Alexander Dawson Henderson (February 28, 1865 - January 5, 1925) was a businessman, philanthropist, and Vice-President and Treasurer of the California Perfume Company (CPC), which later became Avon Products, Inc.
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Alexander Henderson was born in Brooklyn, New York and was the sixth child of Captain Joseph Henderson (Pilot) and Angelina Annetta Weaver. [1] In 1890, Mr. Henderson worked for the Union Warehouse Company in New York City, for which he held the position of private secretary to Mr. Edward B. Bartlett.[2] On February 17, 1892, Alexander D. Henderson married Ella M. Brown at the Emmanuel Baptist Church at 291 Ryerson Street, Brooklyn, New York by the Rev. John Hampstone. The marriage announcement appeared in the Brooklyn Eagle Newspaper. [3]
On May 30, 1895 Mr. Henderson became the bookkeeper for David H. McConnell of the California Perfume Company. He went on to become Vice-President and Treasurer of CPC. According to The Story of the C P C, "Mr. Alexander D. Henderson, our Vice-President and Treasurer, joined the company and helped to shape its policies and assist in its growth."
In a letter to Mr. William Scheele and the CPC, Henderson described the "process of Perfumery and extracting odors from flowers". In this letter Henderson said, "It is these pomades which we import direct from Grasse for the making of our perfumes, and thus we have the true flower base which makes our floral odors so true to natural flowers and so lasting." [4]
The California Perfume Company was incorporated on May 7, 1915 in Jersey City to deal in perfumery, toilet preparations by Alexander D. Henderson, William Scheele, William H. Carey. [5] In June, 1915, Mr. Henderson took the train to San Francisco, to help set up a booth to advertise the perfume products at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, California. By train, it took 4 days to get to San Francisco. The perfume won the Gold Medal at the Exposition. [6]
CPC was incorporated again in Suffern, New York to deal in perfumes, cosmetics, flavoring, extracts, fruit juices, and household supplies, by A. D. Henderson, W. Scheele, and D. H. McConnell. [7]
His son, Alexander D. Henderson Jr., also worked for CPC and became Vice-President in charge of Purchases. According to the article, Introducing You to the CPC, "Mr. Henderson buys the ingredients from which everything in the CPC line is made. As such, he is, of course, a most important factor in the maintaining the high quality and low prices of the products you sell." In 1940, his second son, Girard B. Henderson was elected to serve on the board of directors for Avon Products and served for 35 years.
Henderson, according to the Suffern newspaper, was President of the Rockland Country Branch of the State Charities Aid Association and Chairman of the Red Cross drive for funds during World War I in Ramapo Valley, New York. He also actively assisted in the designing and building of the Lafayette Theatre in Suffern, New York. Mr. Henderson "believed in a good local newspaper and he became treasurer and director of the Ramapo Valley Independent when the old Suffern Independent was sold."[8]
When Mr. Henderson died on January 25, 1925, a resolution adopted by the Board of Directors and the officers of the California Perfume Company, attested to the invaluable work done by Alexander Dawson Henderson. An engrossed copy of the resolution was issued to the Henderson family. The resolution was signed by D. H. McConnell (President) and Alonzo Williams (Secretary).[9]