Bob Henderson

Sport: Director

Induction Year: 1999

University: Louisiana TechUL-Lafayette

During nearly a quarter-century of service as sports information director at USL (now Louisiana-Lafayette), public relations and publicity director at Evangeline Downs racetrack, and other state-based media organizations, Bob Henderson made an impact on sports in Louisiana in many areas. But the Ruston native was best known as the person who established “Ragin’ Cajuns” as the official nickname of USL athletics. Henderson served as SID, program editor and assistant to the athletic director at USL from 1960-72, except for one year in 1961-62 when he was publicity director for the NBA’s St. Louis Hawks. During that time, USL moved from the NCAA’s college division to the university division (later renamed Division I), and Henderson’s use of “Ragin’ Cajuns” to refer to teams eventually came into common usage. The LSWA honored Henderson with its Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism in 1999, three years after his death in 1996. A native of Ruston and a 1952 (B.S.) and 1955 (B.A.) graduate of LA. Tech, Henderson served as sports editor of the Ruston Daily Leader for four years and on the Shreveport Times staff for one year while in school. He was also publicity director and statistician of the Big Eight Amateur Baseball League from 1948-50 and later served two years in the U.S. Air Force. He served one year as a sports publicity assistant at LSU in 1955 before joining the staff of Kentucky Wesleyan College as news bureau director from 1956-59 before joining the USL staff. After leaving USL in 1972, Henderson was the public relations and publicity director at Evangeline Downs from 1973-82 and was briefly the business editor of the Lafayette Daily Advertiser before failing health forced his retirement in 1983. A plaque still hangs in the Cajun Field press box honoring Henderson and his contributions in making “Ragin’ Cajuns” one of the nation’s most unique athletic nicknames.