Wallace F. Bennett, who died Sunday at the age of 95, will be long remembered for his undeniable political contribution to the state and the country. He was the first U.S. Senator from Utah to retire from office voluntarily after serving almost a generation - 24 memorable years.
With his son, Bob, now occupying his seat in the Senate, the Bennett name has become the closest in Utah's political history to being recognized as a dynasty.Bennett, who remained lucid until his death on Sunday, was known as a man of principle who never introduced legislation nor voted for an issue in the hope of popular acclaim. He was widely known as a devoted conservative who studied the issues carefully, then voted his conscience.
One noteworthy example was his strong support of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which was unpopular with many of his GOP colleagues.
Bennett made an equally significant a mark in the business world while running Bennett Enterprises for 30 years, culminating with his election as president of the National Association of Manufacturers. It was the latter office that gave him the national prominence that caused local Republican leaders to approach him to run against Sen. Elbert Thomas in 1950.
Once in the Senate, he became known as a quiet "workhorse," never doctrinaire, who was unusually knowledgeable about finances.
When he retired in 1975, he was the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance and the Banking and Currency committees, two of the most powerful committees in the Congress. He was also senior member of the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy and vice chairman of the special Senate Ethics Committee.
On those committees he was well-remembered as being one of the few senators who was always so prepared that he questioned witnesses with authority and confidence, never needing whispered questions from staffers.
Bennett was a champion of the upper Colorado River Storage project that is now an indispensable source of water for the state, and he co-sponsored legislation that created the Central Utah Project.
He was involved in government during a remarkable sweep of history, and as a Republican, was forced to witness the disastrous defeat of Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater in 1964 and the massive corruption of Watergate, resulting in Richard Nixon's resignation in 1974.
His senatorial prominence is all the more impressive considering the fact that he was a member of the Senate's minority party for all but two years of his 1951-1975 tenure. He entered politics at the age of 51, seeking the state's most important political post, then was re-elected three times.
To Bennett's family and many friends and admirers, the Deseret News expresses regret at his passing together with gratitude for his example of quiet composure and humility and his a life of extraordinary public service.