Services set for longtime professor Jeff Henderson

Posted by University News Service
June 12, 2009

A memorial service for Jeff Henderson, retired professor of journalism and mass communication at Texas State University-San Marcos, will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 17, at the First Christian Church in San Marcos.

Henderson died Thursday, June 11, at Austin Heart Hospital at the age of 67.

Henderson served on the faculty of Texas State for 29 years, beginning in 1974. He served as coordinator for the advertising-public relations sequence for a year before becoming coordinator of the print sequence from 1975-1982. He was assistant dean of the Texas State College of Fine Arts and Communication from 1999 to 2001. He retired from the university in 2003.

He served as director of student publications from 1990-1999, expanding The University Star to a four-day-a-week newspaper, which in 1992 was named the fifth best tabloid student newspaper in the nation as recognized during the Associated Collegiate Press On-Site Contest in Chicago. Under Henderson’s direction, The Daily University Star became the first newspaper in Texas to be online with both photos and stories.

Henderson served as the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association’s executive director for 21 years (1980-2001). During his tenure, TIPA established permanent on-site contests and membership grew from 30 schools to 75. He was named TIPA Adviser of the Year in 1992. The organization honored him upon his retirement from the executive director position with the establishment of the Jeff W. Henderson Scholarship for Journalistic Excellence. He was inducted into TIPA’s Hall of Fame in 2002.

Henderson was the author of hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles and columns. His work has appeared in The Alpine Avalanche, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Crane News, San Angelo Standard Times, Midland Reporter-Telegram, Odessa American and the El Paso Times. He recently published a Western novel, Marshal of Broken Pick.

Henderson held a both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Sul Ross State University. In 2003, he was named a Distinguished Alumnus of that university. He served as the first president of the Sul Ross Alumni Association.

He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Sharon Elaine Heath Henderson; daughters Laura Humphries and husband Mark of San Antonio,  Tiffany Henderson of Dallas; brother Donnie Henderson of Odessa; and two grandchildren.

The family has requested memorial donations to the American Heart Association or the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association’s Jeff W. Henderson Scholarship for Journalistic Excellence.

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