Eugénie Henderson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eugénie Henderson
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| Born |
Eugénie Jane Andrina Henderson
2 October 1914 Newcastle upon Tyne, England
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| Died | 27 July 1989 (aged 74) |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | University College, London |
| Spouse(s) |
George Meier
(m. 1941) |
| Children | Five |
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| Institutions |
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Eugénie Jane Andrina Henderson (2 October 1914 – 27 July 1989) was a British expert in linguistics, which is the study of language. She was especially good at phonetics, which is the study of speech sounds. From 1964 to 1982, she was a Professor of Phonetics at the University of London. She also led important groups like the Linguistics Association of Great Britain and the Philological Society.
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Early Life and Education
Eugénie Henderson was born on October 2, 1914, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Her father, William Alexander Cruickshank Henderson, was a civil engineer. Her mother was Pansy Viola.
Eugénie went to school in London. She studied English at University College, London. She earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree with top marks. One of her teachers, Daniel Jones, encouraged her to study the sounds of languages from Southeast Asia.
Academic Career
In 1936, Eugénie started working at the BBC. She helped make sure foreign names were pronounced correctly. In 1937, she became a teacher in the Phonetics Department at University College, London.
When World War II began, she worked for the government from 1939 to 1941. She helped with economic matters during the war. When Japan joined the war in late 1941, the British government needed people to learn Asian languages quickly.
So, Eugénie went back to teaching. In 1942, she became a phonetics teacher at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London. During the war, her department taught Japanese and other Far Eastern languages to military staff.
After the war, in 1946, Eugénie was promoted to a senior teacher in Phonetics. She became a Reader in Phonetics in 1953. This is a high academic position. In 1954, she was a visiting teacher at Rangoon University. She also did research on the Bwe Karen and Chin languages.
From 1960 to 1966, she was the acting head of the Department of South-East Asia and the Islands. In 1964, she became a full Professor of Phonetics. She was also the head of the Department of Phonetics and Linguistics from 1966 to 1970. She retired in 1982 and was given the title of Emeritus Professor.
Outside of her university work, Eugénie held other important roles. She was the treasurer of the Philological Society for many years. Later, she became its President from 1984 to 1988. She also led the Linguistics Association of Great Britain from 1977 to 1980.
Personal Life
On January 8, 1941, Eugénie Henderson married George Meier. She kept using her own name for her professional work. They had five children together: one daughter and four sons.
Eugénie Henderson passed away on July 27, 1989, at her home in Camden, London. She was buried in Highgate Cemetery.
Honours and Recognition
In 1985, Eugénie Henderson was made an honorary fellow of the School of Oriental and African Studies. This means she was recognized for her great contributions to the school. In 1986, she was chosen as a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA). This is a very high honour for experts in humanities and social sciences in the UK.
In 1989, a special book was published to honour her work. It was called South-East Asian Linguistics: Essays in Honour of Eugenie J.A. Henderson.
Selected Works
- You can find Eugénie Henderson's papers and letters at the SOAS Archives. Some of her materials can be seen online here.
