Ben’s early life began in a log cabin in the Missouri Ozarks. For 8 years he attended one-room schools in the neighborhood. After graduating from West Plains High School, he worked as a tool and die maker and jig builder for the Boeing aircraft company in Wichita, Kansas. Three years later, he enrolled at Southwest Missouri State College in Springfield, Missouri and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in American history. He then earned a master’s degree at Oklahoma State University. In 1964, he received his PhD in American History from the University of Maryland.
He taught at the University of Montana for 5 years before accepting a professorship at the University of Nebraska in 1967. His major teachings were in intellectual, social and cultural American history and research seminars for graduate students. He served as chair of the History department from 1985 to 1992. UNL named him as a James Sellers Professor of History in 1995. During retirement he continued to write and teach courses for OLLI, a life-long learning program.
Ben’s writings include. American Ways, a text, American Sports: From the Age of Folk Games to the Age of Televised Sports, 9 editions, and Baseball: A History of America’s Game, 4 editions. In 2017, while in retirement, he completed Down on Mahans Creek: A History of an Ozarks Neighborhood. He recently published a collection of stories about his Ozark experiences entitled “When Grandpa Delivered Babies and other Ozark Vignettes”.
Rader’s enjoyed writing, reading for pleasure, travel, and eating out with friends. He was a dedicated tennis player until his illness.
Ben is survived by his wife, Barbara, daughter and son-in-law Anne Rader and Ken Gatter, of Portland, Oregon, his loving grandchildren Alex Gatter and Aidan Gatter of Portland, Oregon, and Ariella Rader of Boston, Massachusetts. Also, his sisters Ada Cochran (Mike), Alice (Danny) and brother, Howard Rader. He was preceded in death by his brothers Mike and Leslie.
There will be a Celebration of Life at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 20, 2026, at Ropers and Sons South Chapel (3950 Hohensee Dr, Lincoln, NE 68516).
Memorials are designated to the UNL History Department Discretionary Fund for the University of Nebraska – Lincoln (https://nufoundation.org/fund/01025860/). This fund permits the department to allocate resources to specific areas of need. A gift to this fund will provide assistance to undergraduate and graduate students, enrichment of department programming, and greater support of research activity.