| | Damon R. Eubank, professor and chaiman of the CU Division of Social Science, was a student of Bennett’s and later a colleague when Eubank came to CU to teach history. Eubank recalled how Bennett "could engage students, and he brought passion to teaching. He was an idealist who believed we could change the world through politics.” Eubank further described Bennett as a “teacher and lover of learning" who was "skilled,” “gifted,” “loved by students,” “eager to teach and have his students learn,” “great personal friend,” “dedicated and talented teacher,” “always going the extra mile,” “loyal and committed,” and “competitive.”<ref name=bio/> | | Damon R. Eubank, professor and chaiman of the CU Division of Social Science, was a student of Bennett’s and later a colleague when Eubank came to CU to teach history. Eubank recalled how Bennett "could engage students, and he brought passion to teaching. He was an idealist who believed we could change the world through politics.” Eubank further described Bennett as a “teacher and lover of learning" who was "skilled,” “gifted,” “loved by students,” “eager to teach and have his students learn,” “great personal friend,” “dedicated and talented teacher,” “always going the extra mile,” “loyal and committed,” and “competitive.”<ref name=bio/> |
| − | Bennett served in the [[United States Army]] during the [[Vietnam War]]. For a time, he was an elected member of the Taylor County School Board. He was a president of Taylor County Academic Boosters and a public lecturer for the Kentucky Endowment for the Humanities. He was a member of the Kentucky, Southern and National political science associations, the National Association of Social Science Educators and Pi Gamma Mu, the history society of the social sciences. He was also involved in local and state politics and raised fruit in his spare time.<ref name=bio/> | + | Bennett served in the [[United States Army]] during the [[Vietnam War]]. For a time, he was an elected member of the Taylor County School Board; among his school board colleagues was Lillian Bruner Clark (1931-2015), wife of [[Robert S. Clark]], the CU vice-president for academic affairs from 1976 to 1988. Bennett served as president of Taylor County Academic Boosters and was a public lecturer for the Kentucky Endowment for the Humanities. He was a member of the Kentucky, Southern and National political science associations, the National Association of Social Science Educators and Pi Gamma Mu, the history society of the social sciences. He was also involved in local and state politics and raised fruit in his spare time.<ref name=bio/> |
| | Bennett often told his students that they could be taught merely by sitting still, but learning requires an active role on one's education.<ref name=bio/> He died at the age of sixty-three in Campbellsville of lung cancer<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.campbellsville.edu/about/files/2016/12/cvillianspr06-s60fcj.pdf|title=Professor William Bennett dies|publisher=Campbellsville.edu|author=Joan C. McKinney and Maegan Kennedy|date=May 2006|accessdate=December 1, 2017}}</ref> and is interred at Chappell Cemetery in Knifley in Adair County, Kentucky.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://secure.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Bennett&GSfn=William&GSby=1942&GSbyrel=in&GSdy=2006&GSdyrel=in&GSob=n&GRid=91547451&df=all& | | Bennett often told his students that they could be taught merely by sitting still, but learning requires an active role on one's education.<ref name=bio/> He died at the age of sixty-three in Campbellsville of lung cancer<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.campbellsville.edu/about/files/2016/12/cvillianspr06-s60fcj.pdf|title=Professor William Bennett dies|publisher=Campbellsville.edu|author=Joan C. McKinney and Maegan Kennedy|date=May 2006|accessdate=December 1, 2017}}</ref> and is interred at Chappell Cemetery in Knifley in Adair County, Kentucky.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://secure.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Bennett&GSfn=William&GSby=1942&GSbyrel=in&GSdy=2006&GSdyrel=in&GSob=n&GRid=91547451&df=all& |