When Gary Messersmith arrived in Benton as a fourth-grader in the early 1950s, he could not have imagined how deeply his life would become intertwined with the local school system. Nearly seven decades later, his journey from Lincoln Elementary School student to Benton High School principal to long-serving school board member represents an extraordinary commitment to education in our community.

Messersmith's path to Benton began in Wyoming, where his father worked as a superintendent for a Union Pacific coal mine. When a devastating mine disaster struck Franklin County—claiming dozens of lives days before Christmas —the federal government dispatched mine inspectors to the area with expanded authority to ensure safety. Messersmith's father, newly appointed as a federal mine inspector, relocated the family to Benton, and young Gary began attending Lincoln Elementary School.

After graduating from Benton High School in 1962, Messersmith pursued a double major in art and education at Southern Illinois University. Upon completing his degree, he returned to Benton High School—this time as an art teacher. What followed was a remarkable 29-year career in education that evolved from teaching to administration.

"I went from department head to assistant principal at the high school, and then principal," Messersmith recalls. He served as principal for approximately five years before retiring in 1995, taking advantage of an early retirement incentive offered by the state.

Retirement, however, didn't diminish his connection to education. Messersmith joined the faculty at Southern Illinois University, where he taught and supervised student teachers for 16 years. "When I retired from high school, I went to the student teaching part of the School of Education," he explains. This role allowed him to shape the next generation of educators, passing along the wisdom gained from his classroom and administrative experience.

In 1999, Messersmith's educational journey came full circle when he accepted an appointment to the Benton Grade School District #47 Board of Education, filling a vacancy left by a departing member. He was officially elected to the position in 2001 and has served continuously since then—more than two decades of leadership that has helped guide the district through significant changes.

One of the most notable transformations during his tenure was the shift from neighborhood schools to a centralized PreK-8 facility. While acknowledging the historical value of neighborhood schools like Lincoln, Logan, Grant, and Washington, Messersmith supported the consolidation effort. "I like the school being all in one place. And we worked hard for that," he says.

The process wasn't without challenges. The initial middle school building featured an open-concept design without walls between classrooms—a popular architectural trend that proved impractical. "That concept didn't work at all. We figured that out," Messersmith notes. Drawing from his experience with a similar situation at the high school, he helped guide the district in correcting the design flaws.

Messersmith's perspective on Benton spans eras of economic change. He witnessed the community's struggles after the mines closed in the 1990s, a period when "employment levels dropped, a lot of people couldn't have jobs, and many people moved away." But he also celebrates the resilience shown in recent years. "People who graduated from Benton High School seem to have started all kinds of businesses. They've been just exceptional with that. So there's a lot of success around here now."

As a school board member, Messersmith has been part of a remarkably stable leadership team, with the entire board being consistently re-elected for more than a decade. He credits strong district leadership, particularly superintendents Brent Clark, Scott Govel, and current superintendent Steve Smith, whom he describes as "fantastic...just exceptional."

Perhaps the board's most significant test came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when community divisions over safety measures meant "you had crowds on both sides" at board meetings. Despite these challenges, the board maintained its unity and focus on student needs.

Today, Messersmith takes pride in the educational legacy that spans generations in his family. His son Lee currently serves as Benton's mayor, and his granddaughter Amelia—an accomplished musician who plays nine instruments and sings—is graduating high school this year and continuing her education at Murray State University.

Through his roles as student, teacher, administrator, and board member, Gary Messersmith's life story is inextricably linked with the story of Benton's schools—a relationship that continues to shape our community's future.