In Memoriam: Edward Henneman, Associate Professor of Law Emeritus Henneman worked for Washington and Lee University for 33 years, serving as associate dean of law for eight of those years.
Edward “Ned” Olmsted Henneman, associate professor of law emeritus and former associate dean of the Washington and Lee University School of Law, died on March 16, 2026. He was 88.
Born on Sept. 5, 1937, he was raised in New York City by parents John Bell Henneman and Esther Ogden Henneman. He graduated from Woodberry Forest School in 1955 before entering Yale University, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in 1959. He then graduated from Harvard Law School in 1962. At the same time, he met Penelope “Penny” Case at a wedding in Savannah, Georgia, and they later married on July 28, 1962.
Upon completing law school, Henneman practiced in New York City for a decade while he and his wife welcomed children Neeltje Van Bergen Henneman, Edward Olmsted Henneman Jr. and Robert Haile Henneman.
By the early 1970s, Henneman and Penny decided they didn’t want to raise their family in the city or in suburbia. So, he left Winthrop, Stimson, Putman & Roberts in 1972 and moved with his family to Lexington, Virginia, to work as W&L’s director of deferred giving, a title which changed to associate director of development. At the time, W&L was in the early stages of creating a development department, and Henneman used his background in trusts and estates to help build a planned giving program. He served in this capacity for six years until joining the Washington and Lee University School of Law faculty in 1978 as assistant professor of law at the request of Roy Steinheimer, dean of the law school.
Henneman taught at the law school for 27 years, specializing in trusts and estates. Over his tenure, he also taught property law, real estate law, family law and elder law, sprinkling in his famous “Hennemanisms” in lectures. He was promoted to associate professor of law in 1987. While simultaneously teaching full time, he served as assistant dean of law in 1981 and then held the role of associate dean of law for eight years until 1992. He retired as associate professor of law emeritus in 2005.
Outside of W&L, Henneman gave back to the local community. He helped found the local chapter of Meals on Wheels, delivering meals for over 20 years. He served as vice chair and then chair of the Lexington City School Board. He belonged to the Lexington Retirement Community board, which lead to the founding of Kendal at Lexington where he and Penny resided for over 15 years. He was a board member of many local organizations including the then Stonewall Jackson Hospital, Yellow Brick Road, Rockbridge Area Relief Association and the Virginia Skyline Girl Scout Council. He was also a member of the vestry of Grace Episcopal Church. In addition, he loved sports – he was a devoted New York Mets fan – as well as opera, composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim and reading non-fiction.
Henneman is preceded in death by his parents, John Bell Henneman and Esther Ogden Henneman; his brother, John Bell Henneman Jr.; and his wife, Penelope Case Henneman. He is survived by his children, Neeltje, Ted and Bob; by his daughters-in-law, Amy Parr Henneman and Margaret Horlick; and by his five grandchildren, Bonnie Wells Henneman, Edward Olmsted Henneman III, Winifred Gracie Henneman, Nicholas Bruner Henneman and Rebecca Rose Henneman.
A memorial service will be held at a later date. Contributions in his memory may be made to ConnectionsPlus Healthcare + Hospice, the Staff Appreciation Fund at Kendal at Lexington or Grace Episcopal Church.
His full obituary was published in The News-Gazette.
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