Wayne State University Athletics

Bens, a native of Detroit and summa cum laude graduate o Detroit Northwestern HS, was a five-time letterman in football and basketball at City College of Detroit and its successor, Wayne University. An outstanding offensive and defensive end on the Tartar football squads, he earned varsity letters in football in 1933, 1934 and 1935. He received letters in basketball for the 1934-35 and 1935-36 seasons. Though an outstanding football player from the 1930's Bens almost did not participate in athletics when he enrolled at CCD. Bens did not play football at Detroit Northwestern HS, and joined the Tartar freshman squad on a dare from a friend. Little did he or WSU Athletic Hall of Fame coach Joseph G. Gembis know that Bens would emerge as a great end. Bens' specialty on defense was blocking punts. His four blocked punts in a 3-0 win over Hope College in 1933 is still the WSU record today. Three of the blocks were recovered by Wayne, and the key play prior to the winning field goal was an 11-yard carry by Bens on an end-around play in the fourth quarter that gave the Tartars the ball on Hope's seven-yard line. Bens finished the 1933 season with six blocked punts, also a WSU record. Both marks were unofficial national records. The NCAA does not recognize any achievements or records prior to the 1937 season, when official national statistics rankings began. To date, there has never been an individual besides Bens to block four punts in one game at all the NCAA levels. Offensively Bens was a threat to score on long-yardage receptions. Several of his touchdowns were over 50 yards in length. He also was the primary placekicker for Wayne's 1934 squad, and captained the 1935 team. Bens was a starter and center on Wayne's basketball squad, and was on the Wayne team that participated in the United States' Olympic Tryouts in Indianapolis in 1936. At that time tryouts for the Olympics were conducted by inviting various college teams to tournaments. Wayne made it to the third round of the single-elimination tournament before bowing out. Known as "Blitz `n Bens" during his Wayne undergrad days, he was named by the Daily Collegian as the Most Popular Student-of-the-Year in 1935. He was also named a member of the Gas House Gang, and ascended to King in that organization in 1934-35. Other organizations Bens belonged to were the Engineers Club, Arab Fraternity, MacKenzie Honor Society and The Friars Club. Bens graduated from Wayne in 1936 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. After graduation Bens joined the Climax Molybdenum Company, where he worked as an analytical chemist for 21 years. In 1957 he joined the company's sales and development staff, serving as manager of Automotive Development until his retirement in 1974. Bens is currently a consultant for the Kolene Corporation. During World War II Bens worked on chromium base alloys under Government contract with the Naval Bureau of Ordnance on high velocity machine gun liners, and for the Office of Scientific Research and Development on super charger buckets for gas turbines. He received citations from the N.B.O and O.S.R.D. for his contributions in these fields. Bens holds several patents for his work in alloys, and has authored papers on the testing of metals and alloys. He is listed in the "Who's Who Among Automotive Executives," and a member of the prestigious Cafeteria Institute of Technology. Bens holds several professional memberships, including the Society of Automotive Engineers, Engineering Society of Detroit, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, and American Society for Metals. For his efforts in alloys research, Bens was cited as a Distinguished Alumnus of Wayne State University in 1958, and was named a member of Wayne State University's Engineering Hall of Fame in 1985. He is also a former member of the Wayne State Alumni Board of Directors and Athletic Board. He is involved in several Detroit civic activities, including the Detroit Metropolitan Hospital Building Fund, Lochmoor Golf Club, manager of youth baseball and football teams, and the Boy Scouts. Bens was an Eagle Scout as a youth. Bens enjoys golfing and bowling when time permits. He and his wife, Mimi, reside in Grosse Pointe, and have two children, James and Martha.