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DEAN ROGER C. HENDERSON: 1977-1983

Before Arizona Law

Roger C. Henderson was born in Uvalde, Texas, on February 12, 1938.^[1] He earned his bachelor of science degree from the University of Texas at Austin (UT), where he studied accounting in 1960.^[2] Henderson was the recipient of the Outstanding Graduate in Accounting award and finished his undergraduate education with the highest honors.^[3]  While at UT, he was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, the international business honor society, and Beta Alpha Psi, the honorary accounting fraternity.^[4] From 1963-1964, Henderson was a lecturer at the UT School of Business Administration.^[5]

In 1965, Henderson received his juris doctor degree from UT School of Law.^[6] At Texas Law, Henderson served as the Associate Editor of Texas Law Review.^[7] In Fall 1964-1965, Henderson became a Chancellor, #636.^[8] The Chancellors are UT Law School’s “most prestigious honor society.” The society has recognized top academic performers since 1912. He was also a member of Phi Delta Phi, the legal honor society, and Phi Kappa Phi, a multidisciplinary collegiate honor society.^[9] After his time at Texas Law, Henderson worked until 1967 as an Associate for the Morehead, Sharp, Boyd, and Tisdel Firm in Plainview, Texas.^[10] In 1967, he attended and served as a Teaching Fellow at Harvard Law School and in 1969 earned his master of laws (LLM) degree.^[11]

Henderson taught at a few institutions before he was appointed dean at the University of Arizona’s College of Law. He was hired as an Associate Professor at the University of Nebraska College of Law in 1969 and held visiting law professorships at Southern Methodist University and UT.^[12] Henderson left Nebraska Law as a tenured Professor in 1977 to pursue his deanship at the University of Arizona College of Law.^[13]

Tenure as Dean

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Henderson was appointed dean of Arizona Law in 1977.^[14] The time in which Henderson served as dean have been described as good years for the College of Law.^[15] The new (second) College of Law building was completed on time in 1979, which was twelve years after Dean Ares planned for a new building, and two years after Dean Livermore received funds for it.^[16] The College of Law had plenty of state and private funds, much of which were provided by the Law College Association.^[17] There were many scholarships created for students and the College could now select any student for admission regardless of the student’s financial circumstance.^[18]

The student body became more diversified under Dean Henderson.^[19] The Minority Law Students Association was officially formed and was significant to retaining and recruiting students.^[20] There was a greater number of women students enrolled. The 1982-83 entering class was comprised of 45 percent women.^[21] The faculty collectively published more than 100 books and articles between 1977 and 1983.^[22] In 1978, a placement office was established to assist students in finding employment in legal and non-legal fields.^[23]

Dean Henderson was an active member several associations, including the Advisory Board of the Arizona Center for Law Related Education, American Bar Association, American Law Institute, Arizona Bar Association, Association of American Law Schools, Governor’s Commission of Governmental Tort Immunity in Arizona, Nebraska Bar Association, and Texas Bar Association.^[24]

Retirement and Beyond

Henderson retired as Dean in 1983.^[25] He continued teaching at the University of Arizona as a full-time professor after his deanship. He taught classes in torts, insurance law, and evidence. In 1997, Professor Henderson was named the first recipient of the Joseph Livermore Professorship by the University of Arizona Law College Association. Dean Seligman praised Henderson’s “…great contributions to the College of Law as dean, teacher, scholar, and spokesperson.”^[26]

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While teaching, he sustained membership in many associations in which he became involved as dean, and he joined new organizations while teaching, such as the Governor’s Task Force on Medicare, Arizona Commission on Uniform State Laws, and National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.^[27] Henderson held chairman and leadership roles in numerous groups. In 2006, Henderson was the Arizona Commissioner for National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.^[28]

Henderson was the recipient of multiple awards from 1987 to 1998, including the Distinguished Citizen Award from the UA Alumni Association, Udall Fellow from the UA Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, Leslie F. and Patricia Bell Faculty Award for Service and Contribution to the Legal Profession, and Robert B. McKay Award, Tort and Insurance Practice Section from the American Bar Association.^[29] Henderson was named Dean Emeritus ^[30] and the Ralph W. Bilby Professor Emeritus of Law.^[31] He retired from teaching in 2010.^[32]

-- Tanya Furlong (’26)