Remembering Kathryn Henderson

Kathryn Henderson
July 12, 1923 - August 18, 2022
Beta Phi Mu lost a founding member on Thursday. Kathryn “Kathie” Henderson was the first National Secretary as well as a founding member of Beta Phi Mu, International Honor Society for Library and Information Studies.
This is how we remember her, but she was so much more. Kathie started her education in a one-room schoolhouse in Illinois and went on to receive several degrees from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. After a brief stint in Chicago, Kathie returned to Champaign to teach in what is now the School of Information Sciences. Her husband Bill was an archival librarian and also taught at the School of Information Sciences.
Kathryn left a long legacy at the university. She made many developments in the realm of cataloging librarianship and the study and teaching of the field still carry the marks of her involvement. She won many awards during her career, including the Beta Phi Mu Award in 1993.  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.

Kathryn Henderson - Morgan Memorial Home Morgan Memorial Home

1948 - Founding Members of Beta Phi Mu
Members at the founding of the Alpha Chapter of Beta Phi Mu, a library honors society started in 1948 by a group of leading librarians and library educators to recognize and encourage scholastic achievement among library and information studies students.
archon.library.illinois.edu/archives/index.php?p=digitallibrary/digitalcontent&id=4204