During Benson's Governorship, a state geographic board was formed; county welfare boards were organized; compensation insurance for employers was initiated; and state taxes on homesteads was eliminated. After running unsuccessfully for reelection, Benson left office on January 2, 1939. He also was defeated in his 1940 and 1942 bids for the U.S. Senate. Governor Elmer A. Benson passed away on March 13, 1985, and was buried in the Appleton Cemetery in Appleton, Minnesota.
Donor is the daughter of Harvey Gardner. Attorney Harvey Gardner practiced law in Janesville, Minnesota from the time he graduated from law school in 1932 until his death in 1972.
