John W. F. Bennett (c. 1875 – August 30, 1943) was an American

civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing ...

and

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

player. He played football for the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

from 1896 to 1898. As a civil engineer, he supervised the construction of important buildings in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, including the

Algonquin Hotel The Algonquin Hotel is a hotel at 59 West 44th Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States. The 181-room hotel, opened in 1902, was designed by architect Goldwin Starrett for the Puritan Realty Company. The hotel has hosted numer ...

in New York and the

Ritz Ritz or The Ritz may refer to: Facilities and structures Hotels * The Ritz Hotel, London, a hotel in London, England * Hôtel Ritz Paris, a hotel in Paris, France * Hotel Ritz (Madrid), a hotel in Madrid, Spain * Hotel Ritz (Lisbon), a hotel in ...

and Waldorf Hotels in London.

Biography

Early years

Bennett was born in Chicago in approximately 1875. His father, John Wesley Bennett (1837–1920), was a lawyer in Chicago who had served as a lieutenant colonel in the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. In 1885, the family moved to Austin, Illinois, which was then a sparsely settled suburb of Chicago. Bennett played football at Austin High School.

University of Michigan

After graduating from high school, Bennett enrolled at the

. He played for the

Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football team represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins in college football history. The team is known for its ...

and track teams for three years. He played football at the

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

position in 1896 and at end in 1897 and 1898. He was the captain of the 1898 team that won the school's first Western Conference championship with an undefeated and tie-free record of 10–0. At the time of his election as the Michigan team captain, the ''Detroit Free Press'' wrote: "Bennett is a Michigan player through and through, and his rise to his present position of prominence in football circles came by steady, hard work." He graduated from Michigan in 1899 with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. Bennett remained active in University of Michigan affairs in his later years. He was the president of the University of Michigan Club from 1917 to 1918. He also served as president of the "M" Club, the organization of Michigan's varsity letter winners, from 1939 to 1941. In 1943, he was elected president of the Touchdown Club of America.

Engineering career

Bennett worked for the Thompson-Starrett Company in New York from 1901 to 1904. During these years, he supervised the construction of the St. Regis and

s in New York and a factory for

Bailey Banks and Biddle Bailey Banks & Biddle was a retailer of jewelry formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1832. History Bailey & Kitchen, as it was originally known, was founded at 136 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, on September 20, 1832, by Joseph Trowbri ...

, jewelers, in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. From 1904 to 1909, Bennett worked for the Waring-White Building Company of

London, England London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...

. During this time, he supervised the construction of the Ritz Hotel, the Waldorf Hotel, the Morning Post Building, three

London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent ceremonial counties of England, counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and He ...

stations, the Liverpool Cotton Exchange and the

Lancaster Town Hall Lancaster Town Hall is a municipal building in Dalton Square, Lancaster, Lancashire, England. It is a Grade II* listed building. History The building was commissioned to replace the aging town hall, now the city museum, in Market Square. The n ...

. Bennett returned to New York in 1910 and served as the New York City Deputing and Acting Commissioner of Water Supply. In that position, he advised the city on engineering matters arising out of the water department's $10 million annual budget. From 1914 to 1918, Bennett was a consulting engineer working for the president of the Borough of Bronx. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Bennett served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

. He was a major in the

Quartermaster Corps Following is a list of Quartermaster Corps, military units, active and defunct, with logistics duties: * Egyptian Army Quartermaster Corps - see Structure of the Egyptian Army * Hellenic Army Quartermaster Corps (''Σώμα Φροντιστών ...

and supervised the construction of a supply base in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. After being discharged from the Army, Bennett worked for the American Sugar Refining Company from 1919 to 1923. He was chairman of the company's engineering consulting board and oversaw the construction of the company's refinery in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. In 1924, Bennett was hired by the engineering and construction firm, Stevens & Wood, Inc. He was a vice president of the company from 1924 to 1930.

Family and death

In his later years, Bennett lived at 1105 Park Avenue in New York. His wife, Harriet Connable Bennett, died in 1941. Bennett died at his Park Avenue home in 1943 at age 68. He was survived by his son John Connable Bennett, who was serving in the U.S. Army Air Forces at the time. His grandson, John C. Bennett, Jr., was living with Bennett at the time of Bennett's death.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, John W. F. 1870s births 1943 deaths 19th-century players of American football American civil engineers American football ends American football guards Michigan Wolverines football players United States Army officers Players of American football from Chicago Engineers from Illinois University of Michigan College of Engineering alumni Military personnel from Illinois United States Army personnel of World War I Austin Community Academy High School alumni