Dick Hendrickson was born in Dodge City, Kansas, but moved to Cabot, Arkansas at the age of three. He attended Cabot Public Schools from which he graduated in 1953. His senior year, Hendrickson was voted the Outstanding Athlete at Cabot High School. After graduation he enrolled at Arkansas State Teachers College where he would earn a Bachelor of Science degree in 1957 and a Masters degree in Education in 1960. While attending ASTC he lettered in both football and track. He was selected captain of the 1956 football team and was a member of the ASTC track and field honor roll. He was also a member of three AIC championship relay teams contributing to two AIC track championships in 1956 and 1957.

Hendrickson began is coaching career immediately upon graduation in 1957. He spent two years at El Dorado Junior High as their head football and track coach before moving on to El Dorado High School as head track and assistant football coach, a position he held for three years. From there he moved to North Little Rock Ridgeroad Junior High where his football and track teams won numerous Little Rock and North Little Rock league and regional championships.

In 1966 Hendrickson would leave coaching to become the Supervisor of Health, Physical Education and Safety for the North Little Rock School District. It was in 1969 that he assumed the duties of Athletic Director and Secondary Physical Education Supervisor. Some of his achievements while serving as Athletic Director included construction of a tartan track in 1971, formation of girls' athletic programs in four junior high schools and two high schools, and starting the baseball program at Northeast and Old Main High Schools.

In 1976-77 Hendrickson was selected as the Arkansas High School Athletic Director of the Year. During 1979 he was a presenter at the National Federation of High School Athletic Directors Convention in Dallas and was one of six recipients of the National Federation Citation in recognition of his outstanding contributions to athletics. At the state level, he served on a committee with the Arkansas Activities Association and several of the state's most accomplished Athletic Directors to form the Arkansas High School Athletic Administrators Association. He would become its first president presiding from 1979 to 1981.

In 1986, Hendrickson was once again selected as the High School Athletic Director of the Year. That year he was also named the fifteen state Southern Regional Athletic Director of the Year.

In addition to his accomplishments in the field of Athletic Administration, Dick also served three years as editor of the AHPER Journal. He published several articles, which appeared in the Athletic Journal, Coach & Athlete and Football Coaches Clinic Magazine. He was a member of the North Little Rock YMCA Board, Governor's Advisory Commission of the Arkansas Drug Abuse Authority and the Arkansas Activities Association Track and Field Committee.

Hendrickson retired at the end of the 1989-90 school year and married Vernelle Crews in 2000. The couple currently resides in Conway. He has two daughters, Karen Loyd of Dallas, Texas and Stacy Stoltz of Orlando, Florida and three grandchildren.

Hendrickson was always a forward thinker who has a tremendous impact on the profession of athletic administration in our state and our nation