John Henderson Jr.

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John Brooks Henderson Jr.
Born(1870-02-18)February 18, 1870
DiedJanuary 4, 1923(1923-01-04) (aged 52)
Alma mater
Spouse
Angelica Schuyler Crosby
(m. 1903; died 1907)
Children1 adopted
Parents
Relatives

John Brooks Henderson Jr. (February 18, 1870 – January 4, 1923) was an American diplomat, educator,[1] and malacologist.[2]

Early life[edit]

Henderson was born in Pike County, Missouri on February 18, 1870. He was the son of United States Senator John Brooks Henderson[3] and social activist Mary Foote Henderson,[4] who was known as "The Empress of Sixteenth Street."[5] His father was known as the Senator who introduced the thirteenth amendment to the Constitution that abolished slavery and one of seven Republicans who voted for acquittal during the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson in May 1868.[3]

His maternal grandparents were Eunice (née Newton) Foote, a scientist and women's rights campaigner, and Elisha Foote, a prominent lawyer and judge. His grandfather Elisha was the brother of prominent politician Samuel Foote, who served as a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives, U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and Governor of Connecticut in the early 1800s.[4]

Henderson graduated from Harvard University in 1891 and received his degree in law from Columbian University (now George Washington University) in 1893.[6][7]

Career[edit]

From 1896 to 1897, he was Private Secretary to the John W. Foster while Foster was diplomatic advisor to the Chinese government.[8] In 1897, he traveled with General Nelson A. Miles to Europe and toured the Ottoman Empire as an unofficial observer.[7]

In 1911, Henderson was appointed a citizen member of the Smithsonian Institution Board of Regents, serving until his death in 1923. He collected shells as a youth, later focusing on the marine shell life of the West Indies. He was involved with multiple expeditions to the Caribbean and he later donated his collection to the United States National Museum. He wrote several articles for the Proceedings of the United States National Museum and Bulletin of the United States National Museum.[7]

In 1901, he was the author of American Diplomatic Questions, and The Cruise of the Tomas Barrera, in 1916, based on his expedition to Cuba in 1914.[9]

Personal life[edit]

Angelica Schuyler Crosby Henderson, portrait by William Thorne

In 1903,[10] he married Angelica Schuyler Crosby[11] of New York in Jefferson County, West Virginia. She was the daughter of Harriet (née Van Rensselaer) Crosby and John Schuyler Crosby, the 5th Governor of the Montana Territory, and the paternal granddaughter of Clarkson F. Crosby and Angelica (née Schuyler) Crosby (a relative of U.S. Senator and noted Revolutionary War General Philip Schuyler), and the great-great-granddaughter of William Floyd, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence.[12] Through her mother,[13] she was the granddaughter of General Stephen Van Rensselaer IV,[14][12] who was the last patroon of Rensselaerwyck and the son of Stephen Van Rensselaer III.[15] Together, they were the adoptive parents of Beatrice Van Rensselaer Henderson (1906–1992),[16] who was married to Joseph Wholean (1894–1971)[17][5] in 1926.[18][19]

Henderson died in Washington, D.C., on January 4, 1923.[7]

Legacy[edit]

Henderson is commemorated in the scientific name of a species of lizard, Anolis hendersoni,[2] which is native to the West Indies.[20]

Publications[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Details - American diplomatic questions, by John B. Henderson, Jr. - Biodiversity Heritage Library". www.biodiversitylibrary.org. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  2. ^ a b Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. "Henderson, J.B.", p. 121).
  3. ^ a b "EX-SENATOR J. B. HENDERSON; Author of Thirteenth Constitutional Amendment Dies". The New York Times. April 13, 1913. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  4. ^ a b "MRS. J.B. HENDERSON DIES IN BAR HARBOR; Senator's Widow, 90, Long Active in Capital Society, Ill a Short Time. BUILT DIPLOMATS' HOMES Offer of Vice President's Residence Led to Clash With Foster-Granddaughter, Now Reconciled. Established "Embassy Row." Romance With Soldier Senator. Burial to Be in Brooklyn". The New York Times. July 17, 1931. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  5. ^ a b Reminiscences about Abraham Lincoln | Newspaper clippings, accounts, and memories of those whose lives included an encounter with the 16th President of the United States. Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection. 1865. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  6. ^ General alumni catalogue of George Washington University / compiled by W.J. Maxwell. 1917
  7. ^ a b c d "SIA RU007075, Henderson Family, Henderson Family Papers, 1868–1923". siarchives.si.edu. Smithsonian Institution Archives. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  8. ^ Historical Society of Washington, DC Finding Aid[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ Who Was Who in America. Volume 1, 1897–1942. Chicago: A.N. Marquis Co., 1943. (WhAm 1)
  10. ^ Times, Special To The New York (February 13, 1903). "Henderson--Crosby". The New York Times. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  11. ^ "ANGELICA SCHUYLER CROSBY". The New York Times. July 26, 1907. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  12. ^ a b "Col. JS Crosby Dies in 75th Year". New York Times. August 9, 1914. p. 15.
  13. ^ "MRS. HARRIET CROSBY DIES; She Was Youngest Daughter of Gen. Stephen Van Rensselaer". The New York Times. December 18, 1911. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  14. ^ McMullin, Thomas A.; Walker, David (1984). Biographical Directory of American Territorial Governors. Westport, CT: Meckler Publishing. pp. 216–7. ISBN 0-930466-11-X.
  15. ^ COL. J. S. CROSBY DIES IN 75TH YEAR; Veteran of Civil and Indian Wars Never Recovered from Attack of Insane Servant. NOTED BIG GAME HUNTER Governor of Montana from 1882 to 1884 ;- Received a Life-Saving Medal from Congress. Special to The New York Times. (); August 9, 1914, Section, Page 15
  16. ^ "BEATRICE H. WHOLEAN". The Palm Beach Post. December 30, 1992. p. 19. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  17. ^ Butler, Joyce (2014). Wildfire Loose: The Week Maine Burned. Down East Books. ISBN 9781608932702. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  18. ^ Times, Special To The New York (July 4, 1926). "Henderson -- Wholean". The New York Times. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  19. ^ Times, Special To The New York (August 7, 1926). "MISS B. HENDERSON MARRIES DIPLOMAT; Granddaughter of Late Senator From Iowa Wed to Joseph Edward Wholean. CEREMONY AT BAR HARBOR Bride Is Prospective Heiress of Henderson Millions -- Couple to Sail for His Post in Rome". The New York Times. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  20. ^ Schwartz A, Thomas R (1975). A Check-list of West Indian Amphibians and Reptiles. Carnegie Museum of Natural History Special Publication No. 1. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 216 pp. (Anolis hendersoni, p. 85).

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