Milestones, Oct. 10, 1955

Married. Barbara Benson, 21, eldest daughter of Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson; and Dr. Robert Harris Walker, 33, Canadian surgeon; in a Mormon ceremony performed by the Secretary, a member of the Council of Twelve of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints; in the Salt Lake City Temple.

Married. Eddie Fisher, 27, wavy-haired TV and jukebox (I Believe) star; and Debbie Reynolds (real name: Mary Frances Reynolds), 23, kittenish cinemactress (Hit the Deck); in a surprise finish to a loudly publicized, twelvemonth, on-again-off-again romance; in Grossinger, N.Y. Then they dashed off to spend part of their honeymoon at a Coca-Cola (his TV sponsor) bottlers' convention.

Died. James Dean, 24, most promising young cinemactor of 1955 (East of Eden) ; in a collision as he sped along a darkening highway in his silver Porsche Spyder sports car to enter a road race one week after he completed work in a new film, Giant; near Paso Robles, Calif.

Died. Rear Admiral John Richard Perry, 56, organizer of the Seabees during World War II, chief of the Navy's Bureau of Yards and Docks since 1953; of a heart attack; in Washington.

Died. Shigeo Odachi, 63, iron-fisted director of the General Affairs Bureau in Japan's puppet Manchukuo government, wartime mayor of Singapore, Home Minister (1944), member of the Diet since 1953; of cancer; in Tokyo.

Died. Michael Chekhov, 64, Russian-born stage and film actor, nephew of Author Anton Chekhov, member of the famed Moscow Art Theater (1913-28) under Stanislavsky, dramatic coach, longtime Hollywood character actor (Spellbound); of a heart attack; in Beverly Hills.

Died. Louis Leon Thurstone, 68, director of the University of North Carolina's psychometric laboratory, longtime (1924-52) professor of psychology at the University of Chicago, author (The Vectors of the Mind), pioneer in the application of the techniques of mathematics and mechanics to psychology; of a heart condition; in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Died. Herbert L. Stone, 83, president (since 1938) of Yachting Publishing Corp., longtime (1908-52) editor of Yachting magazine (circ. 60,600), author (The A.B.C. of Boat Sailing); in Manhattan.

Died. Harry B. Mitchell, 88, Scottish-born, longtime (1933-51) U.S. Civil Service chief, three-time Democratic mayor of Great Falls, Mont., three-time unsuccessful Democratic candidate for Congress; of a cerebral hemorrhage; in Great Falls.