Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives
Serge N. Benson papers
UUS_COLL MSS 323
1 box
.5 linear foot
1942-1973
This one-box collection contains invitations, personal and professional correspondence, student files, photos and publications of Serge N. Benson.
Material in English
Processed in February of 2008.
This collection was donated to Utah State University Special Collections and Archives in 1998 by the estate of Serge N. Benson.
No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from the Serge N. Benson papers must be obtained from the Special Collections and Archives manuscript curator and/or the Special Collections and Archives department head.
Initial Citation: Serge N. Benson papers USU_COLL MSS 323, Box [ ]. Special Collections and Archives. Utah State University Merrill-Cazier Library. Logan, Utah.
Following Citations: USU_COLL MSS 323, USUSCA.
Serge Nelson Benson was born on March 15, 1906, in Whitney, Idaho, to Serge Ballif Benson and Melinda Caroline Nelson. His family moved to Logan, Utah in 1919 in order for Serge and his siblings to attend high school. Serge graduated from Logan High School in 1922 and then attended Utah Agricultural College from 1922-1924. He completed a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1924-1926 and then returned to school and where he completed a bachelor of arts degree in 1928. From 1928-1929, Serge served as the principal for Daggett County High school before moving to Washington, D.C. to work for the United States Tariff Commission as a commodity specialist while attending George Washington University Law School. In 1931, he wed Elizabeth Ruth Horton and together they had six children.
Serge graduated from law school in 1934 and continued to work as a commodity specialist until 1947 when he was appointed to the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee as an advisor on tariff and foreign trade matters. In 1949 he accepted a position with the Senate Finance Committee as an advisor to the Republicans until 1964 when he resigned in order to teach at Utah State University.
Professor Benson taught business law and economics of foreign trade and also served as a university attorney where he gave free legal advice to students. He was honored as professor of the year in 1973 and retired from teaching in 1974.
Serge Benson died in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 28, 1994.
This one-box collection contains invitations, personal and professional correspondence, student files, photos and publications of Serge N. Benson. The collection is arranged chronologically according to Mr. Benson's various position in the United States government and Utah State University. Each folder is then arranged by date.
Arranged chronologically.
United States--Officials and employees
United States--Officials and employees--Correspondence.
Correspondence
Colleges and Universities
Programs and invitations
1933 - 1964
(30 folders)
1
1
Personal outgoing correspondence
undated
1
2
Personal incoming correspondence
1945 March 26 - 1948 November 23
1
3
Personal incoming correspondence
1950 January 18 - 1969 December 18
1
4
L.D.S. and Boy Scouts correspondence
1936 December 18 - 1963 January 24
1
5
Tariff Commission correspondence
1938 October 17
1
6
House of Representative Committee on Ways and Means correspondence
1947 January 30 - 1949 January 8
1
7
Article titled, "Congressman Carl T. Curtis Warns Armed Services Committee of Dangers in Synthetic Rubber Curbs"
1947 December 11
1
8
Draft of Committee on Ways and Means report titled, "The Trade Agreements Program and Its Administration"
1947
1
9
Senate Congressional Record, Vol. 95, No. 166
1949 September 8
1
10
Report on the Republican Party and Foreign Trade
1952 September
1
11
Senate Finance Committee incoming correspondence
1953 January 30 - 1961 March 31
1
12
Senate Finance Committee incoming correspondence
1960 April 12 - 1964 March 26
1
13
Senate Finance Committee outgoing correspondence
1954 October 7 - 1964 January 17
1
14
Letters of recommendation on behalf of Benson to the Tariff Commission
1953 May 2 - 1953 April 20
1
15
Photo of Benson with USAC - ROTC in Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson's office
1957 April 3
1
16
Letters of recommendation on behalf of Benson to the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals
1956 July 17 - 1957 February 7
1
17
Letters of recommendation on behalf of Benson to the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals
1957 September 25 - 1958 August 28
1
18
Letters of recommendation on behalf of Benson for appointment to the Tariff Commission
1959 February 16 - 1959 February 18
1
19
Article titled, "Clashing on Tariff Policy", featuring Serge Benson and G. Griffith Johnson
1963 March 23
1
20
Utah State University correspondence January 7,
1964 - 1972 April 20
1
21
Utah State University student course evaluations
undated
1
22
Newspaper clippings featuring Serge
undated
1
23
Biographical background
undated
1
24
Personal poetry
undated
1
25
Utah State Society materials
1956
1
26
Maryland Conservationist Vol. XXXIII, No. 5
1959
1
27
Export Trade and Shipper article titled, "Future of Liberalized Trade Discussed in Washington"
1956 October 8
1
28
Letter of commendation for brother Thomas N. Benson
1946 June 15
1
29
Renunciation of co-executor of father's estate
1961 August
1
30