Benson became the first person to receive a master's degree in journalism from the University of Iowa, breaking new ground for women in the field.
In 1928, Mildred Augustine Wirt made history by becoming the first person—male or female—to earn a Master of Arts degree in journalism from the University of Iowa. This achievement was especially remarkable for a woman of her era, as journalism was an overwhelmingly male-dominated profession in the early twentieth century, and graduate education for women in professional fields was rare.
Her academic accomplishment reflected both her personal drive and the University of Iowa's relatively progressive journalism program, which allowed her to hone the storytelling, structure, and investigative skills that she would later apply to writing over 100 books, including the original Nancy Drew mystery series under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene.
This credential set her apart from her contemporaries in the Stratemeyer Syndicate's stable of ghostwriters, most of whom lacked her formal training. It also paved the way for her subsequent decades-long career as a hard-news reporter, aviation columnist, and archaeology writer—professions in which women were scarcely represented. The University of Iowa continues to honor this milestone through its journalism school and the Iowa Women's Archives, which preserves her papers and legacy.