James Allen Benson's Obituary
James Allen Benson, age 78 of Lewes, DE, passed away on Monday, June 27, 2022, at Beebe Healthcare, in Lewes. He was born on July 13, 1943, in Hutchinson, KS, the youngest of six children of the late Roy and Lenora (Sorric) Benson.
James enjoyed telling the story of the toolkit purchased for him by his father one Christmas when he was five or six years old. He said that after two weeks of going to the basement each night, trying to teach James basic skills, his father finally said to him, "James, I think you need to go to college." James worked in universities for the entirety of his career.
James graduated from Hutchinson High School, Class of 1961 and the University of Kansas, majoring in American History and Asian Studies, Class of 1965. He attended graduate school at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, where he earned his M.L.S. in 1966 and his Ph.D. in Library Service in 1977. His dissertation research focused on leadership styles in academic libraries.
James' career at St. John's University spanned 27 years. He began on the faculty in the Division of Library and Information Science. James also served as Director of the Library School, Dean of Libraries, Chief Information Officer, Dean of Information Resources, and Vice Provost of Academic Affairs. He retired as Dean Emeritus and Professor, University Libraries in May 2010.
James will most fondly be remembered by the St. John's faculty for spearheading a two-week summer faculty writing program held on the Rome, Italy campus. Following a week of hard work, family members were invited to join them for the second week and were treated to tours of religious art in Rome and the surrounding countryside. James was toasted often during the two-week program.
James also served on the teaching faculties of the University of Alabama (1977-1983), Rutgers University (1971-1977), and the University of North Carolina. He worked as a Reference and Government Documents Librarian at Southwest Texas State University, now Texas State University (1967-1968) and Circulation and Reference Librarian at Texas Southern University (1966-1967). He served as a visiting librarian at California State University, Chico, in the 1970s, as well.
James was actively involved professionally in the American Library Association, where his proudest accomplishment was serving on the Committee on Accreditation (COA), the decision-making body for accrediting master’s degree programs. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE).
James authored both books and articles during his career. One of his most influential works was "Principals of Searching" with Ruth Kay Murray in RQ. James' most interesting article titles include "The Neurochemical Bases of Library Use...Or Why We Love Harlequins" with Daniel O. O'Connor, in Collection Building, and his guest editorial in Voya, "Permission to Read Boring Book Form". Both of these titles were ultimately selected for inclusion in Bill Katz's "Best of Library Lit". He was also known for his work on library technology.
James married the love of his life, Susan J. Beck in July of 1984. Together, they shared many adventures and many a gourmet meal. They complemented each other well and were devoted to each other.
James was known for his wit, knowledge of arcane information, and analytical ability to dissect the news of the day. He loved reading the New York Times each day and had an insatiable sense of curiosity. Many friends and family regretted playing Trivial Pursuit with him.
As a teenager, James read the Encyclopedia Britannica for entertainment in the Hutchinson Public Library. His love of books and information were integral to who he was as a person. James loved reading mysteries and science fiction, and his favorite books included Stranger in a Strange Land (Heinlin), Night of the Hunter (Grubb), and anything by Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammet, or Bill Pronzini.
James loved food, cooking, and eating at interesting restaurants. His specialties in home cooking included a Texas based chili, pot roast, and bread making. He loved meatloaf and his mother's cinnamon rolls and zucchini bread.
James sought out gastronomic pleasures and adventures. His favorite food experience was a 22-course meal in a restaurant in Orvieto, Italy. He was a member of a Cooking Light Super Club and a Martini Club. The gin martinis actually had a hint of vermouth with preferably French Verte Lucque olives...shaken, not stirred.
James enjoyed traveling, whether camping, cruising, or by train. He especially enjoyed Canadian and European travel. Coastal Maine was one of his favorite places to visit in the U.S. Highlights of James' travels included trips to Cuba, Iceland, Greenland, Northern Africa, Hawaii, cruising through the Panama Canal, Scandinavia, Italy, Ireland, France, and Portugal. He also enjoyed visiting local botanical gardens and was a long-time member of Longwood Gardens.
James has loved and been loved by many feline friends, including Ebony Onyx, Bess, Maggie, John Witherspoon, and Domino. Currently, Zachary, a petite yet ferocious blackish-gray tiger, and Dashiell, a 20-pound, flame point Siamese are already grieving his loss. He also loved his childhood cat, Dick Tracy and his dog, Dusty.
In addition to his parents, James was preceded in death by his brothers: Edward Benson, George Benson, William Benson, Robert Benson, and Walter Benson. He is survived by his beloved wife of 37 years, Susan J. Beck; his sister-in-law, Catherine Marksbury (Robert) of Norwalk, OH; his niece, Cynda Benson (Dudley Stutz) of Savannah, GA; and his nephews: Michael Benson of Hutchinson, KS, Fritz Benson (Becky) of Colwich, KS, Philip Smith (Kate) of Avon Lake, OH, and Adam Smith (Lisa) of Lake Wylie, SC.
James’ family encourages you to buy a book (preferably from an independent bookseller, or even a garage sale!) and read it in memory of James. He would love that!
Please sign the virtual guestbook located on the tribute page.
Services are private.
What’s your fondest memory of James?
What’s a lesson you learned from James?
Share a story where James' kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with James you’ll never forget.
How did James make you smile?