Scholarly Comments on Academic Economics

Bruce L. Benson

The bio below comes from a published article and may now be dated.

*Bruce L. Benson* grew up in a small town in North Central Montana. In 1969, he was drafted and assigned to a combat infantry unit in Vietnam. Before he returned to the “world” 12 months later, the roughly 350 men who cycled through his company experience

Bruce L. Benson grew up in a small town in North Central Montana. In 1969, he was drafted and assigned to a combat infantry unit in Vietnam. Before he returned to the “world” 12 months later, the roughly 350 men who cycled through his company experienced the deaths of more than 40 young Americans, almost 100 more Americans physically wounded, and God knows how many Vietnamese killed and wounded. The totally unnecessary and unjustified carnage he witnessed and contributed to would shake any faith he had had in political and bureaucratic rhetoric. Afterward, he returned to Montana and attended the University of Montana, obtained his BA (1973) and MA (1975) in economics, and met Terrie now his wife of 36 years. He obtained a PhD in economics at Texas A&M University (1978) and took a position at Penn State University (1978-82), where his first daughter, Lacey, was born in 1981, before, once again, returning to Montana by accepting a position at Montana State University (1982-85). Florida State University made Professor Benson an offer he could not refuse, however, and he has been there since 1985. His second daughter, Katie, was born in 1991. In 1993 he was named as a University Distinguished Research Professor in 1993, and in 1997 received a DeVoe Moore endowed Professorship. He also was designated in 2006, as a Courtesy Professor in Law by FSU’s College of Law. An administrative personality tried to emerge in 2006, and while his research personalities quickly challenged and suppressed this new alter ego, this was not done quickly enough. He is now about half way through his six-year sentence as Department Chair, the punishment he received for allowing this evil personality to tentatively show its head, and he has no hope of early release with parole. Professor Benson’s e-mail addresses are bbenson@fsu.edu and jumpstrt2@yahoo.com.