Dr. James Arnold Henderson, 1912-2008
Dr. James (Jim) Arnold Henderson, a longtime veterinarian and veterinary educator in Canada and the United States, recently passed away in Victoria, B.C., at the age of 96.
By Myrna MacDonald
During the early 1960s, Henderson had a profound impact on the Western College of Veterinary Medicine's future when he was asked to chair the "Deciding Committee on the Location of a Veterinary College" in 1963. Members of this committee visited the University of Alberta and University of Saskatchewan campuses to determine the site of the new veterinary college in Western Canada. Henderson was instrumental in the final decision to locate the WCVM at the U of S campus.
Henderson's final report on August 23, 1963, to Honourable Harry Hays, federal minister of agriculture, included this significant sentence:
"After meetings held in Saskatoon on Thursday, August 22, and in Edmonton on Friday, August 23, the committee appointed to consider a site for a veterinary college in Western Canada recommends that the College be established at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon." (an excerpt from WCVM: The First Decade and More, by Dr. Chris Bigland).
Born in Shoal Lake, Man., in 1912, Henderson grew up on his family's farm near Cardale, Man. In 1936, Henderson graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College and went on to complete a Master of Science (MSc) degree at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, in 1938.
Among his many career achievements, Henderson was head of the Ontario Veterinary College's Clinical Department for 13 years, served as president of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association from 1958 to 1959, and was twice elected as the Canadian representative to the Executive Board of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). As well, Henderson collaborated with Dr. Douglas C. Blood to publish the classic textbook, Veterinary Medicine, now in its seventh edition. The text has been translated into several languages and is still used at veterinary colleges around the world.
Henderson became dean of the Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine in 1963 — a position he held for 10 years until his retirement in 1973. According to former WCVM Dean Dr. Gavin Hamilton, Henderson would have likely become the WCVM's first dean — but he had just accepted the position at WSU in Pullman, Wash.
Henderson is survived by his wife, Valerie, two sons, three grandchildren and a great granddaughter. A private open house celebration of Henderson's life with family and friends will be held at 268 Milburn Drive in Victoria, B.C., from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on January 10, 2009.
• Click here to view a memorial for Dr. James Henderson, published by Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine.
• Click here to view Dr. James Henderson's obituary (Victoria Times Colonist).
Henderson's final report on August 23, 1963, to Honourable Harry Hays, federal minister of agriculture, included this significant sentence:
"After meetings held in Saskatoon on Thursday, August 22, and in Edmonton on Friday, August 23, the committee appointed to consider a site for a veterinary college in Western Canada recommends that the College be established at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon." (an excerpt from WCVM: The First Decade and More, by Dr. Chris Bigland).
Born in Shoal Lake, Man., in 1912, Henderson grew up on his family's farm near Cardale, Man. In 1936, Henderson graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College and went on to complete a Master of Science (MSc) degree at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, in 1938.
Among his many career achievements, Henderson was head of the Ontario Veterinary College's Clinical Department for 13 years, served as president of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association from 1958 to 1959, and was twice elected as the Canadian representative to the Executive Board of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). As well, Henderson collaborated with Dr. Douglas C. Blood to publish the classic textbook, Veterinary Medicine, now in its seventh edition. The text has been translated into several languages and is still used at veterinary colleges around the world.
Henderson became dean of the Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine in 1963 — a position he held for 10 years until his retirement in 1973. According to former WCVM Dean Dr. Gavin Hamilton, Henderson would have likely become the WCVM's first dean — but he had just accepted the position at WSU in Pullman, Wash.
Henderson is survived by his wife, Valerie, two sons, three grandchildren and a great granddaughter. A private open house celebration of Henderson's life with family and friends will be held at 268 Milburn Drive in Victoria, B.C., from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on January 10, 2009.
• Click here to view a memorial for Dr. James Henderson, published by Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine.
• Click here to view Dr. James Henderson's obituary (Victoria Times Colonist).