Alice Henderson

Alice Hatcher Henderson passed away on December 12, 2020 at the age of 86. She died peacefully in hospice shortly after receiving a final visit from her children and grandchildren.
Alice was born on May 19, 1934 in Bloomington, Illinois to Harold and Josephine Hatcher. Raised by progressive parents to work for social justice, she attended Earlham College and then followed the advice of famed women's rights activist Alice Paul to pursue a doctorate, earning her Ph.D. in history from the University of Michigan. In college, she met her husband of 65 years, Donald Gene Henderson. While in graduate school, Don and Alice were awarded Fulbright grants to study in Austria and Germany; Alice declined hers to be with Don, a decision that lives on in family lore. Upon returning from Europe, Alice and Don taught in Gunnison, Colorado for several years, then made the decision to move to Spartanburg, S.C. After stepping down from the Greyhound bus in the summer of 1962, pregnant with her first child and carrying an axe and an ironing board, Alice set to work completing her dissertation on the anti-slavery movement. She went on to become a history professor, first at Spartanburg Methodist college, and then at University of South Carolina Upstate, where she taught full time until her retirement in 1997. As distinguished professor emerita, she continued teaching part time until a few years before her passing.
Alice will be remembered as a devoted wife and mother who dedicated her energies to creating a rich life for her family. Every three years as her children were growing up, she planned a summer-long family camping trip in Europe, avoiding the typical tourist destinations to explore unique destinations like the Turkish baths of Budapest, the travertine lakes of Croatia, and the collective farm villages of the Soviet Union. Alice was also a scholar and community activist, determined to use her research and her voice to advocate for the marginalized. She wrote about the pioneering South Carolina feminists and anti-slavery activists, Sarah and Angelina Grimke, and about the women who worked grueling shifts in South Carolina's textile factories and raised families under the shadow of segregation and exploitation. She was also a tireless campaigner for every citizen's right to receive a quality education and to vote. She played a leadership role in the League of Women Voters, she fought for racial equality while serving on the Spartanburg District Seven School Board, and she traveled to the most remote corners of the county to register people to vote. In 2004, she ran for the S.C. State House of Delegates in District 32, raising consciousness about educational and environmental issues and winning far more votes than Democratic candidates usually receive in the district. Alice taught generations of South Carolinians during her long and distinguished career at USC Upstate, and she was routinely stopped in the grocery store by former students to reminisce about their memories in her classroom. As a committed environmentalist, Alice was also an avid gardener and defender of native species. Along with her parents, Harold and Josephine Hatcher, Alice founded the Hatcher Gardens and Woodland Preserve, which lives on as one of her proudest legacies.
Alice was preceded in death by her son Tom and her husband Don, who passed away on October 25, 2020. She is survived by three of her children, Anne, Ted, and Sarah; her eight grandchildren, and her brothers Alan and Andy.
In lieu of flowers or gifts, please consider making a donation to Alice's most beloved project, the Hatcher Gardens and Woodland Preserve, at https://www.hatchergarden.org/become-a-member