden locks and he would not cut his hair. So he was not allowed to pole vault for La Canada. That left me to be the "star" although I wasn't anywhere near as talented as Ben was. He valuted for whatever the national high school track group was at the time and I believe was ultimately rated 5th or 6th in the nation but wasn't able to valut for LCHS because of his hair. As many of you will remember, ultimately we rebeled and got the dress code changed considerably and one of the things that eventually changed was the ability for the men to grow their hair longer.
Here is Ben's obituary. Ben was my kinda-cousin: His father Win is married to my mother's cousin Sylvia. Syl and Win were very touched by Ross's remembrance of Ben on this page, and Sylvia added the following: "When the coach asked him to cut his hair and he refused, it was suggested (instead of the pony tail Ben had) that he wear a wig, which he declined to do."
Bennett DeWitt Goulden, 3/10/53 -6/9/10
Track and Field magazine ranked Ben third in the nation in High School Decatholon his senior year.
He graduated Colorado State University and remained in Colorado for many years. He owned his own business in the late 80's & 90's, Gunbarrel Fire & Safety, supplying fire trucks and equipment to that western region. Bennett was a fine musician, played guitar and wrote many songs. Ben and his life-long high school friend, John Hatch, who also played guitar and wrote songs, recorded many of their original songs, calling themselves "Johnny and the Liberators."
Ben was a gifted athlete and played baseball all through his life, winning numerous MVP awards; and
he was an avid, daredevil skier. He moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico around 2004, and was able to play a few gigs with his younger brother, Jim, singing and playing guitar together...that band was called "Charlie's Ghost." Named after Ben's dog Charlie, a bassett hound, who had a sister named Rusty. Ben loved his Bassetts and when they were gone, adopted another, Mordecai, who remained Ben's best friend until the end of his life. At the end Ben was working as the Night Auditor at Encantado Resort in Tesuque, NM, where they honored him with a lovely memorial remembrance. He died of heart failure at age 57.
Ross Rankin
Ben was a "rebel." He was the best pole valuter we had ever had up to that time. He was nationally ranked. The football coach at the time (don't remember his name) was a little conservative and required all members of the sports teams to have very short hair. Ben had long golden locks and he would not cut his hair. So he was not allowed to pole vault for La Canada. That left me to be the "star" although I wasn't anywhere near as talented as Ben was. He valuted for whatever the national high school track group was at the time and I believe was ultimately rated 5th or 6th in the nation but wasn't able to valut for LCHS because of his hair. As many of you will remember, ultimately we rebeled and got the dress code changed considerably and one of the things that eventually changed was the ability for the men to grow their hair longer.
Michelle McGrath (Wolfson)