At Ohio Wesleyan, he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity.
For his service during the war, he was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal and his commendation reads, in part, "As Director in charge of the Educational Work undertaken in the Third Army of the American Expeditionary Forces, by his marked ability, untiring energy, and loyal devotion to his task, Dr. Benton contributed in a large measure to the successful results obtained in this vast undertaking.
He served as the third president of the University of the Philippines from 1921 to 1925 In 1889, Benton married Dolla Konantz of Arcadia, Kansas.
He was also a member of the forensics honorary Tau Kappa Alpha and served as its national president from 1915 to 1917.
Benton died in Minneapolis, Minnesota and is buried next to his wife in the Miami University plot of the Oxford Cemetery and his headstone indicates that he was "President of Miami University" and "National President of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity."