William Bennett and The Bennett Family Foundation

William G. Bennett is considered by many casino industry experts to be among the first 100 people who shaped Southern Nevada. Widely recognized for his business acumen, William was also deeply respected for his work ethic and generosity. His spirit of giving is evident in his significant philanthropic contributions to a variety of local organizations, UNLV.

In the late 1990s, William donated the first of a series of important gifts to UNLV, a $2.5 million gift for the Bennett Professional Development Center. The center, administered by UNLV’s College of Education, serves as an interactive training facility for student teachers. Soon thereafter, he donated $5 million to establish the Lynn Bennett Early Childhood Education Center, an on-campus preschool facility where UNLV early childhood education students have access and exposure to “real-life” teaching as part of their educational curriculum.

Following on the heels of those significant donations, The Bennett Family Foundation provided a $2 million-dollar gift for the Science and Engineering Building at UNLV that allowed the university to plan a state-of-the-art facility to accommodate enrollment growth in the sciences and engineering and faculty research.

The Bennett Family Foundation, through the leadership of his daughter, Diana Bennett, continues William’s philanthropic legacy at the university and in our community. Diana is a valued member of the UNLV Foundation Board of Trustees and has expanded upon her father’s significant contributions with significant philanthropic gifts of her own, including support for the Black Mountain Institute and the Honors College.

In 2009, William Bennett and The Bennett Foundation were honored as Diamond members of the Palladium Society, or donors who have contributed a cumulative of $10 million or more to UNLV.