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Word has been received of the death last week of William D. “Bill” McHenry, who was the director of athletics and chairman of the department of physical education at Washington and Lee University from 1971 to 1989. He was living in South Carolina.
As a student at W&L, McHenry was the center on the last subsidized W&L football team in 1953 and was twice named to the United Press International All-America team as an honorable mention selection at center. He was also a three-year letterman in lacrosse.
Following his college career, McHenry was an NFL sixthround draft pick of the Washington Redskins, now known as the Commanders, in 1954. Instead of playing professional football, he had a stint in the armed forces and then went on to a successful career in coaching and athletic administration at Pennsylvania Military College (now Widener University), Williams College and Lebanon Valley College.
McHenry returned to W&L 1971 as athletic director and chairman of the physical education department. Over his 18 years in the at role, he was active in a number of organizations, serving as president of the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference while also serving on the NCAA Division III Football Committee.
While at W&L, McHenry and his wife, Joan, regularly entertained staff and students at their home and supported W&L teams by attending home and road games.
McHenry spent the summers of 1988 and 1989 coaching American football in England, Ireland and Scotland.
From 1973 to 1977, McHenry coached W&L’s football team. His best year was 1976, when W&L won four of its final five games to finish 5-5. McHenry concluded his career in athletics by serving as athletic director at the College of Wooster from 1991 until his retirement in 1996.
Before McHenry left for Wooster, then-W&L President John Wilson told The News-Gazette, “I’ve shared six-and-a-half years with him and I don’t know that I’ve met a gentleman with greater human values, compassion and good will. His positive interaction with staff and students has been invaluable.”
McHenry considered some of his prouder achievements at W&L as founding the W&L Sports Hall Fall of Fame, involvement with the Lee-Jackson Lacrosse Classic, the initiation of the drug education program on campus and the start of the scholar- athlete program. During his tenure, W&L added the Warner Center, a multi-purpose sports complex, and several playing and practice fields.
In the local community, he was the founder of the Lexington Lacrosse Club, which offered area high school athletes the chance to compete in lacrosse in a club setting.
