Former Sen. Robert F. Bennett (R-Utah) was named the Hinckley Institute Resident Scholar.
Bennett is a U graduate with a political science degree from the class of 1957. While at the university, he was student body president and has since returned as a teacher.
Molly Wheeler, a research assistant for the Hinckley Institute, said Bennet has been “a huge advocate for students and university.”
“He spent so much time giving back to the U,” Wheeler said. “He’s been amazing in helping secure major funding projects for the U.”
Some of these projects include the 2002 Winter Olympics and the FrontRunner and TRAX systems.
After graduating from the U, Bennett joined the Utah Army National Guard. He then worked for the family business until 1962 before serving as an administrative assistant to his father and working for different corporations including the Nixon Administration.
Bennett ran for Senate in 1992 and was re-elected in 1998 and 2004. In 2011, he was named a Hinckley Institute Scholar and returned to the U to host the Robert F. Bennett Seminar, which he taught for four years.
Jayne Nelson, associate director for the Hinckley Institute, said a hall of fame inductee is encouraged to be involved and make a difference. Bennett would commute from D.C. and Skype when he couldn’t make the trip. He even met with students in his home, Nelson said.
Lisa Hawkins was a former student of Bennett and said he’s “a dynamic character.”
“He’s really accessible and honest about how the Senate functions,” Hawkins said. “I remember times where he would stay well after class to offer advice and engage in debates with students, which was the coolest thing.”
@sidneymarchant