Arthur Benton, 97, died in Glenview, IL on December 27, 2006. He was
born October 16, 1909 in New York City. He received his B.A. and M.A.
degrees from Oberlin College, where Raymond Stetson was his mentor, and
his Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University in 1935 under the
mentorship of Carney Landis of the New York State Psychiatric Institute .
Benton completed his training as a psychologist at the Payne Whitney
Psychiatric Clinic of New York Hospital. Early in 1941, he volunteered for
service in the United States Navy and was commissioned as a lieutenant in
the medical department. His active duty lasted until 1945, followed by
many years of service in the United States Navy Reserve, retiring at the
rank of Captain. During his assignment at the San Diego Naval Hospital,
Benton worked closely with neurologist Morris Bender and examined
servicemen who had sustained penetrating brain wounds during combat. The
experience of assessing servicemen with brain injury and Bender's
influence led Benton to develop the Visual Retention Test, which still
bears his name and continues to be widely used in clinical
neuropsychological assessment.