Benjamin Leonard D’Ooge served as a Professor and head of the Latin Department at Michigan State Normal College from 1886-1936. He was born 10 January 1860 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The son of Leonard and Johanna (nee. Quintus) D’Ooge, immigrants from Holland. His father brought his family to America in 1851, settling in New York for a short time before relocating to western Michigan. His father's family was descended from Huguenot (French Protestants) and his mother was descended from a line of Dutch educators. Professor D’Ooge had two sisters, Jennie and Maria, and an older brother, Martin Luther D’Ooge. Martin D’Ooge’s was also a linguist and head of the University of Michigan’s Latin and Greek Department.

D’Ooge attended Grand Rapids High School and later went on to study at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. D’Ooge worked as a tutor in order to pay his way through college and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1881. His first position was as Principle of Coldwater High School, where he also taught physics and chemistry. D’Ooge returned to the University of Michigan in 1884 to complete his Masters degree and began teaching at the University upon graduation. He was married to Jennie (Jane) Pease on the 25th of June, 1885. The couple moved to Ypsilanti, MI shortly after.

D’Ooge joined the Michigan State Normal School faculty as a professor of latin in 1886. During his employment Professor D’Ooge was an active member of the Stoic Society and founded the Arm of Honor fraternity in 1895, the oldest active local fraternity in the United States. Professor D’Ooge retired from the Normal College in 1936 and in 1938 the Normal College Stoic Society established an academic scholarship in his name.

In addition to his life as an educator Professor D’Ooge was also an avid writer. His book Latin for Beginners was one of the most widely used Latin textbooks in schools across the country. Earnings from his textbooks paid for his family of six to live abroad from 1899 to 1901 while he earned his PhD from the University of Bonn, Germany.

In 1905 Professor D’Ooge and his wife Jennie purchased property at 420 W. Forest Ave, Ypsilanti, MI where they built their family home. Professor D’Ooge lived there until the winter of 1939. The house was purchased by the University in would go on to be incorporated into campus by the University and used through the 1980’s as the Student Placement Center, helping to connect EMU graduates with employers. The house was eventually torn down in 1985 to make room for the Coating Research Institute.

Professor D’Ooge spent the last months of his life with his daughter Helen in Allentown, PA. He fell ill in mid February and died 7 March 1940.