Major Benjamin Coxson

Major Benjamin Coxson (commonly known as “Major” or “The Maj”) was a conspicuous and complex figure in Philadelphia–area life during the 1960s and early 1970s. Public accounts describe him as an entrepreneur and sometime political candidate who moved easily between community activism, nightlife entrepreneurship, and high-profile public life. He co‑owned a Philadelphia nightclub and was visible in civic circles; contemporaneous reporting and later historical accounts note that he ran for mayor of Camden, New Jersey, in 1972 and cultivated friendships and acquaintances that reached into sports and entertainment.

Those who wrote about Coxson described him as flamboyant in style — a man who favored expensive cars and public displays that made him widely recognized in the neighborhoods where he lived and worked. He also appears in historical accounts as someone who drew broad attention: community members, political observers, journalists, and later historians have all noted the public profile he maintained. Published histories and contemporaneous press notice both his involvement with local civic figures and the controversial aspects of his life that were part of the public record.

Coxson’s funeral arrangements were widely covered at the time, which underlines how many people and institutions paid attention when he died. Reporting from June 1973 describes large processions and many mourners arriving for services in the Philadelphia area, a sign that his presence touched many lives in different ways — from family and friends to neighbors and acquaintances who knew him for his public persona.

Though public sources focus on the circumstances surrounding his death, it is important on a remembrance page to recall the human details recorded about his life: a man who engaged with his community, sought a place in civic life by running for office, and whose prominent style made him a memorable presence in neighborhoods between Philadelphia and Camden. Whatever controversies or unanswered questions appear in the record, Major Benjamin Coxson was a person with ties, relationships, and a public life that mattered to many. This page honors the fact of that life and the people who remember him.