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President Andrew K. Benton Receives Oklahoma Christian University’s Distinguished Alumnus Award

Pepperdine President Andrew K. Benton received Oklahoma Christian University’s Distinguished Alumnus Award at the school’s 60th homecoming anniversary celebration on November 5.

“Even though I now live on the West Coast, my heart still resides in the Midwest, and always will,” said Benton, who was raised in Lawrence, Kansas. He received his bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma Christian in 1974 and went on to earn a juris doctor degree from Oklahoma City University School of Law in 1979. 

President Benton spent the first 10 of his 36 years of marriage to his wife, Debby, working at Oklahoma Christian. In September, he celebrated the 10th anniversary of his inauguration as Pepperdine’s President.

“My work in higher education is pure joy,"; he adds. "While I fully appreciate the unique beauty of California, wherever I go in these United States, and around the world, I take a bit of Oklahoma City and my memories of Oklahoma Christian with me."

In advance of receiving the award, President Benton noted that he would remain grateful for the values Oklahoma Christian University instilled in him. 

“When I began my studies, almost four decades ago, I expected a fine education, but the contribution to who I am today, a person of deep convictions with a confidence in something much greater than I am, was the bonus. That’s the beauty of a school like Oklahoma Christian, where both the head and heart get a life-changing and shaping education.”