Born in Deppe,[1] (an unincorporated community near White Oak), North Carolina, Henderson attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and read law in 1905.
He was the United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina from 1945 to 1948.
[2] Henderson received a recess appointment from President Harry S. Truman on September 1, 1948, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina vacated by Judge Edwin Y. Webb.
His service terminated on February 14, 1949, due to his resignation.
[2] Henderson returned to private practice in Charlotte until his death on July 25, 1968.