The Philolexian Society of Columbia University
Ben Stein
The deadpan in Ferris Bueller's Day Off; Win Ben Stein's Money; Nixon speechwriter.
From Notable Alumni · Foundation editorial
The deadpan in Ferris Bueller's Day Off; Win Ben Stein's Money; Nixon speechwriter. Ben Stein (CC 1966) is the rare Philolexian who is recognizable by his deadpan, since the deadpan starred in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, hosted Win Ben Stein's Money for five years (seven Daytime Emmys), and previously wrote speeches for Richard Nixon. The Columbia degree is in economics; the Yale degree in law; the cultural footprint is in monotone. Anyone? Anyone? Author of 16+ books, professor of law at Pepperdine University, actor (Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Wonder Years), host of Win Ben Stein's Money; former speechwriter and lawyer under President Richard Nixon.
Vital
- Full name
- Ben Stein
Columbia & the Society
- Columbia
- Class of 1966 (Columbia College)
Works (67)
- 1977 On the Brink · Non-fiction, with Herbert Stein (father)
- 1978 Dreemz · New York: Harper & Row, 1978
- 1978 The Croesus Conspiracy · New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978
- 1979 Fantasy and culture on television · Society
- 1979 Moneypower · Personal-finance non-fiction, with Herbert Stein (father)
- 1979 The View from Sunset Boulevard · Non-fiction
- 1982 Ludes: A Ballad of the Drug and the Dream · Novel
- 1983 Bunkhouse Logic: How Successful People Win · Self-help
- 1983 The Manhattan Gambit · Garden City: Doubleday, 1983
- 1986 Mechanical and electrical equipment for buildings
- 1988 The Boost · Screenplay, with Darryl Ponicsan
- 1990 Murder in Mississippi · Original concept/story credit
- 1992 A License to Steal: The Untold Story of Michael Milken and the Conspiracy to Bilk the Nation · Simon & Schuster
- 1996 Building technology
- 1998 Tommy and Me: The Making of a Dad · Memoir
- 2001 Stein, Herbert (27 August 1916–08 September 1999), economist and policy advisor · American National Biography Online
- 2002 How to Ruin Your Life · Comic self-help
- 2003 Acoustic microscopy in medicine · Physics Today
- 2003 How to Ruin Your Love Life · Comic self-help
- 2003 Yes, You Can Time the Market! · Personal finance, with Phil DeMuth
- 2004 Can America Survive? · Political/economic commentary
- 2004 How to Ruin Your Financial Life · Comic self-help
- 2004 “Everybody’s Business” column · Semi-monthly New York Times Sunday Business column
- 2005 Bunkhouse logic
- 2005 Early detection of Alzheimer’s disease · Physics Today
- 2005 The Gift of Peace: Guideposts on the Road to Serenity · Inspirational/self-help
- 2006 26 Steps to Succeed in Hollywood… or Any Other Business · Career/self-help
- 2006 Yes, You Can Be a Successful Income Investor! · Personal finance, with Phil DeMuth
- 2006 Yes, You Can Get a Financial Life! · Personal finance, with Phil DeMuth
- 2006 Yes, You Can Still Retire Comfortably! · Personal finance, with Phil DeMuth
- 2007 Obituary of Daniel R Raichel · Physics Today
- 2007 Relationship between vaccine vial monitors and cold chain infrastructure in a rural district of India · Rural and Remote Health
- 2007 Rubber Theory Fits without a Stretch · Focus
- 2007 The Real Stars: In Today’s America, Who Are the True Heroes? · Essay collection, drawn from his newspaper columns
- 2008 Careers in Science Writing · AIP Conference Proceedings
- 2008 Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed · Co-writer and on-screen host
- 2008 How to Ruin the United States of America · Political commentary
- 2008 Yes, You Can Supercharge Your Portfolio! · Personal finance, with Phil DeMuth
- 2009 German for physicists · Physics World
- 2009 Oxidation of Polyethylene: A Comparison of Plasma and Ultraviolet Ozone Processing Techniques
- 2010 The Little Book of Bulletproof Investing · Personal finance, with Phil DeMuth
- 2011 The Little Book of Alternative Investments · Personal finance, with Phil DeMuth
- 2011 What Would Ben Stein Do? Applying the Wisdom of a Modern-Day Prophet to Tackle the Challenges of Work and Life · Essay/advice collection
- 2012 Delivering science to the public · Physics Today
- 2017 The Capitalist Code: It Can Save Your Life and Make You Very Rich · Investing/economics
- 2019 Teaching middle school physics in Observer-dependence approach: pedagogical and curricular aspects · Journal of Physics: Conference Series
- 2021 The World According to Ben Stein: Wit, Wisdom & Even More Wit · Essay/commentary collection
- 2022 Use Ping Wisely: A Study of Team Communication and Performance under Lean Affordance · ACM Transactions on Social Computing
- 2023 Designing and assessing a community-engaged digital enablement program: a Case Study · The 11th International Conference on Communities and Technologies (C&T)
- 2023 The Concept of Observer in Science Teaching in Middle School: Pre-Instructional Knowledge as a Lever for Learning rather than an Obstacle · Education Sciences
- 2023 The Peacemaker: Nixon — The Man, President, and My Friend · Memoir, intro. by John R. Coyne
- 1966 Besser Als Stephen King
- 1966 Capitalist Code, The
- 1966 Eyes of Faith
- 1966 Gift of Peace
- 1966 How Successful People Win
- 1966 How to Really Ruin Your Financial Life and Portfolio
- 1966 How to ruin your life Die Kunst des stilvollen Versagens
- 1966 Little Benny Piggy in Courage for the Win
- 1966 Matter and Energy, Second Edition
- 1966 Mein Weg Nach Ganz Oben
- 1966 Peacemaker
- 1966 Planetary Motion, Second Edition
- 1966 Real Stars
- 1966 Tommy and Me
- 1966 What Would Ben Stein Do
- 1966 World According to Ben Stein
Primary sources
Columbia College Today & other articles
Columbia College Today — vol. 43 (2002), Philolexian bicentennial dinner report
Vinciguerra also read congratulatory letters from Philo alumni Ben Stein '66 (see page 16) and Ted Hoffmann '44, who could not attend the dinner.
One of two Philo alumni whose congratulatory letters were read aloud at the bicentennial dinner by Thomas Vinciguerra.
Columbia College Today — vol. 38 (~1998), 'The benefits of fraternity' by Ben Stein '66
First-person essay by Ben Stein '66 about his College years and Alpha Delta Phi fraternity. The article's bio note at the end explicitly identifies him as 'a Philolexian.' Also documents his life since Columbia: 16-book author, Pepperdine law professor, actor (Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Wonder Years), host of Win Ben Stein's Money, former speechwriter/lawyer for Nixon.
The Foundation's research archive
other_printed (philolexian roll of members 1963-2021)
Benjamin J. Stein · Confidence: CERTAIN
External references
Community-maintained record
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