Born in Vernon, Texas, to Benton and Nell Scott Love, Benton F. Love (1924-2006) studied at Trinity College in Waxahachie before transferring to the University of Texas at Austin. After the United States entered World War II, Love left school in 1942 to become a pilot in the U. S. Army Air Corps. Between 1944 and 1945, he flew 25 B-17 bomber missions over Germany as a captain in the 8th Air Force's 351st Bomb Group, based at Polebrook, England. Upon returning the states, Love finished his business degree and moved to Houston, where he began a successful gift-wrap company. In 1967, he became senior vice president of Texas Commerce Bank, where he would spend the next 22 years revolutionizing Texas banking by emphasizing aggressive sales and marketing before retiring in 1989. A fixture in Houston and philanthropic circles, Love served as first chairman of the Greater Houston Partnership and raised funds for the Texas Medical Center, in addition to serving on the boards of dozens of private companies and nonprofits.
Source:
Tolson, Mike. "Ben Love, icon of banking and charitable causes."
The Ben F. Love World War II Memoir, 1994, describes Love's combat experience flying 25 missions over Germany in a B-17 bomber from 1944 to 1945. The narrative is based on diary entries Love recorded after each mission with the 8th Air Force's 351st Bomb Group.
This collection is open for research use.
Ben F. Love World War II Memoir, 1994, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s