John Keith Benton

John Keith Benton
Born	May 24, 1896 Banks, Alabama
Died	August 21, 1956 Nashville, Tennessee
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Birmingham–Southern College Yale University University of Edinburgh
Occupation	Theologian, academic
Spouse(s)	Edna Lois Cooper

John Keith Benton (May 24, 1896 – August 21, 1956) was an American theologian and university administrator. He served as the Dean of the Vanderbilt University Divinity School from 1939 to 1956.

John Keith Benton was born on May 24, 1896 in Banks, Alabama. His father was Arthur Franklin Benton and his mother, Martha Frederick.

Benton graduated from Birmingham–Southern College, where he received a bachelor of arts degree. He received a bachelor of divinity degree from Yale University, followed by a PhD from Edinburgh University in Scotland.

Benton was a Professor of Philosophy and Psychology at Drew University in the 1930s.

Benton served as the Dean of the Divinity School at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee from 1939 to 1956. In 1951, he rejected the application of the first black student at Vanderbilt University, only to accept him in 1953 with the caveat that he was not allowed to have access to the dorms or dining facilities. During that period, in 1952, he had been asked by Chancellor Harvie Branscomb (1894–1998) to look at the admission policies of other theological schools in the South.

Benton served as the Executive Secretary of the American Association of Theological Schools. He was elected President of the American Association of Theological Seminaries in 1950. Additionally, he was a Fellow of the National Council on Religion in Higher Education.

In 1949, he received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

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