AUSTIN, Texas—A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m., Thursday, May 17 at Trinity United Methodist Church at 600 East 50th St., for Gordon Bennett, associate professor of government and Asian studies, who died on May 11 at the age of 67.
Bennett specialized in the politics of China and Japan and served on the Board of Directors of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations from 1976 to 1994. He taught courses on Politics in China, East Asian International Relations, Authoritarian Regimes and Theories of Revolution. He also taught courses on environmental politics.
Bennett wrote “Huadong: The Story of A Chinese People’s Commune,” “China’s Finance and Trade,” “Yundong: Mass Campaigns in Chinese Communist Leadership” and “Red Guard: The Political Biography of Dai Sia-Ai” (published in English, French and Japanese).
Since he arrived at the university in 1971, Bennett served as undergraduate adviser, graduate adviser and assistant chair of the Department of Government. He was in the process of retiring.
He was a member of the City of Austin Airport Advisory Board from 1989 to 1992 and was the president of the Cherrywood Neighborhood Association from 1987 to 1996.
Bennett earned his doctor’s degree at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
He is survived by his wife, Karen, and his two daughters, Meaghan and Claire.
For more information, call the Department of Government at 512-471-5121.
For more information contact: Christian Clarke Casarez, director of public affairs, College of Liberal Arts, 512-471-4945.
