BENTON HALL ACADEMY SINCE 1977

John M. McLaughlin

When I started Benton Hall, I was 24  1/2-years-old. One thing about being so youthful was that I had no idea what I didn't know. That proved to be a huge advantage. 

Many times I have said the school was blessed by my youth, naiveté, and energy. Those attributes allowed Benton Hall to get rolling. Thirty-nine years later, the school continues as a result of the devotion of many wonderful teachers and administrators over the decades, the generosity of many kind people, and the focus of dozens of board members. 

I named Benton Hall after Thomas Hart Benton, the painter whose last work hangs in The Country Music Hall of Fame. The painting, The Origins of Country Music, was finished but Benton died in front of the canvas before he signed it. He was 85. I became a fan on Benton's art when I saw his mural at the Harry S. Truman Library in Independence, Missouri while on a family vacation in 1967. Thomas Hart Benton carried the same name as his great uncle, who was aide to Andrew Jackson and who eventually became Jackson's political rival. The Benton family home in Leipers Fork in Williamson County burned perhaps twenty years ago. The artist's family ties to middle Tennessee, his last painting hanging in Nashville, and his interesting school career made it easy to name Benton Hall in his honor. 

I have spent my entire career in education, particularly in entrepreneurial efforts, where social activism and business savvy meet. I appreciate the invitation to be a part of the Benton Hall website and offer occasional thoughts on the school and on American schooling.