by Marcia O. McRae

More than 90 members of the Bainbridge College community and area residents gathered on Sunday, Sept. 19, at the Edward D. Mobley Administration Building for the official naming of the Henderson Conference Room in honor of the late Dr. Fred Henderson.

He was a charter faculty member, serving from 1973-1991, and was vice president of academic affairs and dean of the faculty when he retired in 1991.

Among those attending, in addition to founding President Ed Mobley, were Dr. Henderson’s widow, Martha Henderson of Bainbridge, who is an active member of the Bainbridge College Ambassadors; the Hendersons’ daughter, Dr. Kathryn Dumper of Douglasville, and her family, husband, Scott Dumper, their twin daughters, Kaitlin and Sydney, and son, Griffin; and Mrs. Henderson’s sister, Mary Jordan of Birmingham, Ala.

President Tom Wilkerson welcomed those attending and noted that Henderson was an outstanding charter faculty member “and served with great distinction as our chief academic affairs officer from 1984 until his retirement in 1991.”

In addition to teaching English, he chaired the learning support department.

Wilkerson then introduced Dr. Dumper, who spoke on behalf of her mother and herself.

She thanked those who had come, some of whom had traveled far to attend, including family friends and colleagues from Blairsville, and thanked Wilkerson for his effort to have the room named for her father.

Dr. Dumper emphasized how important Bainbridge College was to her father and still is to the family. Gesturing to her wristwatch, like her father used to do, she closed her remarks, noting that he had taught her to speak briefly.

Those attending enjoyed lively conversation with longtime friends, viewing the conference room, its new plaque and the portrait of Dr. Henderson. The framed portrait, created by Jerry Miller of Colquitt from an archived photo, hangs in the conference room.

The plaque identifying the academic affairs conference room with its new name states that charter faculty member Dr. Frederick N. Henderson served as vice president of academic affairs, was dean of the faculty, and in retirement was honored with emeritus status as an administrator and as an English faculty member.