18 Facts About Ben Masel

Ben Masel, who was known for his Yippie theatrics and anti-war and pro-labor activism, was born in the Bronx, grew up in New Jersey, and in 1971 relocated to Madison, where he became a fixture of the Wisconsin political scene for 40 years.

Ben Masel, who was born in New York in 1954 and grew up in New Jersey, became involved with the Youth International Party when he was a teenager, earning him the distinction of being the youngest person on Nixon's Enemies List.

Ben Masel was arrested during the Yippie protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Ben Masel attended the University of Wisconsin briefly before being expelled for his involvement in demonstrations.

Ben Masel organized the demonstration to support Beal, and after that it became an annual event.

Ben Masel was a reporter for The Yipster Times, a newspaper of the Youth International Party, or Yippies.

In 1985, Ben Masel co-authored Blacklisted News: Secret Histories from Chicago, '68 to 1984, a comprehensive history of the Youth International Party.

Ben Masel published the underground newspaper Zenger from 1987 to 1993.

Until his death, Ben Masel maintained online political action blogs and petitions at Myspace, Facebook, and alternative media sites.

In 1990, Ben Masel ran against Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson in the Republican primary.

Ben Masel challenged US Senator Herb Kohl in the Democratic primary in 2006 and got over 50,000 votes.

At the time he was diagnosed with cancer in 2011, Ben Masel was again seeking the Wisconsin Democratic Party endorsement for US senator.

Ben Masel got a $95,000 settlement from Sauk County, Wisconsin, after police officers wearing body armor arrested about a dozen Weedstock festival-goers, including Masel, who refused an order to vacate the grounds after being told the festival could not be held on a private field there, in 2000.

Ben Masel agreed to accept $7,500 from the state of Wisconsin to dismiss the appeal.

Ben Masel was named High Times' Freedom Fighter of the Month in August, 2011.

Ben Masel underwent a series of radiation treatments and was given steroids to aid his breathing, but became too weak to undergo chemotherapy.

Ben Masel, who did not have health insurance, died in a hospice, surrounded by friends and family, on April 30,2011.

Ben Masel is survived by his daughter, Semilla Anderson, and granddaughter, Anandi.