President Andrew K. Benton would have received his award tonight, if not for confusion over invitation.
JULIS NAVARRO
Staff Writer
University President Andrew K. Benton would have received an award tonight, but it has been retracted. The Americanism Education League has decided to retract its honoring of Benton at its 79th Anniversary Dinner and Program, because Benton will not be able to attend the dinner due to a scheduling conflict.
Benton said he was surprised last week when he opened a press release in his mail that advertised that he, along with Edwin Meese, the 75th Attorney General of the United States, and the late actor Glenn Ford, were to be honored by the Americanism Education League. Benton said he had not received a personal invitation prior to reading the press release.
According to Jerry Derloshon, director of Pepperdine Public Relations and News, several different associates of the AEL were under the impression that confirmation of attendance from Benton’s office had already been made. However, Benton only got word of the event a little more than a week before it would take place. Benton had previous commitments and had to decline attendance.
“It was just an odd communication decision, but I am committed to events in Orange County,” Benton said. “It’s too bad that it happened this way.”
Derloshon said the incident was only a misunderstanding.
“They did what they thought was best in the circumstance,” Derloshon said. “It can only be summarized as one that slipped through the cracks.”
Steve Moyer, a spokesperson for AEL, wrote in an e-mail that, according to Executive Director William Saracino, the situation evolved as a “mix-up in scheduling and communication with the president’s office.” Saracino also said the AEL hopes to honor Benton at their anniversary dinner next year.
Benton said the situation was “a bit embarrassing,” but was grateful for the recognition.
“I’ve been aware of the Americanism Education League for virtually all the time I’ve been at the university,” he said. “There are so many wonderful people in the organization and to have recognition from them is very meaningful and greatly appreciated.”
The AEL is an organization dedicated to enhancing students’ understanding of American history, according to its official Web site.
Dean of Seaver College David Baird said Benton deserved the recognition.
“President Benton’s leadership at Pepperdine has been enlightened and inspired,” Baird said. “He’s come to the attention of a national audience, and the attention is well-deserved.”
In its original press release, Saracino said that Benton, Meese and Ford were chosen as honorees for their “exemplary lives and careers as Americans with great strength of character, citizenship and patriotism for our country. Our honorees are beacons of hope and role models who inspire younger generations to become self-sufficient individuals and leaders of our country in a new generation.”
Derloshon said he and some other representatives at Pepperdine will be attending the event despite the communication mishap. “We will be on-hand to show support,” he said.
According to Derloshon, the AEL usually honors three people at its annual fundraising event. However, when it was confirmed that Benton would not be able to attend, Edwin Meese would be the only honoree actually attending the dinner. “Suddenly it looked like a mere empty platform,” he said. Derloshon added that the AEL was seeking another honoree to amend the situation.
11-02-2006
