This is a family story, so let’s start by
getting the family straight. Once upon a time there were three brothers:
Norman, Bernard and Stanley Bennett. The three of them grew up in
Washington, D.C., and one of their fond memories was of being taken by
their mother in the early 1930’s to the University of Maryland’s famous
Dairy for ice cream and fresh milk. Norman, the eldest, went to the
Naval Academy and then founded one of the area’s first discount
furniture and design companies. Bernard also went to the Naval Academy
and went on to become an Indiana Jones-type entrepreneur, banker and
mercury mine owner in Mexico.
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 Stanley
went to the University of Maryland and studied at the College of
Business and Public Administration, forerunner of the Smith School.
After graduating in 1951 he became a stockbroker and worked at A.G.
Edwards for more than 30 years. Stanley was a quiet man who kept to
himself, living modestly in his small apartment in the District. But he
never forgot his time at the University of Maryland, and he never lost
his appreciation for the impact the university had made on his own life.
Meanwhile, Norman married and had a family. His sons Alan ’69 and
Millard ’71 also attended the university’s business school. And in time,
Millard’s son Stephen came to the Smith School to receive his own
education.
Stephen received a $2,500 Alumni scholarship and was a member of the
Smith Undergraduate Fellows program. Stephen found the program rewarding,
and a third generation of Bennetts left the university’s business school
pleased with the education he had received.
Then, in September 2003, Stanley Bennett passed away. And in the
process of administering his estate, his nephew Millard Bennett
discovered that his uncle had left a sizable bequest to the Smith
School.
The $150,000 bequest was a surprise even to Stanley’s family. “I
think my uncle realized that without his experience at the University of
Maryland business school he would not have had the ability to pursue his
business career,” said Millard Bennett, Stephen Bennett’s father. “He
took the opportunity to give back to the school something which would
allow future generations of students to maximize their education.”
In honor of this generous gift, Room 2105 in Van Munching Hall has
been named the Stanley Bennett classroom. His generous bequest will also
be used to continue and expand the undergraduate fellows program,
ensuring that many other students will enjoy the benefits of a Maryland
education for years to come. |
