The Benschoter Legacy of Giving

Leon “Benny” Gilbert Benschoter, passed away on December 3, 2021, with his wife and his four proud children by his side. Benny will be remembered as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather as well as a friend and coworker. His impact was felt by so many because of his generous spirit, servant leadership, and gentle humor.

Leon was born in Algona, Iowa and attended high school in Whittemore. He graduated from Iowa State University in 1953 with a business administration degree. While attending Iowa State, three things happened: Leon became affectionately known as Benny, he met his future wife, Reba, and he started a career in commercial and public television.

After working at Iowa State’s WOI TV as a floor director, he helped put KTVO TV in Ottumwa Iowa on the air in 1956. In 1958, he moved his family to Omaha to work at America’s first privately-owned color commercial TV station, KMTV. He jumped at an opportunity to guide the initial operation of KYNE TV, Omaha’s public TV station on the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) campus in 1965.

In 1973, Benny completed a master’s degree in Educational Administration at the UNO. In that same year, he joined Creighton University School of Medicine to build the Department of Medical Television. In 1975, he created a more extensive service unit that became known as Biomedical Communications. In 1976, the unit began to serve all the health sciences in addition to the Medical School.

In 1977, Benny was named Director of the Bio-Information Center including the Health Sciences Library and Learning Resources Center while he continued to manage the Biomedical Communications.

Benny was added to the Vice President for Health Sciences staff as an Assistant Vice President and began managing all instructional and research space in the health science in 1985. Benny was the person who first conceptualized the Beirne Research Tower that continues to serve the University today.

In 1991, Benny expanded his work into a growing Information Technology program in a new position as Vice President. He advocated for and oversaw the implementation of computer technology across the Creighton campus including the wiring of seven student residence halls. His question quite frequently was “what is best for the students?” He also wrote and received funding of a $1,000,000 grant to provide fellowships to faculty members who desired to infuse the use of technology in their teaching.

Benny was known as a leader, innovator, communicator, and builder and he believed in helping others to do the same. Known as a “most visible administrator” at Creighton, he often walked the areas where his staff provided resources and services or popped into classrooms where faculty were using the technology he passionately believed in. To many students who studied in the Creighton Health Sciences Library, he was lovingly known as “the Enforcer” because of his walking through the study cubicles. To them, he appeared to be monitoring their behavior when he was really monitoring their needs and making sure his team was meeting them. He “retired” from Creighton in 1997 after 24 years of service.

Never really retired, Benny continued to support the university, its basketball team, and many other opportunities that struck him as needing whatever he had to offer.

Benny received the “Distinguished Faculty/Administrator Award” from Creighton in 1996. He received the “Golder Raster Award” from the Health Sciences Communications Association. He also served on Omaha’s Cable TV Advisory Board for 8 years. Benny and Reba also made multiple trips to China through Project Hope to share their knowledge of instructional technology in medical teaching.

Benny was recognized for many efforts and contributions that he shared with others from the Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Elkhorn Valley Antique Power tractor club, AARP, as an alumni of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, the Stephen Center Homeless Shelter, and his coworkers. Through the Friendship Force Program, he and Reba traveled extensively abroad and hosted foreign visitors to the United States.

Benny also loved his family and was married to his wife, Reba, for more than 65 years. Using carpentry skills developed in his early TV days, he made many home improvements and helped his children create their homes. Benny was always interested in the lives and education of his grandchildren. He was also the impetus for the annual Benschoter family reunion and enjoyed connection with the extended Benschoter clan.

Reba Ann (Patterson) Benschoter, Ph.D., passed away at home on January 1, 2023.  Her impact was felt by so many because of her generous spirit, quick wit, and the ability to call a situation as she saw it with candor and sometimes gentle humor.

She will be remembered as a wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother as well as a friend, volunteer, and coworker. Reba was a master at finding the right dress pin to wear on any outfit for any occasion (including coffee on Thursdays), and her family members have fond memories of giving her additions to her collection. She will also be remembered for determination, steadfast faith and industry leadership in telemedicine.

Reba Patterson was born in Smithland, Iowa, to Glenn and Lorraine (Dunn) Patterson. The oldest of three children, she attended school at Saint Patrick’s Academy in Danbury. Reba graduated from Briar Cliff College and continued her education at Iowa State University. While working on her master’s degree on using television in education, Reba met her future husband, Leon G. “Benny” Benschoter. The pair worked at WOI-TV on the Iowa State University campus until Benny took a position at KTVO in Ottumwa, Iowa. It was not long before she and Benny married. Reba moved to Ottumwa, and their lives became intertwined both personally and professionally. Both of them proudly worked in the burgeoning television industry.

Following Benny to Omaha as he took a job at KMTV, Reba was looking for a job in psychology. Instead, she began her tenure at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in 1957 as an audiovisual specialist in the College of Medicine’s Nebraska Psychiatric Institute (NPI). She worked in several teaching and directing positions before becoming the director of the communications division of NPI in 1962. In 1970, the Board of Regents created the Biomedical Communications Division and named Reba the director for the entire UNMC campus. In 1978, after seven years as a part-time graduate student and many long commutes to Lincoln, Reba received her doctorate from the University of Nebraska Lincoln. She became a professor emerita in 2000. Additionally, she was associate dean for the School of Allied Health Professions (SAHP) from 1985 to 1995.

Hallmarks of Reba’s career at UNMC include pioneering telemedicine (long before COVID-19) and increasing learning opportunities and services in rural parts of Nebraska. In 1964, Reba became project director on the creation and operation of the first U.S. two-way closed-circuit telemedicine system. Recently, the Nebraska television project has been heralded as one of the first successful demonstrations in the blooming field of “telemedicine.” Back in 1966, however, the term had not yet been coined. She was also active nationally in the development of these and other new technology applications, serving on councils, task forces, and government study committees. In 1991, Reba participated in the planning and implementation of NEB*SAT, a statewide satellite TV system for rural communication and education.

Reba and Benny were active members of the Health and Science Communications Association (HESCA) and she served as the organization’s president in 1977. In 1981, the organization recognized both Reba and Benny with its highest honor for their service and achievement.

As associate dean for the School of Allied Health Professions, Reba increased professional programs and student enrollment to address shortages in allied health professional services. A program that was dear to her was the extension of health services to rural Nebraska through the Rural Health Education Network (RHEN).

Benny and Reba made multiple trips to China through Project Hope to share their knowledge of instructional technology in medical teaching. Through the Friendship Force Program, Reba and Benny traveled extensively abroad and hosted foreign visitors to the United States. There were no strangers at the Benschoter dinner table and the family often was extended on holidays to include those who had no family to share with.

Early in life, Reba was an accomplished photographer as evidenced by a collection of albums detailing the growth of her family and travels. Her artistic talent was evident in the homes she and Benny created over the years. She often had the ideas and Benny brought them to life through his own talent as a craftsman. Reba and Benny also enjoyed collecting the artwork of up-and-coming artists.

Reba gave her talents to many efforts. She mentored, taught, or hired dozens of people into the profession of which she was a leader. After Reba’s retirement in 2000, she served as a member of the Executive Council for AARP Nebraska and Assistant Manager of the Nebraska AARP Information Center. She was active at the Stephen Center Homeless Shelter as a member of the Board of Directors and a long-time volunteer. As a 50-year member of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, she served on the Parish Council and supported many other Parish projects and activities, and she was a longtime volunteer at Lauritzen Botanical Gardens.