Adam S. Bennion - Biography

Biography

Adam S. Bennion was the son of Joseph B. Bennion and his wife the former Mary Ann Sharp. Joseph died when the younger Bennion was about two years old. After completing his early education in Taylorsville Bennion went to study at the University of Utah. After this he was a teacher at LDS High School in Salt Lake City.

In 1911 Bennion married Minerva Richards Young, a daughter of Richard W. Young. After his marriage Bennion and his bride headed to New York City where he completed a masters degree at Columbia University.

Bennion then returned to Salt Lake City and became an English teacher at Granite High School. In 1913 he became the principal of Grantite High School. In the summer of 1914 Bennion took a course in Sunday School administration at the University of Chicago. The following year he was appointed a member of the General Board of the Deseret Sunday School Union. About the same time he joined the faculty of the University of Utah in the department of English.

In 1919 Bennion was made Superintendent of LDS Church Schools. From 1921 to 1923 he studied at the University of California (at Berkeley) completing a doctorate. He then returned to the LDS Church schools where he worked until 1927. In that year he began to work for Utah Power and Light Company. During the 1920s he oversaw the expansion of the LDS seminary program and trained seminary teachers at Brigham Young University's Alpine Summer School.

In 1944 Bennion resigned his employment with Utah Power and Light and ran as a Republican candidate for the United States Senate. He lost the election to Democrat Elbert D. Thomas. He then returned to Utah Power and Light but in 1947 became the director of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad.

Bennion died in Salt Lake City and was buried in Salt Lake City Cemetery.