Ione Spencer Bennion Biography

Ione S. Bennion, a native of Salt Lake City , Utah , spent her life seeking justice for all people. She fought for women's rights, minority causes, educational opportunity, and against discrimination. She believed strongly in the democratic governmental system, its ability and duty to correct injustice, and the value of the dissident voice that brings about revolutionary change.

She was educated at the University of Utah , and after the death of Wayne Bennion, her first husband, she did graduate work at Stanford, the University of Utah , and the University of Washington . She occupied the position of Dean of Women at Utah State University from 1945 to 1952, when, because of the resurrection of an antinepotism law, she was forced to resign. (Her second husband, Ted Daniel, taught in the Forestry Resources Department.)

She continued her career as a teacher with Logan School District , spending 28 years teaching the sick and disabled. In her work in the schools, she saw a need for unmarried prospective mothers to continue their educations, so she started the Young Mothers program, making it possible for teenage mothers to obtain their high school diplomas. She also helped establish Planned Parenthood in Logan . During the 1950s and 1960s, she worked with the Utah Committee on Civil Rights, the result of which was the Utah Voting Rights Act of 1965. She supported the Logan chapter of the League of Women Voters and the Women's Legislative Council, serving as an officer of the latter for six years.

She fought prejudice against the aged; she also showed concern for seniors' quality of life through her support of RSVP/Retired Senior Volunteer Program and the Voluntary Action Program. Sunshine Terrace (a local nursing home) and the Logan Community Library were also recipients of her time and resources. In 1978, Governor Scott Matheson awarded her the Carnation Award recognizing her contributions as a volunteer.

A strong supporter of Utah State University, she has been recognized by the university with the Distinguished Service Award for her role in the creation and support of the Women's Center, as a volunteer on the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum board, and as a member of the Old Main Society. Ms. Bennion passed away November 22, 1997, leaving a legacy of activities that improved the quality of life for all people.