Evening star., 1951-12-24
Dr.. Bennett a Great
Brotherhood Teacher
President Declares

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President Declares
President Truman paid tribute
last night to DR.. Henry G. Ben
nett as "a great teacher of the
simple ideas of cooperation and
brotherhood"
DR.. Bennett. director of Ameri-
cas- Point -Four program, died in
an Iranian airplane crash with
his wife and three aides.
The President spoke of another
of the victims, Benjamin H.
Hardy, as DR.. Benefits devoted
assistant and one of the creators
of the Point -Four idea of helping
underdeveloped areas of the
world.
In another statement, Secretary
of State Acheson said he was
deeply grieved over the tragic
death OF DR.. Henry Garland Ben
nett, his wife and three able and
devoted co-workers" of DR.. Ben
nett.
Was Oklahoma Educator.
DR.. Bennett, who became 65
just 10 days ago. left his job
as president of Oklahoma A. g. M.
College in November. 1850. when
Mr.. Truman appointed him head
of the Technical Assistance Pro-
gram.
Dr. Bennett was born in Nevada
County. Ark, and started his
career in the educational filed as
county school superintendent in
Choctaw County. Oklahoma. in
1909. He was named superintend-
ent of schools at Hugo, Okla, the
following year and held that post
for nine years.
At the end of World War I he
was named president of South
eastern Oklahoma State College
at Durant, a job he held until
he became president of Oklahoma
A. &. M. College in 1928.
Mrs. Bennett was the former
Vera Connell of Durant. They
were married in January, 1918.
Was Aviation Enthusiast.
Survivors include five children,
Thomas Bennett of 832 Allen
street. Falls Church. Va. a De-
partment of Justice attorney;
DR.. Henry G. Bennett. jr.: Phil c.
Bennett. Mrs. Joe Preston and
Mrs. H. M. DeLozier, all of Okla
homa.
Ironically, DR.. Bennett was an
aviation enthusiast and was rec
ognized as one of the founders of
the Flying Farmers organization |
He had served the Government
in various capacities before 60
ing on leave to head the Point
-Four program. He was a dele
gate to the Quebec International
Foods and Agricultural Organiza-
ton IN 1945. He went on an
agricultural survey mission for /
the Army in occupied Germany
in. 1949, and last year went on
a special mission to Abyssinia as
counsellor for Ethiopian leaders
Of agriculture and education.
Truman Pays Tribute.
Close associates referred to him
as father of the present soil con-
servation program. Mr.. Truman's
statement said, in part:
i have lost a friend and the
American people have lost a great
teacher Of the simple ideas of CO.
operation and brotherhood. =
He understood how people can
work miracles by sharing knowl-
edge to help themselves and each
other"
Benjamin H. Hardy of 416 North
Oakland street, Arlington, was
credited by many of his State De-
partment colleagues with first sug-
costing the idea of a United States
sponsored worldwide program of
technical assistance.
In 1948. Mr.. Hardy, a native
Georgian who had worked for the
Atlanta Journal and the Associated
Press, was employed in the State
Department writing speeches and
special messages for top officials.
He became press officer for Point
-Four when it was set up. and was
accompanying DR.. Bennett in that
capacity when he died.
Served As Press Officer.
From 1912 to 1914 he was a
radio news writer in the office of
the Co-ordinator of Inter-Amer-
ican Affairs. and for two years
after that was press officer for
CIAA at Rio de Janeiro.
Mr.. Hardy was born May %,
1905, at Barnesville, Ca, and took
his bachelors and masters de-
grees at the University of Georgia,
the latter in 1929. He was an in
structor at the university in 1928
%, and later a reporter on the
Atlanta Journal.
He also worked for the Associ-
ated Press in Atlanta, Richmond,
Roanoke, Va, and New York.
Survivors include his widow and
I'll AAE