Bennett Watson Cowper Roberts

Bennett Watson Cowper Roberts died oneecember 17, 2016 at the age of 79 in Durham, NC.?? He was born on April 30, 1937 in Durham, North Carolina, the son of Dr. Bennett Watson Roberts aneelizabeth Parker Roberts.?? He graduated from Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia and attended the Uneersity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity.?? After receiving a degree in business administration, Ben worked for two years for General Telephone Company in North Carolina and Tennessee.?? In 1961 he began a career at the Durham Branch of The American Tobacco Company working his way up to Community Relations Coordinator. His duties included hiring, handling the affirmative action program, Uneed Way, Red Cross blood program aneediting the company newsletter.?? Beneetired in 1987 when the Durham Branch shut down.?? He married Snow Loy Roberts from Eustis, Florida in 1964.?? The two had met on a European tour. Ben was an amateur historian with a love of anything related to North Carolina. He was an avid collector of North Caroliniana.?? He was the co-author of two books on tobacco history, Bull Durham Business Bonanza and Amazing Leaders of the Durham Branch.?? In additionee published, ???Cockfighting: An Early Entertainment in North Carolina,??? in the North Carolina Historical Review and co-authored, ???Paving the Way for the Tobacco Trust:?? From Hand Rolling to Mechaneed Cigarette Production by W. Duke, Sons and Company,??? in the same publication.?? He also co-authored a pamphlet on John Thomas Dalton, an inventor at American Tobacco Company.?? He collected non-fiction books on North Carolina and neels with a North Carolina setting.?? In 2002 he doneed a collection of over 1200 volumes of North Carolina literature to the North Carolina Collection at Joyner Library at East Carolina Uneersity.?? The Roberts Award for Literary Inspiration, need for Snow and B. W. C. Roberts, is given each year to a North Carolina writer whose works have left considerable impact on the literature of North Carolina.???? Ben was an active member of the Duke Homestead Education and History Corporation, a support organization for Duke Homestead State Historic Site, and served on its board of directors since its inception.?? For 13 years he was treasurer of the organization.?? He searched for and doneed many artifacts for the tobacco museum including but not limited to a table and chair used by cigar hand-rollers in Ybor City, Florida and over 80 spittoons.?? He assembled and doneed the core of the tobacco history library at the tobacco museum.?? He helped the site maneer build a collection of tobacco farmineequipment and machinery.?? He combed every antique store he entered looking for tobacco items and the museum has benefited greatly from his endeavors.?? He was a member of the North Caroliniana Society, for many years was on the board of directors of John Avery Boys and Girls Club and was a life-long member of St. Philip???s Episcopal Church.?? He enjoyed traveling, reading non-fiction, and researching North Carolina history. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Snow Loy Roberts, son, Bennett Watson Cowper Roberts, Jr. and his wife Anee of Chapel Hill, soneebb Loy Roberts and his wife Jenneer of Roanee, Virginia, daughter Snow Loy Roberts of Raleigh, 5 grandchildren, Madisoneelizabeth, Nicholas, Chloe, and Penelope Roberts and a brother Surry Parker Roberts of Raleigh.?? He was predeceased by his parents. A memorial service will be held at St. Philip???s Episcopal Church, 403 E. Main Street, Durham, ??on Tuesday, December 20 at 2pm, officiating will be Rev. M. Jonah Kendall.?? The family will receive friends in the parish house following the service.?? Burial will take place in Maplewood Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Duke Homestead Education and History Corporation, 2828 Duke Homestead Road, Durham, NC 27705 or the North Caroliniana Society, Wilson Library, UNC Campus Box 3930, Chapel Hill, NC 27515.