Rev. Dr. Harrison E. Benton Jr. was the eldest of seven children born to Harrison and Georgia Benton in Portsmouth, Virginia, where he was raised and attended public school. His parents recognized very early that their son was gifted with an exceptional ability to draw pictures. At the age of three, he began to exhibit the ability to draw by imitating his uncle Robert Smith, who was already recognized as an accomplished student artist in the city of Portsmouth, Va. Robert’s art work was on public display at several city government buildings and public schools throughout the city.

At Truxton Elementary School, Dr. Benton’s artistic talent was immediately recognized by teachers. When it was learned that he was Robert’s nephew, he was sought out for all school art projects.

Mrs. Mamie B. Harris, the high school art teacher, took Harrison under her wing and began to work with him in all areas of his studies when he entered the eighth grade. Her concern was not just to develop his skills in art, but to develop him as a total person. She played a major role in his life.

When Dr. Benton entered high school, Mrs. Harris continued to work with him as an artist and as a student. She would check with his homeroom teacher during each grading period; and if there were any problems, she would work with him on making the necessary improvements.

Mrs. Harris believed that Dr. Benton had the ability to win the Virginia High School Art Scholarship Competition and worked with him for four years of high school to reach that goal. As Mrs. Harris envisioned it, Dr. Benton became the 22nd Virginia High School Art Scholarship recipient and was awarded a four year scholarship June 1958.

Dr. Benton worked with Mrs. Harris on many art projects for the school and community. His most rewarding experience was to work with her on a major mural she painted at the New Hope Baptist Church in the city of St. Julius Creek, Virginia. As her assistant, he worked on a painting depicting Christ praying in the Garden. Later, he was asked by the pastor, who was also an artist, to complete a painting he had started in his study. It was a painting of the “Last Supper” and he was given full control over the project. Both paintings were graciously received by the congregation and the general public at the unveiling. The church gave Dr. Benton a love offering of $100.00 and this was his first pay day as an artist. As a result of that painting, in 1961, Harrison was commissioned by the Colden Brother’s Funeral Home of Portsmouth, Va to paint two murals. The first was a 12x25 landscape depicting the Garden of Eden in the main auditorium and the second painting was a 12x18 of the Ascension of Jesus Christ.

Those works marked a turning point in Dr. Benton’s career in art. He attracted the attention of key artists in the community such as Thomas Small, a recognized Portsmouth artist; Reuben Burrell, an outstanding illustrator and painter; and Professor Alexander B. Jackson, a prolific draftsman, painter and art teacher at Virginia State College, Norfolk Division (Norfolk State College). All of those artists were members of the “Tri City Art League.” The Art League consisted of art teachers, professional artists and outstanding college art students from the Portsmouth, Norfolk, Newport News and Hampton communities. Dr. Benton was the only High School student to become a part of this group.

After graduating from I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth, he eventually would earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD, a Master of Divinity Degree and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Howard University School of Divinity, Washington, DC (his doctorate dissertation was supported by the six biblical illustrations that became the foundation of Harbens Studio).

Dr. Benton started his government career in 1962 as an enlisted person in the U.S. Army. He worked as an illustrator in the Graphic Art and Design Branch, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. As a member of the Graphic Arts and Design Branch under the directorship of Mildred “Billie” Harshberger, he continued to develop his skills in his chosen field of art. Ms. Harshberger was known as the U.S. Army premier Art Director and was recognized for her unique ability to recruit the top artists drafted into the Army. To have been selected by Ms. Harshberger to be part of her Graphic Arts and Design Branch at Aberdeen Proving Ground was the highest honor a military artist could receive.

Ms. Harshberger recognized Dr. Benton’s exceptional ability to perceive the unique structure of the human body and record that information in his drawings and paintings. She saw this ability as a special gift from God and once said to the other artists that Dr. Benton was a “genius in anatomy.” He was given the responsibility of critiquing all illustrations dealing with human anatomy developed by the staff of the Graphic Branch. He was also assigned the duty of developing pencil portraits of retiring or departing senior officers assigned at the Aberdeen Proving Ground.

Within a year, he was selected for a special assignment to work on the development of the Army’s 35mm visual presentation program with the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operation and Training, USA, Fort Meade, MD. After completing the U.S. Army Still Photography course in 1964, he was assigned to the Central Photography Lab as a photographer and was responsible for all photographic depictions of the social, military, athletic and political life at Fort Meade.

In 1965, Dr. Benton was discharged from active duty and continued his government service as a civilian at the First Army Training Aids Center, Fort Meade, MD. In 1968, he accepted a position with the Air Force at the National Security Agency at Fort Meade as the sole illustrator for the Air Force Intelligence Research Division. His responsibilities included integrating complex intelligence data into briefings for the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence, USAF, and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force.

In 1974, Dr. Benton was assigned to the Visual Display Branch, AF/IN, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. and was promoted to GS-12. He worked as Night Section Chief and within another year, he became the Assistant Branch Chief. In addition to his varied duties as Assistant Branch Chief, Dr. Benton was becoming an acclaimed illustrator and portrait artist. He was commissioned to paint the portrait of General Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr. for WDVM-TV, Channel 9, “The Family Tree” project, in 1979.

In 1980, he was selected by the Air Force to paint the portrait of Colonel Fred Cherry an African American (P.O.W) which is included in the Air Force Art Collection and on display in the Pentagon.

In 1982, Dr. Benton was selected to single-handedly support the graphics, illustrations and visual presentation requirements for over 150 personnel in the Directorate of Programs and Evaluation, HQ USAF. He was responsible for the graphics requirements of three directorates, 25 divisions and over 250 action officers working over 250 projects per year.

In 1987, Dr. Benton was selected as a “Local Notable” for the city of Portsmouth, Virginia and was honored among other Portsmouth natives for outstanding lifetime contributions, especially in the field of art.

As a federal employee, his awards include four Sustained Superior Performance Awards, six Outstanding Performance Awards, one Quality Step Increase, an Outstanding Unit Award and six Merit Pay Cash Awards as a general manager. His retirement ceremony was held at the Pentagon in 1994.

Dr. Benton was an ordained Itinerant Elder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He founded/pastored Word Of Life AME church in 1996 (later renamed New Creation A.M.E church), Fort Washington, Maryland and retired in 2014.

Dr. Benton is survived by his wife of 40 years, Beverly, five children and two grandsons.