Benjamin Mc Kinley Givens, Jr. was born on 15 August 1925 in York, York County, Pennsylvania. His parents were Gertrude Elizabeth Seacrist and Benjamin McKinley Givens, Sr. He received his primary education, and lived in York, York County, Pennsylvania until leaving for WW II service 07 December 1943. He lived at: 457 Walnut St., 08/25 to __/30; 442 E. Prospect St., __/30 to __/39; 1002 S. Pine St., __/39 to __/42; 134 E. Philadelphia St., __/42 to __/42; 23 N. Albermarle St., __/42 to 12/43,and, 4/46 to 9/46. He attended the following public schools, Noell Elementary, Hannah Penn Jr. High and William Penn Sr. High, graduating June 1943.

For two years during World War II he was a fire-controlman aboard the battleship U.S.S. Indiana (BB-58) operating with fast carrier groups of the Third and Fifth Fleets in the South Pacific, and taking part in the bombardments and invasions of the Palau Islands, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, and the bombardments of the Japanese Home Islands. He was awarded five battle stars. He received an Honorable Discharge on 20 April 1946.

On 23 June 1951 he married Kathryn Eileen Zaehringer at Saint Augustine RC Church, Bridgeport, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

His son David Paul was born on 05 July 1960 at Hospital, Williamsport, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania.

He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh 07 September 1949, with a B.S.in Civil Engineering and began a fifteen year career with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania starting as a Bridge Inspector with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. He transferred to the Highway Department, where he was Assistant Director of the Bureau of Advance Planning and later the Bureau of Economic Research and Programming, the Pittsburgh District Engineer, and lastly as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Transportation. This was interupted in 1956-57 to obtain a M.S. in Transportation Engineering from Yale University.

While employed with various nationally known consulting firms including Brown & Blauvelt; DeLeuw, Cather; Tippetts, Abbett, McCarthy, Stratton; Richardson Gordon and Associates, and Daniel, Mann, Johnson and Mendenhall he was responsible for the design of sections of the Interstate Highway System in Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. For two years (1976-1978) he was seconded by the World Bank as Senior Transportation Advisor to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Subsequently, he directed and coordinated the Syrian National Transport Study. While employed by the Disaster Response and Recovery Directorate of the Federal Emergency Management Agency he participated in the response and recovery operations after the eruption of Mount Saint Helens in State of Washington; and was a member of the multi-agency team that conducted the survey, analysis and feasibility of possible sites in Puerto Rico for the relocation and resettlement of refugees from the Marel Boat Lift Exdous. Later, he served as the Chief Engineer for the National Steel Pipe Association and was the President and CEO of Givens Engineering, Inc. Consulting Engineers and Planners of Pittsburgh, PA and Vienna, VA. He retired in January 1988.

After his service in WWII he lived at: ___________, Wilkinsburg, PA, 9/46 to 6/47; 252 Dithridge St., Pittsburgh 13, PA, 6/47 to 9/48; 4737 Maripoe St., Pittsburgh 13, PA, 9/48 to 9/49; _____ Haws Ave., Norristown, PA, 10/49 to __/__; Rooming house, Trenton, NJ, __/__ to 6/51; 2nd flr., 1189 Parkside Avenue, Trenton, NJ 6/51 to __/__; 474 Hanover St., Trenton, NJ, __/__ to __/__; 143 Dennison Ave., Wyoming, PA, __/__ to 9/56; 342 Crown St., New Haven, CN, 9/56 to 6/57; Oakwood Apts., Woodbury, NJ, 6/57 to 1/59; 1915 Chatham Dr., Camp Hill, PA 17011, 1/59 to 1/60; 1824 Pine St., Camp Hill, PA 17011, 1/60 to 7/67; 106 E. Highland Dr., McMurray, PA 15317, 7/67 to 3/68; 2442 Cortland Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15241, 3/68 to 6/75; 2227 McChesney Ct., Vienna, VA 22181, 6/75 to Present.

He is a Fellow-Life Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, a Fellow-Life Member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers, and a Senior-Life Member of the American Society of Highway Engineers. He was a member of the National Transportation Research Board, (a division of the National Academy of Sciences), American Institute of Planners, Society of American Military Engineers, American Society for Testing and Material, American Assocation of State Highway and Transportation Officials, American Society for Public Administration, American Public Works Association, and The Washington Road Gang. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania, and is holder of U.S. Patent No. 3,808,085 for Concrete Structural Member Utilizing Fibrous Concrete, also patented in ten other countries.

In retirement he is compiling a 1,924 person genealogy for the GIVENS and related families; and is the Scribe for the USS Indiana Reunion Association. He also designed, researched, and is compiling a 33 item database for the 5653 men who served on the USS Indiana (BB-58). He also designed, edits, maintains, and is the the webmeister of nine web sites.

Also See:
War Diary of Benjamin M. Givens, Jr.
Journal of Benjamin M. Givens, Jr.

Occupation: Civil Engineer & Planner
Politics: Republican
Hobbies: Genealogy, PC Computing, Stamps
Membership: In addition to the professional organizations listed above; National Genealogical Society, Historical Society of York County (PA), York County (PA) Heritage Trust, Fairfax (VA) Genealogical Society, Roots User Group of Arlington, VA
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Black & Grey
Handedness (L/R): R

Last Updated 30 May 2001

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