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| Lucia
Maria Ernst, 1910 - 1991 |
| September 12, 1910 | Lucia Maria Ernst was born in Brooklyn, New York. She is the daughter of Lucia
Berth Doering and Joseph Ernst. |
A. D. Henderson Jr. |
Lucy worked for Avon Products. |
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| 1936 | She married Alexander
Dawson Henderson Jr in New York City. |
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| March 9, 1946 | A
Douglas Henderson was born in New York City. |
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| 1946 | The family moved from New York City to
Fort Lauderdale, Florida. |
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| April 23, 1949 | This is a photo of Alex and
Lucy with their days catch at the Rivera Beach in Florida. |
 Lucy and Alex |
| 1952 | Mrs. Henderson moved to Hillsboro Beach with her husband and son and began her philanthropic activities. | |
| 1952 | Lucy Henderson helped found the the
Henderson Clinic in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She continued to support
the group with grants from the A. D. Henderson foundation. |
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| 1959 | The A. D. Henderson Foundation was founded in 1959 by her husband, Alexander D. Henderson and Lucy E. Henderson. The Foundation is dedicated to provide an opportunity for all children to succeed, with a special interest in promoting literacy for children and families. Source: A. D. Henderson Foundation Web site. | |
| 1961 | Alexander D. Henderson was one of the
founders of Saint Andrews School in Boca Raton. Lucy was a trustee and continued to
support the school for the rest of her life. |
Lucy E. Henderson |
| July 9, 1964 | Mr. Henderson died at the
Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. |
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| 1965 | After Mr. Henderson died in 1964, Mrs.
Henderson continued her involvement in civic affairs, and established the Alexander
D. Henderson University School at Florida Atlantic University
in her late husbands name. |
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| September 30, 1965 | Lucy donated $750,000 to the Florida Atlantic University Endowment Corporation in memory of her late husband, Alexander D. Henderson. Source: Sun-Sentinel newspaper, 1965. | |
| 1965 and 1966 | Lucy was the Hillsboro Mile Community
Chairman for the Heart Fund of Broward County. |
Lucy at FAU meeting |
| February 25, 1966 | Lucy was welcomed to the Board of Trustees
of the Debbie-Rand Foundation, Inc. which sponsors the Boca Raton
Community Hospital and she continued to support the foundation and
the hospital for the rest of her life. |
|
Lucy helped found the Discover Center
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and started the first dyslexia clinics
in the Palm Beach Count school system. |
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| Mrs. Henderson continued to support Saint Andrew’s with significant gifts for buildings, faculty housing, Annual Fund and endowment. Source: Saint Andrew’s 2001-2002 Endowment Fund Contributions. |
Alexander D.
Henderson |
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| Nov. 1966 | Lucy was appointed a trustee of FAU. |
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| June 3, 1967 | Granddaughter, Lucia
Angeline Henderson was born. |
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| December 1966 | The Board of Directors of the FAU Endowment Corporation met in the new administration building. Board Chair Thomas Fleming, Lucy Henderson Edmondson, and President Williams were in this meeting. Source: Florida Atlantic University - The College History Series. | |
| December 1, 1968 | Lucy E. Henderson made a gift to the State and Florida Atlantic University to establish the Alexander D Henderson University School in Boca Raton, Florida. The Alexander D. Henderson School was officially dedicated on this date and Lucy received an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters for her dedication to education. The school opened on 23 acres of campus land. The new building has 14 pie shaped classrooms with soundproof walls and carpeted floors. Television cameras in each classroom allowed taping of both student and teacher "performances." Source: Florida Atlantic University - The College History Series. |
Lucy and Tex |
Lucy wrote a speech on the back of an
envelope which she must have delivered in the spring/summer of 1968
as follows: "I stand before you tonight with mixed emotions - I
was here at the beginning of this school in 1953 when Mr. Henderson
started with six students, one of them was my son. Then the present
buildings were erected on this site in 1956. Now we are moving on to
the FAU campus this coming September. It is going to be very interesting
for me to sit on the side lines and watch its development. I believe
Hillsboro Country Day School has done a great job but has reached the
point where it cannot progress any further. On the FAU campus and as
part of the university I believe it has great potential. I want to thank
each and every one of you for being here tonight and sharing this moment
with me. Bless you" |
 Lucy & Doug - 1990 |
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| 1968 | Lucy married Thomas E. "Tex"
Edmondson in Las Vegas, California. |
 Lucia E. Henderson Crypt Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens Fort Lauderdale, Florida (click on picture) |
| Early 1970's | She was a founder of Planned Parenthood of South Palm Beach and Broward Counties and remained a supporter and contributor for life. Planned Parenthood's library in Boca Raton was named in her honor. Mrs. Henderson Edmondson founded the Discovery Center and started the first Dyslexia Clinics in the public schools of Palm Beach County. |
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| October 25, 1991 | Lucia Henderson Edmondson died of heart failure at the Boca Raton Community Hospital, Florida. Her burial was conducted by the Kraeer Funeral Home in Boca Raton, Florida. She was interned in the same crypt as her husband, Alexander D. Henderson, at the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens Central in Fort Lauderdale in the Mausoleum Unit 1, Section No. 67, South. Source: Forest Lawn Memorial office, 954-581-9033. |
 Lucy Henderson (painting from Foundation office) |
| October 29, 1991 | Memorial services were held in the St. Andrews School Chapel in Boca Raton, Florida. Source: Oct. 27, 1991 ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times, pg. 34; Florida Death Index. | |
| 1992 | The Lucy Henderson Unrestricted Endowment Fund was established through a bequest from Lucy Henderson for general purposes in 1992. Her gift more than doubled the School's endowment and was the largest donation ever received. Mrs. Henderson was a long-time supporter of Saint Andrew's School. Source: Saint Andrew's School Web site. |
