Bancroft Clinton Henderson

Bancroft Clinton Henderson, 97 years of age, passed away on Thursday, January 10, 2022  at 2:00 pm in Cleveland, Ohio.

Bancroft was born on April 10, 1924, in Evansville, Indiana to the late Herbert and Mary Henderson. He was the oldest of five boys, and after graduating from Evansville Bosse High School, served our country during World War II as a member of the US Army Mountain Division.

After serving our country, Bancroft began his long journey in the world of higher education, both as a student as well as an educator. After completing his undergraduate studies at Oberlin College in 1950 and his Ph. D at the University of Minnesota in 1957, Bancroft began his role as an educator, teaching Political Science at the University of Houston for over a decade, then continuing to the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh before moving to Ohio to teach at Case Western Reserve University, Muskingum University, and Cleveland State University.

Bancroft’s interest in politics extended well beyond the classroom, working diligently to help get Dennis Kucinich elected as mayor of the City of Cleveland in 1977, and serving under him as the city's Health Director.   He organized an annual Clean Cleveland Day, where he and other volunteers would remove trash from the parks and sidewalks downtown.  As a founder and member of the Downtown Police Auxiliary, he patrolled the city in the evening, and he was a founding member of DOOR, the Downtown Organization of Residents.

A longtime resident and ambassador for Cleveland’s downtown area, Bancroft was a fixture in the heart of the city, often seen walking or biking the streets, or running the track at the downtown YMCA.  Bancroft began making art as a hobby, but it ultimately became a new career chapter in his life, as he owned and operated The Bancroft Gallery in downtown Cleveland for over 30 years, framing artwork and diplomas for the busy city workforce, and welcoming passersby to browse his work or pet his adored and ever-present cats. Bancroft also never wavered in his support for his beloved Cleveland Browns!

Bancroft is survived in life by brothers John Henderson (96), Charlie Henderson (94), and Bob Henderson (85), nephews Michael, Kevin, Jeff, Nick, Fritz, and Doug, and nieces Cheryl, Nancy, Susan and Jodie, and is preceded in death by his parents Herb and Mary, brother Paul, and nephew Jimmy.  His family and friends, far too numerous to list here, will miss him dearly.

A celebration of Bancroft's life will be held on Sunday, February 27^th at 1:00 pm in the historic Old Arcade, 401 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115.

Arrangements were entrusted to Slone & Co. Funeral Directors, 13115 Lorain Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44111.