Robert L. Henry

American politician

For other people named Robert Henry, see Robert Henry (disambiguation).

Robert Lee Henry

Chairman of the House Rules Committee
In office
March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1917
Speaker| Champ Clark
Preceded by| John Dalzell
Succeeded by| Edward W. Pou
Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus
In office
1905–1907
Preceded by| James Hay
Succeeded by| Henry D. Clayton Jr.
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from Texas
In office
March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1917
Preceded by| George C. Pendleton
Succeeded by| Tom Connally
Constituency| 7th district (1897–1903)
11th district (1903–17)
Personal details
Born| (1864-05-12)May 12, 1864
Linden, Texas
Died| July 9, 1931(1931-07-09) (aged 67)
Houston, Texas
Political party| Democratic

Robert Lee Henry (May 12, 1864 – July 9, 1931) was an American lawyer and politician who served ten terms as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas from 1897 to 1917.

## Early life[edit]

Robert Lee Henry was the great-great-great grandson of Patrick Henry and was born in Linden, Texas 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 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. He was graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1887.

## Political career[edit]

Henry was elected mayor of Texarkana in 1890 but resigned in 1891. He was then appointed First Assistant to the Attorney General of Texas 1891-1893 and Assistant Attorney General (1893–1896). He settled in Waco, Texas in 1895 and practiced law.

### Congress[edit]

In 1896, he was elected as a Democrat to Congress and served ten consecutive terms from 1897 to 1917. From 1905 to 1907, Rep. Henry was Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. He was also Chairman of the House Committee on Rules, serving in that capacity from 1912 to 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.

### Later career[edit]

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 in 1923 and resumed the practice of his profession.

## Death and burial[edit]

Robert L. Henry died in Houston, on July 9, 1931, from a self-inflicted gunshot to his head in an apparent suicide.[1] He was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery, Texarkana, Texas.

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Suicide Ends Career of R.L. Henry in Texas. Ex-Member of Congress, Long a Political Figure, Was Ill and Had Met Reverses". New York Times. July 10, 1931. Retrieved 2008-12-07.

## External links[edit]

* United States Congress. "Robert L. Henry (id: H000516)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
* "Robert Lee Henry". US Congressman. Find a Grave. 22 August 2003.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Robert Lee Henry.

U.S. House of Representatives

Preceded by

George C. Pendleton

|  Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Texas's 7th congressional district
1897-1903  | Succeeded by

Alexander W. Gregg

Preceded by

Rudolph Kleberg

|  Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Texas's 11th congressional district
1903-1917  | Succeeded by

Tom Connally

Political offices
Preceded by

Joseph Gurney Cannon
Illinois

|  Chairman of House Rules Committee
1911-1917  | Succeeded by

Edward W. Pou
North Carolina

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Chairs of the U.S. House Committee on Rules (1880–present)

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Authority control databases

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