William H. Benson Memorial
William (Bill) Benson joined the faculty at Willmar Junior College (Ridgewater College) in 1968. Bill was a physicist and farmer. He enjoyed teaching physics and engineering at Ridgewater College, where he taught until he retired in 2004. He also ran the family farm, producing beef, dairy, and crops. Bill was a loving husband, father, grandpa and friend. His son John Benson is a Chemistry instructor at Ridgewater College. This award goes to a first- generation college student in a STEM program with a minimum GPA of 3.0.