George S. Benson
Encyclopedia
George Stuart Benson was a missionary to China
, 1925–36; founder and principal, Canton Bible School, 1933–1936; president, Harding College, 1936–1965; chancellor, Oklahoma Christian University
, 1956-1967.
, 1931. He received several honorary doctorates including those from Harding University, 1932; Knox College (Illinois), 1948; and Oklahoma Christian University, 1968.
for eleven years, 1925-1936. The Communists forced him out of China in 1936, an experience which led him to adopt as his life's mission opposition to socialism
and communism
. Early in his career as president of Harding College, he established on campus the National Education Program (NEP) to pursue these ends, working closely with Harding professor James D. Bales
. Conducting a broad range of activities, including a film series, and both a nationally syndicated newspaper column and radio show by Benson, its activities reached many millions of Americans. As a result of these activities, Harding and the NEP were widely known for an association with patriotism and free-enterprise information
in America. This represented a dramatic turn from the anti-political and pacifist values of founding influences James A. Harding
and David Lipscomb
. Naturally, this nationalism resonated both with its proponents and its opponents. About this time, Harding College also received its first substantial national opposition and criticism in the news media, much of it in association with criticism of the movement supporting the Barry Goldwater
campaign.
Benson influenced nationalist agendas at other Church of Christ-related institutions also. The American Studies Institute at Abilene Christian College
and the American Citizenship Center at Oklahoma Christian University
were among the programs initially modeled on his work at Harding with the NEP. Following his resignation from the presidency of Harding in 1965, he continued to assist in the development of several other Church of Christ-related institutions, including Oklahoma Christian University, Lubbock Christian College
, Alabama Christian College (Now Faulkner University
), and George Pepperdine College
. Benson also exerted a significant influence on the political culture of Churches of Christ. While some Churches of Christ saw this as a favorable development, others saw it as an abandonment of early values, and this conservative and nationalistic emphasis received substantial criticism beginning in the mid-60s.
Buildings are named in his honor at Harding University
, Freed Hardeman University, Faulkner University, and Oklahoma Christian University. The George Benson Christian College http://www.zambiamission.org/schools.html is located in Zambia
, Africa on the Namwianga Mission
site.
(http://www.oc.edu/ochistory/view.asp?ID=George_S._Benson)
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, 1925–36; founder and principal, Canton Bible School, 1933–1936; president, Harding College, 1936–1965; chancellor, Oklahoma Christian University
Oklahoma Christian University
Oklahoma Christian University is a private comprehensive coeducational Christian liberal arts university founded in 1950 by members of the churches of Christ. OC is located on a campus in Oklahoma City. Enrollment for the fall 2011 semester numbered 2,194, which included 1,854 undergraduate and...
, 1956-1967.
Education
Graduated in first class of Harper College, 1923; B.A., Harding College, 1925; B.S., Oklahoma A&M University, 1925; M.A., University of ChicagoUniversity of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, 1931. He received several honorary doctorates including those from Harding University, 1932; Knox College (Illinois), 1948; and Oklahoma Christian University, 1968.
Career
George S. Benson started his career of religious and political education as a missionary to ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
for eleven years, 1925-1936. The Communists forced him out of China in 1936, an experience which led him to adopt as his life's mission opposition to socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
. Early in his career as president of Harding College, he established on campus the National Education Program (NEP) to pursue these ends, working closely with Harding professor James D. Bales
James D. Bales
James David Bales was an influential Bible professor and administrator at Harding University for almost 40 years...
