William McHenry, who served as The College of Wooster's director of athletics, physical education, and recreation from 1991 until his retirement in 1996, passed away on January 4. He was 90.
During his tenure at the College, McHenry supervised the renovation and building of John P. Papp Stadium and Carl Munson Track. The facility project enabled Wooster to expand its reach locally with the ability to host high school track and field meets in addition to hosting a signature home invitational each spring and several North Coast Athletic Conference Championships. Elsewhere, McHenry worked to increase staffing levels within the department to help turn around several of Wooster's programs. Wooster's well-rounded success during McHenry's tenure resulted in the Fighting Scots capturing the 1994-95 NCAC Dennis M. Collins All-Sports Trophy.
McHenry spent over three decades as an athletic director, starting with a 10-year run at Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania. Immediately prior to coming to Wooster, McHenry spent 20 years at Washington and Lee University in Virginia, serving as director of athletics from 1971-89 and director of physical education from 1989-91. He was charged with chairing or directing physical education offerings during his time at Lebanon Valley and was an assistant professor and coach at Williams College in Massachusetts prior to moving on to Lebanon Valley.
As a coach, he headed Lebanon Valley's football program for 10 years and Washington and Lee's for five. He was Williams' head lacrosse coach, a position he continued at Lebanon Valley, and was a swimming and diving head coach, football assistant coach, and track and field assistant coach at Pennsylvania Military College, where he began his career.
The distinguished administrator served on numerous NCAA committees over the years, headlined by chairing the NCAA Football Committee, the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports, and the Committee on Committees. He served a term on the NCAA Football Rules Committee, the Classification Committee, and the Lacrosse Committee, and on the board of directors for the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.
As a student-athlete, McHenry was the captain of Washington and Lee's last subsidized football team and was twice named to the United Press International All-American team. The three-year letterwinner in lacrosse was a sixth-round draft pick by the Washington Redskins, but never played in the NFL due to being drafted to serve in the Army.
He is survived by his wife, Joan, son, Robert, six grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at First Presbyterian Church in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina on January 29 at 3 p.m. McHenry's full obituary can be found here.