 Among her numerous awards and honors, Bennett was a fellow of the National Endowment for the Humanities and fellow of American Council of Learned Societies.She won the Keats-Shelley Association of America - Distinguished Scholar Award in 1992 and was Founding President, Phi Beta Kappa, Zeta Chapter at American University.Born in Brooklyn, New York, Bennett graduated from Brooklyn College "magna cum laude" and later received a master's degree (1962) and PhD (1970) in English and American literature from New York University.