Newspaper Page Text
THE PANTHER 3E
CLARK COLLEGE JANUARY 24, 1974
Henderson Cited As Dynamic Leader
President Vivian W. Henderson
By FANNIE FLONO
“What I appreciate most
about him is that he en
courages intellectual fer
ment, promotes dialogue,
and stimulates adventu
rous action within the aca
demic community over
which he presides, ’’ said
Dr. Robert Myers, assis
tant professor of Religion
and Philosophy at Clark Col
lege for seven years.
For eight years as Clark’s
president, Dr. Vivian W.
Henderson has been much
more than a “stimulator of
adventurous action: ’ ’ He has
been the catalyst for pro
gressive change. Under his
leadership, Clark has emer
ged one of the leading small
Black colleges in the nation
pioneering in cirricular and
administrative reform.
A graduate of the Univer
sity of Iowa, Dr. Henderson
is a nationally recognized
economist who conducted pio
neer studies of the Black
labor market in the 1950’s.
Prior to his appointment
as Clark’s president, Dr.
Henderson held positions as
administrator, professor
and chairman of the depart
ment of economics at Fisk
University.
Former President Lyn
don B. Johnson appointed
Dr. Henderson to several
task forces and commiss
ions. He prepared papers
for the 1966 and 1967 White
House Conferences on Ci
vil Rights and was named
to the Commission on Rural
Poverty in 1967 -1968.
Henderson has written
recent articles on higher
education and race relations.
He was a speaker at the In
ternational Conference on
the “Role of Cooperative
and Public Economies in
Democratic Societies” held
in Israel.
During his presidency, Dr.
Henderson has made many
improvements at Clark. Ac
cording to Dean of Students,
C.D. Gillespie, these im
provements include:
1. Increased professional
personnel staff
2. Educational Options In
creased
3. Faculty and staff sa
laries increased apprecia
bly
4. Number of doctorates
increased
5. Increased involvement
in. community affairs by
faculty and staff
6. Men of Clark formed
7. McPheeters - Dennis
Building completed
8. Students given increas
ed opportunities in insti
tutional goverance
9. Successful fund-raising
campaign laucnhed
Dr. Pearlie C. Dove, who
has been with Clark since
1949, says Dr. Henderson
has demonstrated astute lead
ership in keeping the col
lege “afloat” during some
very crucial years.
“Faced with the daily
frustrations experienced in
guiding the institution, an
individual without Dr. Hen
derson’s tenacity and dedi
cation would have given up
long ago,” Dr. Dove said.
“However, the institut
ion has not only been able
to maintain its stability,
but enriched the curricu
lum, increased options and
enrollment, and continues
to attract highly qualified
staff.”
In addition to being
Clark’s president, Dr. Hen
derson has served in many
capacities for various or
ganizations and community
projects.
presently ' Dr. Hender
son serves on the Board of
Trustees of the Ford Foun
dation. He is also a direc
tor of the Citizens and Sou
thern Bank, the National Ur
ban Coalition, the Teachers’
Insurance and Annuity As
sociation of America (TIAA),
and tne Atlanta Chamber of
Commerce. Other director
ships include the National
Continued on Back Page
Clark’s First Lady Is A "Gem”
Anna Powell Henderson,
President Vivian Hender
son’s wife for almost 25
years, is an amiable con
trast to the time-worn adage
of “The woman behind the
man.”
Mrs. Henderson, whose
poised manner reflects her
inner calmn, is a gem whose
capsulized philosophy of life
is hard work and honesty.
The articulate housewife
warmly relates how she met
Dr. Henderson while attend
ing Prairie View College
at Prairie , View, Texas.
“He (Henderson) was my
teacher and it was his first
teaching job.”
“I worked as a student
aide at the school cafete
ria as a cashier. Natural
ly, he had to come by every
day to pay for his meals,”
she said.
However, when news of
the romance spread, she was
discharged from the col
lege.
Though Mrs. Henderson
had ambitions of her own (“I
always thought I wanted to
be an R. N. I don’t know
why or how I changed my
mind.” she concentrated her
energies on her marriage
By BRENDA L. CAMP
‘ and her growing family.
The Vi vianHenderson’s
have four children, Wyo-
nella, 20, a junior at Fisk
Uiversity; Dwight, 18,
a freshman at Clark; David,
17, a senior at Washington
High; and Kimberly, 10, a
fifth-grader at Magaret
Mitchell School.
According to Mrs. Hen
derson, life with the Pre
sident is “very nice.”
“We have a very nice fa
mily. Although the children
have missed his presence
at times, they’re none the
worse for it.”
“We are a happy family.
We sort of do our thing,
and he does what he’s happy
at doing. When we are to
gether, we make the best
of it.”
The Hendersons moved
to Atlanta in 1965. Mrs.
Henderson likes it here.
“Atlanta has the ills of
all large cities, but it also
has its good aspects. It af
fords things I enjoy doing,”
she said.
Mrs. Henderson, the gra
cious lady that she finds
time to be civicly involv
ed. To her credit, she has
served on the Atlanta
Mayor’s Youth Council un
der Sam Massell, as a past
board member for the
YWCA, as board member
of the United Methodist Chil
dren’s Home at Decatur, as
a board member the At
lanta Metro Girl’s Club.
The list goes on and on.
Concerning all her acti
vities, Mrs. Henderson says
“I just try to do a job.”
She is a member of the
Warren Memorial United
Methodist Church.
Mrs. Henderson was born
in Bryan, Texas and atten
ded public schools there.
She was an only child and
was orphaned when she was
four years old. An aunt,
who still lives in Bryan,
reared her.
Her leisure time, though
scarce, includes golf and
bridge.
“I like golf. I used to play
quite regularly until he (Dr.
Henderson) got too busy to
play.”
“I do enjoy bridge. I’m
a bridge-fiend,” she said,
laughing lightly.
Mrs. Anna Powell Henderson