[1] A doctoral student of biostatistician Rupert Griel Miller at the Stanford University School of Humanities and Sciences,[2][3] Bentley graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Mathematics and Statistics in 1962.
[8] Bentley is known locally for his role in creating Pomona College's tradition of revering the number 47.
[6][5] It began in the summer of 1964,[9] when two students, Laurie Mets and Bruce Elgin, conducted a research project seeking to find out whether the number occurs more often in nature than would be expected by chance.
They documented various 47 sightings, and Bentley produced a false mathematical proof that 47 was equal to all other integers.
The number became a meme among the class, which spread once the academic year began and snowballed over time.