Allen J. Henderson

Brigadier General Allen J. Henderson served as the chief of staff for the North Dakota Air National Guard. He graduated from Fargo Central High School in 1955 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from North Dakota State University in 1961. He worked as a graduate assistant in NDSU’s mechanical engineering department from 1961 to 1962 before earning his Master of Science degree in engineering valuation from Iowa State University in 1965, followed by a Ph.D. in industrial engineering in 1968. His military education included the National Security Management Course, which he completed in 1984.

General Henderson began his military career in 1954 as an enlisted member of the North Dakota Air National Guard and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1957. He was promoted to brigadier general and federally recognized on March 14, 1996. A command pilot, he logged over 3,800 flight hours in the C-130A, T-33, F-4, F-101B/F, and F-102 aircraft.

In his civilian career, General Henderson made lasting contributions to higher education. He served as chair and professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management at North Dakota State University beginning in 1978. A registered professional engineer in North Dakota since 1975, he also worked as a consulting engineer. From 1975 to 1978, he served as assistant to the president of NDSU, acting as coordinator and liaison to all academic areas. Prior to that, he was an assistant and associate professor of industrial engineering from 1969 to 1975.