Cornelius Henderson

Cornelius Langston Henderson was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1887 to Rev. James and Cornelia Henderson. In 1911 he became the second African American to graduate from the School of Engineering at the University of Michigan. He did so despite racial prejudice that prevented him from living in the dormitories and studying with his white classmates. While at the University of Michigan, he began his lifelong affiliation with the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., the first Black fraternity chartered at the university. Despite his qualifications, Henderson struggled to find employment as an engineer or architect in Detroit. At the recommendation of another student, in 1911 he applied to and was hired as a draftsman by the Canadian Bridge Company located in Walkersville, Ontario, Canada. He worked with the company for forty-seven years.

[Back]: African American Cornelius Langston Henderson was promoted to chief structural engineer with the Canadian Bridge Company by 1927, when construction began on the Ambassador Bridge. He oversaw the design of the Windsor approach and much of the installation of the bridge’s steel sections. He later supervised the installation of the steel tubes that enclose the underwater portion of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, completed in 1930. In addition to his work on other Detroit and Canadian projects, Henderson served as the architect for the Detroit Memorial Park Cemetery, the first Black-owned cemetery in Michigan. Henderson was a charter member of St. John’s Presbyterian Church, the National Technical Association, and the Detroit Civic Rights Committee. Henderson died on July 23, 1976, and is buried in Detroit Memorial Park Cemetery