Benson was a businessman who was active in a variety of educational, civic and political activities at the state and national levels. In 1965, he founded Benson Mineral Group, an oil and gas exploration and production company. Since then, his business interests have expanded to include banking, mortgage servicing, real estate development and management, geothermal power, manufacturing, trucking, restaurants and cable television. In 2009 he was inducted into the Colorado Business Hall of Fame. Benson has sat on boards of directors of dozens of companies, including United States Exploration, American Land Lease Corporation, Western Capital Investment Corporation and First Interstate Bank of Denver. Three different Colorado governors have named Benson to educational initiatives and governing boards, all of which he chaired: the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, Metropolitan State CollegeBoard of Trustees, P-20 Education Coordinating Council and the Governor's Blue Ribbon Panel for Higher Education. Outside Colorado, he was board chair of the Berkshire School in Massachusetts and also served on the board of Smith College. Nationally, Benson was a member of the Board of Directors of the National Park Service and was confirmed by the US Senate as a member of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Tenure
CU President Benson celebrated his 10th anniversary in March 2018, becoming the longest serving CU president in the past 65 years. During Benson's tenure, CU's in each of the past several years, supporting the university's research strengths in biotechnology, health care, renewable and sustainable energy, and aerospace engineering, among others. He has led efforts to promote cross-campus collaboration that have resulted in cooperative academic programs and research initiatives, most notably , led by Nobel laureate Tom Cech. Benson and his wife, Marcy Head Benson, chaired CU's $1.5 billion , which was publicly announced in April 2011 and concluded in November 2013 with $1.53 billion in donations to support scholarships, academic enhancements, research projects and capital improvements across CU's campuses. On July 18, 2018, Benson announced his intention to retire, effective July 2019.
Education
Benson earned his bachelor's degree in geology from CU in 1964. Benson received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from CU in 2004.
Controversies
Benson was selected as CU president amid concerns among the CU faculty and community members about his lack of academic pedigree and for climate change denial, close connection to partisan politics, and close ties to the oil and gas industry. However, Benson—the longest sitting president in the past 65 years—has since won over several of his detractors and has become notable for his philanthropy, not accepting salary increases and essentially working as the university's "volunteer" president. In 2012 after the State of Colorado passed Colorado Amendment 64 legalizing the use of recreational marijuana, Benson sent an email to constituents decrying the passage of the amendment, commenting on his personal disapproval of the amendment and erroneously suggesting that the CU system would lose federal funding because of its passage.
Political life
Benson was the chairman of the Colorado Republican Party from 1987 to 1993 and was the Republican nominee for Colorado governor in an unsuccessful 1994 bid.
Personal life
Benson and his second wife Marcy have three children and 10 grandchildren.