. Conducting a broad range of activities, including a film series, and both a nationally syndicated newspaper column and radio show by Benson, its activities reached many millions of Americans. As a result of these activities, Harding and the NEP were widely known for an association with patriotism and free-enterprise information
Information
Information in its most restricted technical sense is a message or collection of messages that consists of an ordered sequence of symbols, or it is the meaning that can be interpreted from such a message or collection of messages. Information can be recorded or transmitted. It can be recorded as...
in America. This represented a dramatic turn from the anti-political and pacifist values of founding influences James A. Harding
James A. Harding
James Alexander Harding was an early influential leader in the Churches of Christ.Several schools are named after Harding: Harding University in Searcy, AR, Harding Academy , Harding Academy , and Harding University Graduate School of Religion in Memphis.Harding helped David Lipscomb, another...
and David Lipscomb
David Lipscomb
Lipscomb's beliefs on government can be classified as a radical theory of religious freedom, classical liberalism, even potentially consistent with fundamental positions of Anarcho-primitivism. Lipscomb believed in creating a peaceful, cooperative, decentralized communion in which freedom,...
. Naturally, this nationalism resonated both with its proponents and its opponents. About this time, Harding College also received its first substantial national opposition and criticism in the news media, much of it in association with criticism of the movement supporting the Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
campaign.
Benson influenced nationalist agendas at other Church of Christ-related institutions also. The American Studies Institute at Abilene Christian College
Abilene Christian University
Abilene Christian University is a private university located in Abilene, Texas, affiliated with Churches of Christ. ACU was founded in 1906, as Childers Classical Institute...
and the American Citizenship Center at Oklahoma Christian University
Oklahoma Christian University
Oklahoma Christian University is a private comprehensive coeducational Christian liberal arts university founded in 1950 by members of the churches of Christ. OC is located on a campus in Oklahoma City. Enrollment for the fall 2011 semester numbered 2,194, which included 1,854 undergraduate and...
were among the programs initially modeled on his work at Harding with the NEP. Following his resignation from the presidency of Harding in 1965, he continued to assist in the development of several other Church of Christ-related institutions, including Oklahoma Christian University, Lubbock Christian College
Lubbock Christian University
Lubbock Christian University is a private Christian university associated with the Churches of Christ located in Lubbock, Texas, in the United States. It was established in 1957. A fall 2011 count showed 2,038 students enrolled at Lubbock Christian University, of which 422 are graduate students...
, Alabama Christian College (Now Faulkner University
Faulkner University
Faulkner University is a private Christian university, located in Montgomery, Alabama, USA, and affiliated with the Church of Christ. The University was founded in 1942 as Montgomery Bible School. In 1953 the school's name was changed to Alabama Christian College . In 1965, the college was moved to...
), and George Pepperdine College
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
. Benson also exerted a significant influence on the political culture of Churches of Christ. While some Churches of Christ saw this as a favorable development, others saw it as an abandonment of early values, and this conservative and nationalistic emphasis received substantial criticism beginning in the mid-60s.
Buildings are named in his honor at Harding University
Harding University
Harding University is located in Searcy, Arkansas, in the United States, about north-east of Little Rock. It is a private liberal arts Christian university associated with the Churches of Christ. The university takes its name from James A...
, Freed Hardeman University, Faulkner University, and Oklahoma Christian University. The George Benson Christian College http://www.zambiamission.org/schools.html is located in Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
, Africa on the Namwianga Mission
Namwianga Mission
The Namwianga Mission was established in 1920 in Kalomo, Zambia under the Churches of Christ with the purpose of teaching the Bible and promoting Christianity....
site.
Honors
Benson was a recipient of the Tax Foundation's Distinguished Service Award in 1941 http://www.taxfoundation.org/events/printer/46.html. Dr. Benson was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1972 http://www.oklahomaheritage.com/HallofFame/ByName/tabid/89/Default.aspx and to the Oklahoma State University Hall of Fame in 1976 http://orangeconnection.org/s/860/index-blue.aspx?pgid=364&gid=1.External links
- Oklahoma Christian University History Through The Ages - George Benson
(http://www.oc.edu/ochistory/view.asp?ID=George_S._Benson)
- The War We Are In, Part 2 - Televised speech by Dr. Benson
- Knox College Honorary Doctorate Recipients http://www.knox.edu/x12330.xm
- Burial site http://www.therestorationmovement.com/benson.htm
- Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=3495