Tom Benson | New Orleans Saints Ring of Honor | NewOrleansSaints.com
New Orleans Saints owner
1985-2018
Tom Benson's Early Career
In a career in business and professional sports that spanned over 70 years, Tom Benson was an endearing figure in his hometown of New Orleans as well as throughout the NBA and the NFL. Mr. Benson served as the owner of the New Orleans Pelicans since 2012 and the New Orleans Saints since 1985 until his death on March 15, 2018. He was survived by his wife Gayle.
Thomas Milton Benson, Jr. was born on July 12, 1927 in New Orleans. Raised in the city's St. Roch neighborhood, Mr. Benson graduated from St. Aloysius High School (Now Brother Martin) in 1944. Following his graduation, he enrolled at Loyola University New Orleans to study business and accounting. He interrupted his education to enlist in the U.S. Navy in 1945, where he was assigned to the USS South Dakota. Upon the conclusion of World War II, Mr. Benson returned home to New Orleans and continued his business administration studies.
In 1948, he went to work as a bookkeeper for the Cathey Chevrolet Co. in New Orleans and by 1956, at age 29, Mr. Benson was on his way to manage a Chevrolet dealership as a junior partner. Six years later, he took full control of the company and established a multi-dealership organization with outlets throughout the New Orleans area and South Texas. In 1972, Mr. Benson entered the banking business and eventually took his banking network public as Benson Financial World.
By the 1980's Mr. Benson had built a highly successful network in the automotive and banking industries in both Southeast Louisiana and South Texas, but while a fan of the game of football and the Saints, the sport had yet to become one of his passions. However, he realized the importance of the New Orleans Saints to his hometown and on May 31, 1985, he purchased the team after learning that the NFL franchise was on the verge of being sold to parties interested in relocating the team.
Benson Turns the Team Around
Not surprisingly, success soon followed as the Saints entered the most compelling and memorable period in franchise history under Mr. Benson's leadership after having previously not enjoyed a winning record or a playoff berth. In 1986, in one of his first personnel moves as Owner, he hired Jim Finks as president/general manager and Jim Mora as head coach. In 1987, the Saints broke through with a 12-3 record and hosted their first playoff contest. In its first 17 seasons of existence, the Saints won a total of 73 games. Under Benson's guidance, the franchise exceeded that win total in only eight years by 1992. The Saints reached even greater heights in 2006, when he entrusted Executive Vice-President/General Manager Mickey Loomis to hire Sean Payton as head coach and sign free agent quarterback Drew Brees. Since those moves, the franchise has reached its highest point of success, posting a 119-85 overall record over the last 12 years, capped by the Super Bowl XLIV Championship. Overall, since being purchased by Mr. Benson in 1985, the Saints have earned 11 playoff berths, six division titles and captured Super Bowl XLIV in 2009, building a foundation for continued success, on and off the field. Mr. Benson's commitment to winning and serving the community was an opportunity to reward the team's fans, whose support has reached new heights with the Mercedes-Benz Superdome being sold-out on a season ticket basis for every campaign since 2006, with a waiting list of over 73,000 people. By the end of the 2017 season, the consecutive sellout streak had extended to 122 games.
During Mr. Benson's illustrious career, 50 of his players were Pro Bowl selections, including two AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year selections by Brees and him being named AP Athlete of the Year and Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in 2010 and three offensive or defensive Rookies of the Year. Also four of Benson's players were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Benson created a team Ring of Honor that features players from the past, while creating a special place for Saints stars of the future to be recognized. Possessing the desire to give back to the great game of football, in 2014 Mr. Benson pledged two significant gifts totaling $11 million to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. $10 million was earmarked for the immediate renovation of the Hall's onsite stadium, which hosts the annual enshrinement ceremony, the NFL Hall of Fame Game, two high school football teams and two college teams in Canton, Ohio, which was renamed "Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium." The additional one million dollars is the first donation towards the establishment of the Hall of Fame's Legends Landing program, a mixed-use residence that will include room for Hall of Famers and former NFL Players.
