Henderson, Beverly (1931- )

Beverly Henderson

When Beverly Henderson joined the UW System in 1964 as a county extension home economist, she already had almost a decade of teaching experience. After earning her BS in 1953 in Home Economics Education at UW-Stout, Henderson taught home economics in Wisconsin and Illinois public schools. She also served as a home service representative for the Wisconsin Public Service Corporation. In 1969, she earned her MS from UW-Madison in Home Economics Education and became an assistant professor in Home Management and Family Living and an extension specialist in consumer economics.

While at UW-Madison, Henderson promoted informed consumer decision making, focusing on issues such as consumer fraud, consumer protection, advertising and children's TV, toy safety, and the cost of health care. In addition to direct teaching throughout the State, in-service education for county-based faculty, and work with the media, she wrote many Extension publications for public distribution and developed teaching materials for use by Extension professionals. Her service to the State included participation on numerous advisory committees for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, and the Educational Approval Board. She was appointed by Governor Anthony Earl to the Board of Governors for the Wisconsin Health Care Liability Plan and Patient Compensation Fund.

In 1991, after a twenty-seven year career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Henderson retired as Professor Emerita.