Pepperdine faces new leadership this July when President David Davenport steps down after 15 years of service.

    When Executive Vice President Andrew Benton, also a long-time administration figure, was chosen to succeed Davenport, many people breathed a sigh of relief. They were satisfied that Benton knew the university inside and out and were sure that he will be a capable leader in this presidential transition.

     In early February, Benton took some time to discuss his background, hobbies and plans for the future, giving some insight into what makes him tick.

Q: You have been at Pepperdine for 16 years now, and you will take over as president this summer. What is it about the university that first attracted you when you were practicing law in Oklahoma?

     A: I liked legal challenges, I liked sophistication, I liked solving legal problems, but at the same time, I needed to work on behalf of things that had meaning for me. Working in Christian higher education at an institution like Pepperdine was just the perfect blend of those two professional and personal aspirations.

Q: In your first year of work here as assistant vice president, did you have aspirations of someday becoming president?

      A: No, I did not. I intended to come and have the full experience that Pepperdine University and Los Angeles had to offer. But my assumption was that after four or five years, I would have all that I could take away from that experience, and that I would then have another. But the university and the community kept on giving, so here I am.

Q: As a young child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

     A: When I was six or seven, I wanted to be a heavy equipment operator. One Christmas my parents gave me this toy that was battery-operated. You could shift gears, you could turn on the windshield wipers and the lights … it had a horn and so forth, which was cool. But it wasn't until I broke it and it made these grinding, gnarly big equipment sounds that I was really in heaven. If we’re talking six or seven, then yeah, driving heavy equipment was my aspiration.

     But because I had such remarkable experiences in my high school years, education came to the fore. At the very same time, I began to think that being a judge would be interesting. As I grew older, (I thought I would return) to Lawrence, Kansas and practice law and someday be a probate judge.

Q: To devote your career to higher education, you must have enjoyed your own undergraduate years at Oklahoma Christian University. What do you remember most about your college experience?

     A: The people, the dynamics of organizations, the impact that leaders can have — all that comes to mind. And once again, seeing very talented people work on behalf of meaningful things.

Q: How did you spend your free time on the weekends?

     A: Playing music — I was a piano player. On the weekends, Oklahoma City had great parks and a wonderful zoo. I dated my wife, Debby, virtually all through my college years, so we spent weekends together. It was really a very pleasant time.

     I should say studying, shouldn’t I? But it wouldn’t be true (laughs).

Q: Do you still keep in touch with other college friends?

     A: I do. In fact some of them are planning to come out and have a private inauguration for me this summer. I’m just a little concerned about that (laughs). One’s a neurosurgeon at Wake Forest, another is a tax attorney in Dallas, and another is a fund-raising consultant in Fort Worth. It’s very interesting how our career paths move and change.

     Naively, right after we graduated from college, we all met and talked about how we could someday do something together because we had accountants and those who wanted to be lawyers. We had a home builder. We had become such fast friends that we tried to find some way to do business together. Of course, that has not happened, but we’re still very close.

Q: I know that you served as SGA president in college …

     A: Yes — two years in high school and two years in college.

Q: Did those experiences give you any thoughts about becoming president of a university in the future?

     A: Absolutely not. I’ve always enjoyed working with different types of people to accomplish common, important goals. That was true in high school, in college and it’s true today. I feel so blessed to have a career that makes that possible.

Q: Now you got married soon after graduation ….

     A: Actually before I graduated. Because I was a transfer student (from the University of Kansas), I hadn’t paid as much attention to my graduation requirements as I should have. I somehow missed taking the basic math course. We were married in June of 1974.

Q: When did you know that she was the one?

     A: Oh, I think I knew almost from the very beginning. I met Debby when she was playing powderpuff football. Just as I walked to the field, the play was coming right at me and here comes number 22 around the right end, and I thought, "That’s a really pretty girl."

     So, I waited until after the game was over and found her walking back to the dorms. I went up and started talking to her, but it took me about two months to (get) up the courage to ask her out. But I did, and took her to a Fifth Dimension concert and a real nice dinner beforehand. And we dated ever since that time.

Q: How did you propose?

     A: We were in our senior year and coming up on graduation. I simply could not imagine going back to Kansas and letting her go back home to Texas and not being with her. So, one Saturday I took her out and we picked out a ring. Then I hid it and gave it to her on Valentine’s Day in 1974.

     She had her "candlelight" — all the girls in the dormitories came together and they passed the candle around … People were all really surprised because they thought I was incapable of making a decision (laughs).

Q: You then went to law school and spent several years practicing law in Oklahoma ….

     A: Here’s what happened: I was invited to go to work at Oklahoma Christian (as assistant to the president) and I was accepted to law school, but didn’t have the money to go. I asked if they would defer me for a couple of years. So, for the first two years I just worked and my wife taught. I started law school in 1976, graduated a little after three years and continued to work for Oklahoma Christian, but I also started practicing law. But I always stayed involved with higher education.

Q: How did that experience prepare you for your responsibilities at Pepperdine?

