Hugh C. Benner (1899–1975) was a minister and general superintendent in the

Church of the Nazarene The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged in North America from the Wesleyan-Holiness movement within Methodism during the late 19th century. The denomination has its headquarters in Lenexa, Kansas. and it ...

. He started the history department at the

Eastern Nazarene College The Eastern Nazarene College (ENC) was a Private university#United States, private, Christian college in Quincy, Massachusetts, United States. Established as a Holiness Movement, holiness college in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1900, the college m ...

in 1921, and Benner Hall and Benner Library on the campus of

Olivet Nazarene University Olivet Nazarene University (ONU) is a private Nazarene university in Bourbonnais, Illinois. Named for its founding location, Olivet, Illinois, ONU was originally established as a grammar school in east-central Illinois in 1907. In the late 1930 ...

are named after him. Dr. Benner was born near

Marion, Ohio Marion is a city in Marion County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located in north-central Ohio, approximately north of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus. The population was 35,999 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down slig ...

. Dr. Benner was ordained in 1923 by Nazarene General Superintendent Roy T. Williams. After serving the Church as a college professor and later as a pastor at

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

;

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...

; and Kansas City First Church, Dr. Benner was elected the first president of the

Nazarene Theological Seminary Nazarene Theological Seminary (NTS) is a Nazarene seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. The seminary was established by the Eleventh General Assembly in June 1944 and started its first school year in 1945 with 61 students. It moved to its current lo ...

in 1944. He was elected general superintendent in 1952 and served in this position until retirement in 1968. He was general superintendent emeritus until his death in 1975 in

Leawood, Kansas Leawood () is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States, and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 33,902. History 19th century After the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, the are ...

Early life and Career

Hugh Clifford Benner was born on April 4, 1899 in Marion, Ohio. He grew up on a farm with 2 brothers. Benner attended

where he was conductor of the University Band and Orchestra. This is where he met his wife, Audrey (nee Carroll). Benner earned his bachelor of science degree at Olivet in 1919 and later received degrees from Vanderbilt University, Boston University, and a master's degree in history from the University of Southern California. In 1923, he was ordained a Nazarene minister in Boston.

References

1899 births 1975 deaths American Nazarene ministers Eastern Nazarene College faculty Nazarene general superintendents Olivet Nazarene University alumni People from Marion, Ohio Presidents of Nazarene Theological Seminary Seminary presidents {{nazarene-stub