 Howard Edsel (Ed) Benson papers
Collection DescriptionHistorical NoteIn 1917, W. H. Benson (1888-1971) purchased a bakery in Marietta, which he sold in 1918 when he entered military service. After the war, he purchased the old Athens Boston Bakery (corner of West Hancock and Hull Streets), renaming it Benson's Bakery, and operations began on January 1, 1919. As business increased the bakery outgrew its original location and moved to other facility at the corner of Washington and Hull Streets (1937). Eventually, in 1958, Benson's Inc. opened a larger plant in Bogart, Ga. and moved its business offices to Thomas Street. Mr. Benson was active in local civic organizations and heavily invested in state and national politics regarding industry and agriculture. Mr. Benson's son, H. E. (Ed) Benson, a graduate of the University of Georgia, served in the 48th Fighter Squadron, 14th Fighter Group during World War II. He joined his father's business in 1947 and served as manager of the bakery until 1956, at which time he assumed the presidency of the company. Under Ed Benson's leadership the business expanded the number of production facilities and grew its Old Home Kitchens fruit cake fundraising program. Ed Benson, like his father, has been very active in local civic organizations, especially the Athens Rotary Club and Athens Mentor Program. Scope and ContentThe collection consists of correspondence, clippings, photographs, and printed materials related to Benson's Bakery (Athens, Ga.) and William Howard Benson's political interests, and Ed Benson's civic activities. The personal and civic files document Ed Benson's involvement with the 48th Fighter Squadron (1943-1945) and his local civic engagements, especially highlighting the Athens Rotary Club and Mentor Program. The W. H. Benson papers primarily consist of his letters and telegrams sent to politicians at the state and national level regarding legislation and political agendas. The Benson's Bakery series document the evolution of the bakery from its opening in 1918 through the 1980s. Included are company newsletters, photographs, brochures, and ephemera. Organization and ArrangementOrganized into 3 series: personal and civic, W. H. Benson papers, and Benson's Bakery. Administrative InformationConditions Governing AccessThough the collection is open for research, the audiovisual recordings do not have reference copies; however, reference copies can be made available upon request. Availability is dependent upon the format and condition of the recordings. Preferred CitationHoward Edsel (Ed) Benson papers, ms3867, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries. Related Materials and SubjectsSubject TermsRelated Collections in this RepositoryRelated audiovisual materials from this collection are housed in the Walter J. Brown Media Archive: http://purl.libs.uga.edu/brown/har-ms3867/bmac-coll | ||||||||||||||||||