A Salute to the Bennion Family - The College of Education

Milton Bennion Hall, named after the second dean of the U of U School of Education, was originally dedicated in March 1960 with the addition of the east-west wing completed in 1962 at a cost of $750,000. The building was very appropriately named for Milton Bennion who served as Dean of the School of Education for 28 years. Milton Bennion and the Bennion Family will be forever tied to the history and the future of the College of Education. His sons, Lowell and M. Lynn Bennion, were prominent Utah educators and religious leaders. Lowell Bennion was the first Director of the LDS Institute of Religion, and served as UofU Associate Dean of Students and Professor of Sociology from 1962 to 1972. The Lowell L. Bennion Center for Community Service at the University of Utah bears him name. M. Lynn Bennion was a prominent LDS Church historian and author, as well as Superintendent of the Salt Lake City School District. The M. Lynn Bennion Elementary School bears his name. Grandson John Bennion, currently a member of the College of Education Advancement Board and former Clinical Professor in Educational Administration, served as Utah Superintendent of Schools and as superindent for three school districts (including Salt Lake City and Provo).

Dean Bennion was well known for his Socratic teaching style and his keen interest in personal and social ethics and character education. His vision was at the heart of the origins of the School of Education and its expansion into four departments in 1921: Educational Administration, Secondary Education, Elementary Education and Rural Education.

A Salute to Milton Bennion and the Bennion Family

IN THIS ISSUE