Charles H. Hendricks

Charles Henning Hendricks died on October 23, 2010 at his home in Chapel Hill, NC, of natural causes. He was born at Traverse City, MI on October 26, 1917 to the late Henning V and Jennie Burnett Hendricks. He received the AB and MD degrees from University of Michigan. He trained in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Michigan and Ohio State University. He was a member of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and served for some years as an examiner for that board. In 1957 he moved to Western Reserve University, Cleveland (now Case Western University). In 1957 he was a Macy Fellow in the Seccion Fisiologica Obstetrica at the University of Uruguay in Montevideo, Uruguay. He moved to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1968 as professor and Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology. There he became engaged in the rapidly evolving developing currents of the times. He appointed the first woman resident in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He brought to the department its first minority members. In 1970 he initiated at Chapel Hill the first Western Hemisphere regimen for injecting prostaglandin for the termination of early pregnancy, and served for seven years on the Prostaglandin Task Force of the World Health Organization which was working in the international group chaired by Sune Bergstrom of Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. Hendricks brought many clinical scientists to Chapel Hill as postdoctoral students and fellows, bringing them from afar, including Uruguay, Paraguay, Scotland, England, Canada, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Austria and Japan. In 1980 he was named doctor honoris causis at the University of Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay. He established a “Clerks Abroad” program in which, over a 20-year period, sent hundreds of University of North Carolina medical students abroad for Obstetrics and Gynecologic clerkships. The department also participated for several years in one phase of the “Ship Hope” activities at The University of the West Indies, in Kingston, Jamaica, these activities being staffed by visiting members of the UNC teaching staff and residents.
Dr. Hendricks belonged to the following: American Board of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, The American Association of Obstetricians And Gynecologists, American Gynecological And Obstetrical Society (vice president 1976), The Association of Professors of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cleveland Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (president 1966), and Society for Gynecological Investigation (president 1969). He was also awarded honorary membership in a number of professional organizations, including Paraguaya de Ginecologia y Obstetricia, Sociedad Ginecotolgica del Uruguay, Biological Society of Montevideo, and Fellowship ad eundum of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and others.
He did two years of military service (1946-1948) during which time he served first in the United States Army Air Corps and then was subsequently automatically transferred to The United States Air Force when the Air Force became independent of the Army.
In 1942 Hendricks married Geraldine Ruth Chisholm. Six children were born to them. William Allen Hendricks, Charles H. Hendricks. Jr., Paul David Hendricks (born June 2, 1949, died February 19, 1951), Marybeth Hendricks Matthews, Judith Ann Hendricks Furr, and Cynthia Ruth Hendricks Thomas. Geraldine Hendricks died in 1987. Dr. Hendricks retired as the Robert A. Ross Distinguished Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology emeritus in December, 1988.
A memorial service will be announced at a future time.