Kathryn Luther Henderson passes away

In 1965, Kathie was asked to join the faculty of the Graduate School of Library Science (now the School of Information Sciences) and returned to Urbana. Bill took a position in the University Library as preservation librarian and Kathie followed her mentor Ethel Bond (whom she had assisted while a graduate student) in teaching Cataloging and Classification I and II. She subsequently developed and jointly taught Technical Services Functions and Preserving Information Resources with her husband, Bill. She "redeveloped" her courses each time they were offered to reflect current trends and to incorporate the newest readings from the literature. She developed computer-assisted instruction lessons for cataloging using PLATO as early as 1971.  Regularly receiving outstanding ratings from students on course evaluations, in 1991 she was recognized at the campus level for her significant contributions as a teacher with the Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Teaching.

"We remember Professor Kathryn Luther Henderson for the many decades of excellence and care in teaching and mentoring relationships that extended long past students' graduation. Her legacy at the iSchool will continue through the funds she and her husband so generously established, including a named conference room, fellowship, and professorship," said Dean and Professor Eunice E. Santos. "Kathryn Luther Henderson demonstrated the best qualities in an instructor, as evidenced by her teaching awards at the campus and national level. We are fortunate to have known her as an accomplished alumna, valued member of our faculty, and gracious supporter of our students, faculty, and School."

In 1993, Kathie received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Library School Alumni Association, in recognition of her many contributions as an educator. In addition she was recognized at the 1993 American Library Association conference as the winner of the 1993 Beta Phi Mu Award citing her "distinguished record of teaching and service that has defined an uncommon level of excellence and has challenged and inspired a generation of librarians and library educators."

In 1995, the Association for Library and Information Science Education recognized her with the ALISE Excellence in Teaching Award. In 2014, the Alpha Chapter of Beta Phi Mu established the Kathryn Luther and William T Henderson Award in recognition of the high esteem in which they were held by fellow chapter members and in order to inspire future generations with their example.

Kathie was a longstanding member of multiple professional associations, including the American Library Association and the American Theological Library Association. She served on and chaired numerous committees related to technical services, cataloging, and classification. She served on the Editorial Board for Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, with former students Ruth C. Carter and Sandra K. Roe serving as Editor-in-Chief for extended periods of time. As a faculty member, Kathie planned a number of conferences and edited the proceedings on topics such as MARC records and their uses, major classification systems, conservation and preservation of library materials, and the special problems of nonbook formats.