MALIBU, Calif. -- The Pepperdine University Department of Athletics' 2018 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is coming up on Sunday, October 14, in Firestone Fieldhouse.
Tickets are available ($60 per person, includes dinner) and can be purchased online here.
From now until the event, PepperdineWaves.com will be running profiles on each of the inductees. Today is Andrew & Debby Benton's turn:
Andy Benton and his wife, Debby, have had a lasting and meaningful impact on Pepperdine Athletics during their nearly 35 years in Malibu. As president and first lady since 2000, the couple's influence on our student-athletes has been unprecedented, extending far beyond their closets — literally filled with orange and blue — and their regular presence at athletic events as two of the Waves' most enthusiastic supporters. Now, after nearly two decades as the University's chief executive, President Benton will step down from his current post at the conclusion of the 2018-19 academic year.
During President Benton's presidential tenure, the Waves have celebrated national championships in men's volleyball, men's tennis and women's beach volleyball, and the department has won 106 conference titles. He also championed the naming of the Charles B. Runnels Sports and Recreation Village, dedicated in 2010, and, in his final year as president, has prioritized securing funds for a new student recreation and events center, the future home of Pepperdine basketball and volleyball.
From 1992 through the beginning of his presidency, President Benton served an important role as the institutional representative to the NCAA and the West Coast Conference. Upon ascending to his role as president, he became an influential figure on the WCC Presidents' Council. He was president of the council for three years and is currently its longest-serving member.
Reflecting on athletics at Pepperdine a few years ago, Benton wrote:
The chance to compete at the national level instills within each athlete a desire for excellence. At Pepperdine, coaches, trainers, and staff harness the athlete's love of competition and use it as an opportunity to teach life lessons about integrity, honor, dedication, a strong work ethic, teamwork, sportsmanship, prioritization of time, service to others, and leadership. The institution as a whole benefits when a successful athletic program unites the campus community and the alumni around the spirit of school pride that only championship play can ignite.
President Benton also presided over the development of an innovative partnership with the world's leading sports and live entertainment company, AEG, which named Pepperdine as the exclusive education partner of STAPLES Center, L.A. LIVE, and the Los Angeles Kings. The initiative has led to a series of cutting-edge academic offerings, including the debut of a state-of-the-art Pepperdine classroom in STAPLES Center.
A former competitive gymnast and gymnastics coach who is a member of the Texas High School Athletic Hall of Fame, Mrs. Benton is passionate about athletic competition and is a longtime member of the Athletics Board, a group committed to supporting Pepperdine student-athletes by encouraging fundraising, promoting unity and legacy, and assuring the well-being of its participants.
Mrs. Benton's on-campus endeavors also includes working with the Boone Center for the Family, where she serves as the president of the Friends of the Family League. She presides over the center's major fundraising event, "Savvy Chic," which has raised more than $500,000 over the years.
President and Mrs. Benton both graduated from Oklahoma Christian University, and President Benton earned his law degree from Oklahoma City University. The Bentons have been married 44 years and have two children, Hailey and Chris, and one grandchild, Jackson.
