Henderson, Grace M. (Grace Mildred), 1901-1971

Dr. Grace Mildred Henderson was born in Superior, Nebraska on December 11, 1901. She was a graduate of the University of Nebraska. She received her M.S. degree at the University of Chicago and her Ph.D. degree at Ohio State University. Before coming to Penn State, she served for two years as head of the home economics department of the University of Arkansas. She was a residence teacher in adult homemaking education at Cornell University from 1938 to 1943; assistant state supervisor of home economics in the New York State Department of Education from 1933 to 1938 and held a similar post in West Virginia from 1931 to 1933. She came to Penn State in 1946 as director of the department of home economics and under her guidance the School of Home Economics was established in 1949. She was named dean of the school and continued in this capacity when it was designated a college in 1953, the first women to be named dean of a college at Penn State. She retired with emerita rank in 1966 and died November 3, 1971.