Life as a Goblin: 99-Year-Old Dr. Joe Bennett shares memories of growing up in Harrison

Published 5:00 am Thursday, October 29, 2026

At 99 years young, Dr. Joe Bennett holds a unique title: he is the oldest living Harrison Goblin. Still as sharp as a tack, Dr. Bennett loves reflecting on his early years in Harrison’s school system and the tight-knit community that shaped his life and career.

Dr. Bennett’s journey through Harrison’s schools mirrors the history of the town itself. He began his education at Central Grade School, located at the corner of West Stephenson and Cherry Street, back when Harrison was a modest community of 3,500 to 4,000 residents. Living on South Oak, he walked to school every day.
He later moved on to Woodland Heights on South Sycamore for junior high—a landmark built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. It was during these years that he took clarinet lessons from a local music teacher in a house directly across from the school. For high school, he attended classes at the building where the Boone County Museum stands today on South Cherry Street.
Knowing early on that he wanted to pursue medicine, Dr. Bennett also attended a military school in Missouri to complete advanced coursework in biology and chemistry. He graduated from Harrison High School in 1944 at just 16 years old. Looking back on his school days, he recalls many fond memories and points to Eula Albright as one of his favorite and most influential teachers.
Following high school, Dr. Bennett attended the University of Arkansas and completed his medical residency in Washington, D.C., and other cities. He initially opened a general practice in Branson, Missouri—long before the town became a major music and tourism hub. Although Branson was a pleasant place to live, Harrison always pulled at his heartstrings.
“Every time we came to Harrison to visit, I always thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to be back here?’” Dr. Bennett remembered.
That dream became a reality after he completed a three-year residency program in radiology. Dr. Bennett returned home to become the very first radiologist at Boone County Hospital. For most of their lives, Dr. Bennett and his wife, Mary Jean, made Harrison their home. The deep connection to the community extends to the next generation as well; all of his children went through the Harrison School District before venturing off to build careers across the country. “I feel like they received a good education here to get them started,” he said.
When asked why he chose to lay down permanent roots in Harrison, Dr. Bennett’s answer comes down to family, community, and peace of mind.
“I had the happiest feelings growing up in Harrison,” Dr. Bennett said. “We had a nice family life; my mother and father were pleasant and made our home a pleasant place to be. I loved the area and the people I grew up around. We would play all over town and didn’t have to worry about anything happening to us. It was such a wonderful place in which to live and grow up.” Decades later, the town’s oldest Goblin remains deeply connected to the area, town, and school district that helped raise him.