Benjamin E. Latham

Benjamin Erwin Latham was born in Belle Fourche, SD on April 7th, 1971. His father, Erwin Latham, was a rancher and community activist, and his mother, Shirley (Rowley) Latham, was an entrepreneur and business owner, as well as a housewife. Both of his parents encouraged his participation in the arts. His father had been a gifted amateur actor in community productions and his mother was a clarinet player playing in the world famous Belle Fourche Cowboy Band. Latham was raised on the family ranch north of Camp Crook, SD and attended elementary and high school in Harding County Schools. He had an early passion for music and theatre. The acting bug bite him early in life, as he first appeared as an evil wizard in a church play when he was 10 years old. To entertain themselves, Latham and his little sister would record radio plays developed from comic books on their brother's tape recorder. He appeared in several community and school productions throughout his school years, receiving his