That’s only a sliver of the reason the Western Stock Show chose this couple for this year’s award. As explained on the stock show’s website, the couple has involved themselves in diverse aspects of the community by contributing “their energy, their brains, and their assets” to the causes of education, health care and culture.

“Whether as president of the University of Colorado for 11 years, leaders of Denver Public Schools, Children’s Hospital, the Republican Party, the Denver Zoo, or community projects, Marcy and Bruce have become one of the most formidable, effective teams in the Rocky Mountain West,” the website explains.

Bruce Benson, a CU alumnus, began his career as the entrepreneurial founder of the Benson Mineral Group. The oil and gas company grew and diversified into banking, real estate, cable TV and restaurants, the stock show website explains.

Marcy Benson worked as an executive in the White House for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush before coming to Colorado.

As explained in a Gazette news story, she chaired the Children’s Hospital Foundation and co-chaired the capital campaign to build its new facility on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. She served on the boards of Denver’s Scientific and Cultural Facilities District and the Denver Public Library.

As they led the revival of CU’s performance and reputation, the Bensons spearheaded the founding of what was recently renamed as The Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization. On the Boulder campus, the center preserves for public education the culture, languages and ideas of the Western tradition.

The Bensons exemplify Western tradition, as two people who devote their lives to improving the world around them. We hope this well-deserved recognition inspires others to carry on the spirit and determination of Western pioneers.