Clippings from George S. Benson

. Be_nson Finds Way to. Open Door · . ~yJon Woodroof The decision to devote his life to God came early i~ the life of Dr. George S. Benson, president of Harding College for 29 !ears and founder-president of the National Education Program. "I decided when I was still in high school that I was going to devote my entire life to the work of the Lord," said Benson. "I didn't know where or what it w~uld be, but I knew that was what I was gomg to do. · "I~ college I began reading and studying to decide what I wanted to do " he continued "and I deci"ded . . ' • mission work was the most needy field. We didn't h,ave at that time as many missionaries as I v,: got fingers on my hands. I started reading books to decide what country I'd go to, and I found we had no mission work in China, yet nearly one-fourth of the world's population was there. So I decided that was the place most needed." Benson left for China in September 1925, c~mpletely unprepared for the compl~xity_of s~r~ding the_ good news of well-educated person. Now he is able to– start a little school, take in students, and charge them tuition. "N~w he is an educator, a quite P?Pular guy, receiving his income from his students, and teaching them about the God of the heavens. He isn't talking about foreigners at all, and con– sequ:ntly, he's soon baptizing people. Thats the way we worked in China." _Al~hough he had committed his life to m1ss1on work, Benson left China in July 1936 .after being selected president of ~ardmg College. The decision was dif~kult, Benson said, but while in Chma; t_he_ Bensons had been joined by othe_r m1ss10nary families: Mr. and Mrs. Lew~s Oldham, Mr. and Mrs. Lowell D~v1s, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Whitfield, and Miss Bernard. At on.. R'l R .. nc:nn ..... 11 n.o•n..01nc: ,:i,n a Haiding University c~~7o:n IB lJtL.Em1·N· Chinese Embassy and their them ged , I • mathema . 1 • of a fourth . . enter the Bi fqur more ye~~ DECEMBER 1981 counhJ'. where 80 perce~t ~ftlthfiier"op~eooipnlie'e--,~~~~--~~------- can neither read nor write is a pretty George Benson; he has been doing it a long time. Dr . Benson • IS NEP president When, in 1936, Dr. George Ben::;on ret urned to America to become President of Har– ding Colleg e, he was surpris– , ed to obs erve the changed psychology of the American people. Hi s 11 years in the Orient and observations and ·studies in Europe had in– begun to create. Within a few years various services of NEP were reac hing an estimated 25 million Americans, and th e program has steadily grow n in reach and effectiveness. Freedoms Foundation at Va lley Forge has conferred mo re awards upon the Program than on any other organ ization or group in Amer ica :, .v: The.. OJ-•..- - America; in .recent years he has revisited the Far East, the Middle East, South Africa, Europe and Scan– dinavia. He has excellent contacts in Washington, on The Hill and throughout the Federal establishment. Benson's extra-ordinary interest in man's welfare and higher rt,,.~ ..- • sundaJ, At that time he founded the Forth Worth Freedom Education Center, award– winning citizenship training program. In 1975 ttle Center was moved to the campus of orthwood Institute, C~dar Hill, Texas , where for six years he was - DP!:'."' - . creased h is appreciation of personal freedom. Back home, it seemed to him·that Americans had lost their desire for freedom an tbpir faith jp_ th.-'- NuU\bef r2s C 1· t 1· ff e 1_2sth Jear, @ 12) n ; ly ., ... wP•"'"";•~~,.A11•" n .,I;;. c- ,,,i"""'''e 1sECTIOtl '4 pp.GES _ · . . ,~ A•._A,.sA• _ ,~ars, as Chancell~r ·~i se._tt ' · · C 11 _ ~dc:11· nation, Oklahoma Christian o ege _ ..,.,caK out. Subsequently he was asked to do a newspaper column for six weekly papers. Then requests came for a radio program on the "American Way of Life." He attracted national attention with "horse sense" economy-in– g over nmen t testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee, leading to articles in the Saturday Evening Post and other na– tional publications. The Na– tional Education Program was formed to take care of the expanding "market" for citizenship education which his crusading efforts had _ ..., c1ssure the continuation for 10 years and is presently . of the American system and serving a~ chancellor of the individual freedom and Alabama Christian CollegE:. great economic opportunity Serving as assistant to the it provides for all," he noted. president is Kenneth W. Dr. Benson, ~he President Ryker who has been actively and Executive Director of engaged in freedom educa- NEP, is one of the most tion efforts since retiring traveled commentators in from the Air Force in 1963.