Benton, William

Benton, William (Burnett)

(born April 1, 1900, Minneapolis, Minn., U.S.—died March 18, 1973, New York, N.Y.) U.S. publisher, advertising executive, and government official. A descendant of missionaries and educators, he founded, with Chester Bowles, the successful New York advertising agency of Benton & Bowles. He later became a vice president of the University of Chicago; through his efforts, the university acquired Encyclopaedia Britannica, which he managed and later purchased. In 1945 he became assistant secretary of state, and he later briefly served in the U.S. Senate (1949–52). Thereafter he devoted sustained attention to the encyclopaedia; he died shortly before the publication of its 15th edition.