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Peter B. Bensinger

1936 – 2025

DEA Administrator

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About Peter B. Bensinger

Lived 1936 – 2025 (aged 88). Peter B. Bensinger was an American business executive.

Peter B. Bensinger (March 24, 1936 – February 11, 2025) was an American government official who served as the 2nd Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from 1976 to 1981.

Life and career Bensinger was appointed Acting DEA Administrator on January 23, 1976, and confirmed by the United States Senate on February 5, 1976. Bensinger was sworn in as administrator on February 23, 1976. He served in the administrations of Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. During his tenure with the DEA, undercover agents were able to infiltrate the infamous operation of Nicky Barnes - the powerful heroin kingpin known as "Mr. Untouchable" - and secure his arrest.

Bensinger graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy. After graduation from Yale University, he worked as a General sales manager with the Brunswick Corporation (1958–1968) and with the Illinois Attorney General among other positions. In 1982, Bensinger became president and CEO of Bensinger, DuPont & Associates in Chicago, established 1982. He died on February 11, 2025, at the age of 88.

Awards Bensinger was inducted as a Laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois and awarded the Order of Lincoln (the State's highest honor) by the Governor of Illinois in 1998 in the area of Government.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
Yale University, Phillips Exeter Academy

People in Peter B. Bensinger's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Peter B. Bensinger's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Peter B. Bensinger?

DEA Administrator

When was Peter B. Bensinger born?

Peter B. Bensinger was born on 24 March 1936 in Chicago.

When did Peter B. Bensinger die?

Peter B. Bensinger died on 11 February 2025.

What was Peter B. Bensinger's occupation?

Peter B. Bensinger was a business executive.

What nationality was Peter B. Bensinger?

Peter B. Bensinger was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Peter B. Bensinger

· Wikidata: Q7172600

· DBpedia: Peter B. Bensinger

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Peter B. Bensinger. https://biography.guide/peter-b-bensinger/

MLA: "Peter B. Bensinger." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/peter-b-bensinger/.

Chicago: "Peter B. Bensinger." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/peter-b-bensinger/.

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