Robert Lee Henry (May 12, 1864 – July 9, 1931) was a Democratic member of the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
from
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
from 1897 to 1917.
Early life
Robert Lee Henry was the great-great-great grandson of
Patrick Henry
Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736June 6, 1799) was an American attorney, planter, politician and orator known for declaring to the Second Virginia Convention (1775): " Give me liberty, or give me death!" A Founding Father, he served as the first an ...
and was born in
Linden, Texas
Linden is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, Texas, United States. At the 2020 United States census, its population was 1,825.
Geography
Linden is located south of the center of Cass County at (33.008026, –94.364328). U.S. Route 5 ...
on May 12, 1864. While a child, he attended public schools and moved to Bowie County in 1878 and to McLennan County in 1895. He was graduated from
Southwestern University
Southwestern University (Southwestern or SU) is a private liberal arts college in Georgetown, Texas. Formed in 1873 from a revival of collegiate charters granted in 1840, Southwestern is the oldest college or university in Texas. Southwestern o ...
in Georgetown, Texas in 1885. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1886 and practiced for a short time in
Texarkana, Texas
Texarkana is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States, in the Ark-La-Tex region. Located approximately from Dallas, Texarkana is a twin city with neighboring Texarkana, Arkansas. The Texas city's population was 36,193 at the 2020 census.
...
. He was graduated from the
University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
at Austin in 1887.
Political career
Henry was elected mayor of Texarkana in 1890 but resigned in 1891. He was then appointed First Assistant to the
Attorney General of Texas
The Texas attorney general is the chief legal officer of the 1891-1893 and Assistant Attorney General (1893–1896). He settled in
Waco, Texas
Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the ...
in 1895 and practiced law. He was elected as a Democrat to Congress from 1897-1917. From 1905-1907, Rep. Henry was Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. He was also Chairman of the House Committee on Rules (1912–1917). A strong supporter of Woodrow Wilson in 1912, Henry was considered a progressive Democrat. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1916, but was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for United States Senator. He engaged in the practice of law in Waco, and again was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for United States Senator in 1922 and 1928. He moved to
Houston, Texas
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
in 1923 and resumed the practice of his profession. Robert L. Henry died in Houston, on July 9, 1931, from a self-inflicted gunshot to his head in an apparent suicide. He was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery, Texarkana, Texas.