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A native of Bedford, Ohio, David Henderson crafted an influential 28-year career as Athletics Director from 1954-81. As the longest-tenured AD in school history, he expanded and shaped the athletics program during four different decades.
Henderson was a standout collegiate athlete at Wooster College before graduating in 1939. He also earned a master's degree in physical education from Ohio State.
After serving four years in the Navy during World War II, Henderson came to then-Harpur College in 1954. Having grown up during the Depression, Henderson was well-suited to persevere amid limited support in the early years. Obstacles included a lack of facilities, sparse funding and a narrow campus view of the relevance of athletics.
Henderson worked expertly within those parameters and led a steady expansion and raised respect for not only the importance of athletics, but physical education, recreation and intramurals on campus.
His legacy includes the planning and usage of the the East Gymnasium in 1958 and the West Gymnasium in 1969. The $2.4 million East Gym was the first building at the new Vestal campus and then Henderson planned the $2.6 million West Gym and adjoining fields.
Sports added during Henderson's long tenure were men's swimming and diving, men's soccer, women's swimming and diving, wrestling, women's tennis, women's volleyball, fencing, women's basketball, women's cross country and track and softball.
Henderson expanded the department faculty to more than 20 tenured instructors, hired six future Hall of Fame coaches plus one longtime women's administrator. He steered the college into its affiliation with both the NCAA and ECAC and along the way, found time to coach cross country, baseball and golf.
He retired in 1981 having played a pivotal role in the development of a stable, wide-ranging athletics program that was poised for success.
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