Hencken, Louis
Person
Biography
Louis Valentine Hencken (1944-) served as president of Eastern from 2001-2007, the first two years as interim. During his presidency, he oversaw several major building projects, including the Neal Welcome Center, the Health Services Building, and the renovation and expansion of Booth Library. Born in 1944 in East St. Louis, Hencken received a B.S. in education and an M.S. in guidance and counseling from EIU. He spent his entire career working at Eastern, starting as a graduate assistant in Taylor Hall. After retiring from the presidency, he rejoined EIU’s teaching faculty.