Lindsey Wilson University Community Honors Legacy of the Rev. George Edward 'Ed' Henry '46
Rev. George Edward 'Ed' Henry '46 Student Lounge dedicated in Sumner Campus Ministry Center.
COLUMBIA, Ky. (10/23/2026) — One of the more popular rooms on Lindsey Wilson University's A.P. White Campus was named in honor of one of its most loyal alumni on Thursday, Oct. 22.
The Rev. George Edward "Ed" Henry '46 Student Lounge was dedicated at a ceremony held by university officials and members of the Henry family in the Sumner Campus Ministry Center.
"We honor the Rev. Ed Henry's lifetime of commitment to the ministry and to Lindsey Wilson by naming the student lounge in his memory for a lifetime of faithful and generous support," said Lindsey Wilson President William T. Luckey Jr.
The son of V.P. Henry, who was Lindsey Wilson's third president from 1942-54, Ed Henry was a fourth-generation ordained Methodist minister who served Kentucky churches with his wife, the late Martha Belle Ammerman, in Beaver Dam, Brandenburg, Campbellsville, Hawesville, Irvington, Louisville, Owensboro and Sebree, as well as secretary and treasurer of the Louisville Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.
When Henry died at the age of 99 in August 2025 in Louisville, he was Lindsey Wilson's oldest living graduate. That distinction now belongs to his 98-year-old sister, Martha Henry Berry, who graduated from Lindsey Wilson in 1948 and attended Thursday's dedication service.
Henry's son G. Edward Henry II of Lexington, Kentucky, said that the Henry Student Lounge "blends together" two of his late father's passions -- lifelong learning and working with young people.
"I can't think of a more appropriate consummation of his passions than this room, this dedication and this recognition of him," said Henry.
A 'safe place'
Since the Sumner Campus Ministry Center opened in 2005, its Room 101 has been a popular gathering space for students and campus guests. Lindsey Wilson Chaplain the Rev. Tyler Brumfield said that "it's nice to give it a proper name."
"Up to this point, it's had a rather boring name -- Sumner 101 or the Couch Room," said Brumfield. "It is right, fitting and appropriate that we give it an identity and a name."
Brumfield said that Lindsey Wilson students have made a lot of use out of the room over the years. In addition to serving as a meeting place for Bible study groups and the university's campus ministry team, Brumfield said the Henry Student Lounge is also a place where students can recenter and reflect.
"In many ways, it is a place for students to come and catch their breath," he said. "It's their safe place. It is their place to come and remind themselves that they are human beings before they are 'human doings,' and remind themselves they are bearing the image of God."
'Part of the same family'
Members of the Henry family have been longtime supporters of Lindsey Wilson. In December 1990, Henry's late brother, Dr. Vic Henry '51, and his wife, Jo, made a $10,000 gift to start the Henry Endowed Scholarship. All three of the surviving Henry children made numerous gifts to the endowment over the years, and its value now stands at $842,357, according to Luckey.
"If ever there was a Founders' Day, a homecoming or an endowed scholarship luncheon, you could always count on Ed, Martha or Vic being there to represent the Henry family," said Luckey. "It was clear to me and everyone else that the Henrys and Lindsey Wilson were all part of the same family."
Luckey recalled how Ed Henry "remembered Lindsey Wilson with an ultimate gift" -- a $250,000 bequest to the Henry Endowed Scholarship.
G. Edward Henry II said that his father "loved all four (of his) children immensely, but in his estate he said, 'I want five shares of my estate to be determined -- each of my children get a share and Lindsey Wilson gets a fifth share.'"
"The fact that he would equate this university with one of his children, I think is a final expression of what this place meant to him," said Henry.
Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 30 undergraduate majors, six graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university's 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.
Media Attachments
Members of the Henry family gather next to a portrait of the late the Rev. George Edward “Ed” Henry ’46 on Thursday, Oct. 22. Henry’s legacy was honored with the dedication on Thursday of the Rev. George Edward “Ed” Henry ’46 Student Lounge in the Lindsey Wilson University Sumner Campus Ministry Center. Pictured, from left: niece Laura and husband Mike Harris; sister Martha Henry Berry ’48; son G. Edward Henry II; and son Phil Henry.
Lindsey Wilson University President William T. Luckey Jr., left, and G. Edward Henry II unveil the portrait of the late the Rev. George Edward “Ed” Henry ’46 on Thursday, Oct. 22. Henry’s legacy was honored with the dedication on Thursday of the Rev. George Edward “Ed” Henry ’46 Student Lounge in the university’s Sumner Campus Ministry Center.
Lindsey Wilson University alumna Martha Henry Berry ’48, left, and Valerie Adams ’90 talk following the dedication of the Rev. George Edward “Ed” Henry ’46 Student Lounge on Thursday, Oct. 22, in the university’s Sumner Campus Ministry Center.