     A: With my leadership experiences, which were just a big gift, and what I studied in college — liberal arts, economics, history and literature — and then law school, I became something of a generalist.

     I had broad interests. I enjoyed teaching, I loved working with students and resolving problems, I liked the legal challenges as they came forward. I began to like political things. And I just found I had this smorgasbord of opportunities. Some would say that being a generalist is not such a good thing, but I would say it’s a wonderful life. I seldom do the same thing on two consecutive days.

Q: Where did you live when you first moved to Southern California?

     A: Agoura Hills. We lived there for one year and then my job changed. David Davenport called me one day at home. He said, "If your job is going to change, and you may have more evening work, then having you nearer to the university may be helpful. You may want to live on campus." So, we moved (here) in ’85.

Q: How do you like living on campus?

     A: Sometimes it’s a little too close to the office, to be very honest. It’s by and large a very good thing, since we do try to attend as many student events as we can. And I’ve always liked the fact that my family can be involved in what I do.

Q: What books are on your shelf at home?

     A: I have wide interests. I just finished reading a book on education called, "The Free and Ordered Space." Last weekend I read a John Sanford book entitled "Certain Prey."

     I’m starting a book today that has to do with the times of Jesus. But I like to read books that help me understand people and myself, and I like mystery and intrigue. I love history. If I was starting a career over, it might have something to do with history.

Q: Do you have any knick-knacks around the house?

     A: Lots. I’m big on knick-knacks. I have big chunks of the Berlin Wall. One of the most poignant experiences of my life was when we stood on Omaha Beach on June 4, 1994, for the 50th commemoration of D-Day. That was remarkable.

     When our family has taught abroad, those students are very special to us and we have many things that are related to them. We went to London in ’90 and Florence in 1996.

Q: Malibu is such a great place for outdoor activities. Did you participate in any sports with your children, Haley and Christopher, as they grew up?

     A: I coached little league for eight years and girls’ softball for five. The memories are vivid of late afternoons and weekends spent down at the Malibu Bluffs State Park, coaching third base and trying to get those runners home. I love horseback riding on campus.

     I have to be out of doors. That’s in my psychological profile. I have agrarian roots — that’s where it comes from. I just have to be outside.

Q: What about your own hobbies? What do you do in your free time, or what would you do if you had more time to yourself?

     A: It’s interesting. I think I have all the free time I need. There’s a nice balance in my life. I love to read. I will play some music every day, whether it be piano or guitar.

     A very pleasant day for me is to meet a friend over in Westlake Village for breakfast, go back home and putter around the house, take my wife shopping and catch a movie and dinner in the late afternoon. And if the volleyball, basketball or swim teams are home, that makes for a perfect day.

Q: When did you become a part of the band Midlife Crisis?

     A: In 1989. We were going to say farewell to a colleague, Mike Adams. He was leaving to become president of another university. We found out that several of us in senior administration played instruments.

     I actually think it was David Davenport’s idea originally, and we played three rock ’n’ roll tunes. We had so much fun doing that that we stayed together. Since about ’91, the same members of the group have been together. I play keyboards and guitar.

     When I went to Oklahoma Christian, I didn’t know anybody. So, I went to the music room one day and started playing the piano — "Let It Be" by the Beatles. Somebody just came in and said, "We could use a piano player for this group."

     So, in high school, college and at Pepperdine, I’ve always had good friends, but we just came together through music.

Q: I know you get involved on campus by attending sports games and fine arts productions. How do you feel about teaching classes?

     A: It’s one of the greatest things that I do. I taught a class at the School of Public Policy yesterday, and as I was getting ready to go, I thought, "I’m so excited to do this."

     I seldom go to a meeting and say, "Oh, I’m excited about this meeting." But I was packing up to teach this class on environmental law and I was excited. That’s a good sign. It reminds me of how important it is.

Q: Will you continue to teach when you are president?

     A: Absolutely. If they’ll let me.

Q: As leader of the institution in a time of strength and excellence, where do you see Pepperdine in the future?

     A: We’re not done yet. I think we’ve done some great things, but we’re still not done. I think the whole issue of learning resources — the library and technology — takes on significant importance for the future.

     There are things we need to do to raise the university’s profile and reputation in academic circles and elsewhere. Constructing the graduate campus and the fund-raising to go along with it.

Q: And how long do you see yourself serving as president?

     A: At first I have to say that a president serves as long as his style of leadership makes sense. I hope and pray that I’ll have the wisdom to know when that period of time is up. I’d like for this to be my last job — the capstone of my career. And then I’d like to retire and coach girls’ softball (laughs).

Q: When the students leave school for the summer, what will you be doing?

     A: Getting ready. I was given this wonderful gift of six months to prepare and now it seems so woefully inadequate because of all the things I want to read and all the people I want to see.

     But because I’ve been here for 16 years, there should be no surprises. When I wake up on July 1 and realize that I have a new title and a new set of responsibilities, it should be a seamless transition from Dr. Davenport to me. I’m confident it will be, because of our friendship and the respect that we share for one another.