The University of Oklahoma Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture Hall of Fame (GCA HOF) recognizes a select number of high-character individuals who have made a significant and lasting positive impact over time to Gibbs College (GCA), its students, staff, faculty, alumni, and/or to communities across the globe. The impact may have been, or continues to be, in the form of service and mentorship, sustained professional excellence, and/or advancement and financial support. Arnold Henderson is part of the 2024 Hall of Fame class.
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The Architecture Program Development Fund #32009 supports the Division of Architecture.
Arnold G. “Arn” Henderson, FAIA was born November 10, 1934, in Oklahoma. He earned degrees in architecture and architectural engineering from the University of Oklahoma in 1961 and a Master of Architecture from Columbia University in 1964. He served as Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Illinois from 1964 to 1968; and as Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Oklahoma for 34 years. In 2002, he retired as Professor Emeritus of the University of Oklahoma Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture.
Throughout his career, Henderson was committed to the University of Oklahoma’s architecture program, including the teachings of Bruce Goff and the American School legacy. He was a devoted advocate of historical preservation in Oklahoma and throughout the nation.
Historic Preservation Review Committee, 2001. Arn Henderson, second from right.
He worked closely with the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office to preserve architectural gems throughout the state, including numerous Goff-designed buildings. He joined the Society of Architectural Historians in 1999 and served as the Oklahoma Archipedia Coordinator for Classic Buildings from 2014 until his death.
Three drawings by Arn Henderson.
Henderson was a poet, artist, and author of several books. Notable books that he authored or co-authored include Bruce Goff: Architecture of Discipline in Freedom (2017); Architecture in Oklahoma: Landmark & Vernacular (1978); and The Physical Legacy: Buildings of Oklahoma County, 1889 to 1931 (1980).
Henderson House designed by Arn Henderson.
Henderson designed his home in Norman, Oklahoma, which was completed in 1976 and recognized with an Award of Excellence from the Oklahoma Chapter of the American Institute of Architecture (AIA).
In 1996, he was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows for his exceptional work and contribution to the architecture industry and his community. In 2013 he received the Oklahoma Humanities Council’s highest honor, the Oklahoma Humanities Award, for his study of architecture as it relates to Oklahoma. Arn was father to two sons, Alex and Eric, and husband to Beatriz. Arn Henderson passed away on June 27, 2019.
The University of Oklahoma College of Architecture is proud to announce that Model Schools in the Model City, authored by Director of the Institute for Quality Communities, Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., has been named one of ten finalists for the 2026 ASALH Book Prize for Best New Book in African American History and Culture.
This semester, students in the LA 5535 Studio: Ecological Planning and Design, led by Prof. Afsana Sharmin, took on an ambitious hypothetical project to redesign key parts of the OU campus. Their mission: to tackle the critical real-world challenge of stormwater management through innovative green design.
Petya Stefanoff, Chair of the Educational Committee with the American Planning Association, Oklahoma Chapter (APA-OK) and Gibbs College PhD candidate, has developed a new training program for local government officials. The program, focused on land use, zoning principles, and land development, recently certified its first graduates with Certified Citizen Planner status.
