Benham a man of vision

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Columnist

BENHAM: Always made athletes top priority

In typical well-reasoned, single-spaced form with detailed paradigms attached, the late Interscholastic League of Honolulu executive secretary a while ago set out his latest dream of a united, classified high school athletic structure and a three-tier state football playoff format.

One that would embrace all the islands and all the schools — public and private, large and small — to the benefit of every student. One that addressed the needs of the future while celebrating the past.

It says something about Benham that ever since taking on the ILH position more than 30 years ago, he pushed and constantly refined a plan that, had it been adopted, might have done away with his job.

But that was Benham, a man who, as the only executive secretary the all-private school ILH has known, was continually guided by the principle of doing what was best for the students. "The kids," he would remind people, "are why we're here."

As his 81 years of life and accomplishments in a career as an athlete, teacher, coach and administrator are honored in memorial services today at Central Union Church (visitation at 3 p.m., services at 4 p.m.), they will recall a man dedicated to education and athletics and all that linked them.

Since the lamentable breakup of the old ILH, he was the glue that held the new league together, certainly no easy task when administering a lineup that has grown to 24 disparate schools and the dozens of sports it offers.

The skill with which he accomplished this task and the tireless zeal that carried him through three decades as one of the state's longest serving athletic administrators earned him a title of "Mr. ILH." Though, true to his nature, he was the first to tell you it was the kids who the ILH was all about. And it was their coaches who made it work. It was something he never lost sight of, or let anybody else forget.

When politics began to cloud an issue or personalities and age-old grudges got involved in the decision-making process, Benham could step back and ask, "What's best for the kids?"

It was why, with persistence of purpose, he was able to seek compromise. It was why he patiently, and against long odds, worked to try to bring the ILH and OIA together again despite all that has divided them.

With his passing, the ILH has lost a leader and high school athletes in all leagues have been deprived of a man of uncommon vision and an articulate advocate.