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McCook College Foundation honors founding member
McCOOK, Neb. -- Lloyd Benjamin, a founding member of the McCook College Foundation, was recently honored by Foundation members for his 42-years of service, leadership, and dedication to the college where he first played football and took engineering classes.
After growing up in McCook, he went out to play football in the fall of 1956 at McCook Junior College and took pre-engineering classes. He played football under coach Merle Confer, but also felt the academics were top-notch. That was confirmed when he went on to the University of Idaho and the University of Nebraska where he completed his bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1961.
"I never had a problem with any of the coursework at the University level, if anything, I was ahead of all those who'd already been there for two years."
Lloyd moved back to McCook and took a position with the Nebraska Department of Roads in charge of a survey crew at the start of the interstate highway construction in western Nebraska. After four years, he became a licensed civil engineer, and left the Department of Roads to start Lloyd Benjamin and Associates, a local consulting engineering and architectural firm.
Then came the 1970s when the Nebraska legislature divided the state into community college districts. A state of general uneasiness arose among the residents of McCook, who felt they might lose the identity of their hometown college.
That's when several local citizens approached Benjamin about becoming part of a team that would help ensure the continued operation of the college in McCook. In 1974 that team became the McCook College Foundation.
"With the Foundation in place, people started giving the Foundation money," said Benjamin. When former students and others affiliated in some way with McCook Junior College died, they started leaving money to the College in their wills. These gifts have been used as catalysts for program startups such as baseball, softball, distance learning, graphic design and visual communication, rodeo and others.
But most of the funds have been used for scholarships. The Foundation also led a drive to assist in the dormitory addition to the north side of Brooks Hall and participated with the Hormel Family Foundation in the remodeling of McMillen hall.
Lloyd and his wife, Elizabeth -- long time MCC Instructor and member of the Board of Governors, served as co-chairs with Van and Jan Korell, helping raise the funds necessary to build the $10 million Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center.
"The Graff Events Center is a great example of McCook working together in a joint effort between residents of the area, the city of McCook and its parks department, and the college," Benjamin said.
"And it was just icing on the cake to name it after Peter and Dolores Graff and recognize them for their generous contributions over the years."
In November 2011, Benjamin was recognized as the College's 2011 Alumnus of the Year. In addition to his work with the College Foundation, Benjamin's firms have designed college construction and remodeling projects in von Riesen Library, Barnett Hall, Walsh Brady Hall, True Hall remodel, Brooks Hall north addition and the diesel shops on the North Platte Technical Campus.
Considering the uncertainty of his college when asked to join the Foundation in 1974 and to have been involved in the many positive changes and improvements over the years, Benjamin said he believes the college is now in good hands, with a good administration and Board of Governors.
"The college provides quality academic programs at a reasonable cost to the student and area," he said. "It is a first-class entity with a lot of great things happening from the extended campuses in Imperial, Broken Bow, Ogallala and Valentine to the local capital improvements and the unified direction Mid-Plains is headed in. I'm proud and honored to have been a small part of it."