Robert Thomas Henson

October 11, 1914 – January 18, 2016

Robert “Bob” Thomas Henson of Atlanta, Georgia died peacefully at home of natural causes on January 18, 2016 at the age of 101. Mr. Henson was preceded in death by his adored wife of 74 years Adeline “Coc” Henson and his beloved son James Peter “Pete” Henson. He is survived by his daughter-in-law Cathy Henson and her husband Chris Carpenter; grandson James Patrick Henson and his wife Jessica; grandson Jonathan Paul Henson; and granddaughter Andrea Baldwin, her husband Charles, and four great-granddaughters Laura, April, Amber and Lisa Baldwin.

Mr. Henson, a native of Hamilton, Ohio, was a proud 1936 graduate of Purdue University’s School of Chemical Engineering and a member of the Triangle Fraternity. In 1989, Mr. Henson was recognized by his alma mater as the Outstanding Chemical Engineering Alumnus for exemplary contributions to the practice of chemical engineering. About graduating in the midst of the Great Depression, Mr. Henson once observed: “Edward Elliott was president of Purdue when I graduated and his message on my diploma served as a constant inspiration to me throughout the years. It said in part – ‘Whatever the changes you have experienced since you entered the University, the power you have gained for self-controlled concentrated thinking should have the greatest value. Not what you do by what you already know, but what you will do by what you do not know will decide your achievements. Yours has been an education for uncertainty.’”

After a brief career at Champion Paper and Fiber Company and Goodyear Tire Company, he moved his young family to Atlanta, Georgia in the early 1950’s to start Flexible Products Company, a specialty chemical company at the forefront of developing polyurethane-based insulating materials. The company grew to be one of the largest polyurethane system suppliers in North America and in 2000 was sold to Dow Chemical Company. The company’s most well-known product was “Great Stuff.”

In 1965, when networking was still a novel idea, Mr. Henson created the Chemical and Specialties Management Council (“CSMC”) for non-competing CEO’s of privately owned or independently managed chemical and specialty companies to share problems and find solutions for their companies. The diversity of problems facing a CEO and the difficulty of finding a non-competing colleague who could keep confidences yet provide guidance in facing similar problems was the original reason for the founding of the CSMC and still applies today - the CSMC celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2015. The organization paid tribute to Mr. Henson in 1985 on its 20th anniversary by thanking him for his “able and dedicated leadership, unselfish service, vision, wise counsel and good humor that has both guided and benefitted the Council.”

Mr. and Mrs. Henson were longtime generous supporters of Purdue University, Crawford Long (Emory Midtown) Hospital, and All Saints’ Episcopal Church. In lieu of flowers, a contribution may be made to any of these organizations or any other organization of the donor’s choosing.

The family would like to express its sincere appreciation to Mr. Henson’s dedicated caregivers, especially his devoted friend and companion James Parson, who came into his employ at the death of Mrs. Henson in 2010 and contributed greatly to his quality of life.

A celebration of Mr. Henson’s life will be held at 11:30 am on Saturday, January 23rd at All Saints’ Episcopal Church at 634 West Peachtree Street with a reception to follow.