Pryor Scrapbook Clippings, 1955-1980

- . George Stuart Bens~n wlll celebra~e his &Qth' birthday Tuesday. . · Harding College will honor him with a party In his honor·. Typical of · , his work ~s -preslden~ of the institution for 29 years and synonomous with his selflessness, the celebration will .be an $80-a-plate meal wi.th the money to· be used in tlie. construction of a ma$slve 340 0-seat auditorium now under cQnstructlon on the campus - a hall that will ~ar the name George S. Benson Audiforlum. . . For more than half of his 80 years, Searcy has been home base for · · .·George Benson and his wife, Sallie. He has watched the community .move forward from a smal I town to a -modern, progressive city. Accordingly, he has watched and literally pushed Harding College forward from a small, struggling group of determined educators to· Its pr~sent record enrollment of almost 2900 students who operate on a multi-million dollar.p1$nt. ·.. . ..., · · Boundless energy has .characterized this na·tlve Oklahoman tjurlng · his f.ourscore years. From his bltth on the plains of Oklatioma in what ls now Dewey -County, he worked hard for his education, · · · dedicated himself to the service of God, gra~uated In Harding's first·' commencement ceremony, served as a missionary in China for 11 . years, gave unreservedly 29 ~ars to the presidency of Harding,· retired in 1965 yet never stopped giving.of himself for the betterment of mankind. • . · - ' _.: His jpa~lottsiti/ 'his· cfedlcatroh,- his, vigor ancfn s·exam.ple "have · "' carved a special placewith the thousands of'llveshe'hastouc;:hed. ._._· . .: ..,,,,,,..._,-,__;.....,,__H_appy ~irthday,_Dr. Be_nson.- MB:Y. yQy have many more • _..,..--;;;,r.-.-,......,_.;i