Loy Wesley Henderson (1892 - 1986)

Born 28 Jun 1892 in Rogers, Benton, Arkansas, United States

Ancestors

Died 24 Mar 1986 at age 93 in Bethesda, Montgomery, Maryland, United States

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Biography

Loy Henderson is Notable.

Loy Wesley Henderson was born on June 28, 1892 in Rogers, Arkansas.^[1][2] He was an identical twin, with his brother Roy born a few minutes apart.^[1][3] At age nine, while playing he broke his right arm.^[1][4] The country doctor did not set the bone correctly, and Loy's arm failed to heal properly. As a result, he had a partially stiff right arm for the rest of his life.^[5][6]

He attended college in a small town in Kansas, before transferring to Northwestern University.^[1] He graduated from Northwestern University in 1915 and studied law at Denver University.^[7] After his graduation, he volunteered for Army duty in World War I, but was rejected because of his stiff arm.^[1][7] Instead, he served with the Red Cross in Europe.^[2] Later during training, he had to be removed because of a damaged kidney.^[3]

After the Armistice, Henderson served with the Inter-Allied Commission to Germany, involved in the repatriation of prisoners and inspection of prisoner of war camps.^[3][8] During 1919 and 1920, Loy Wesley Henderson served with the American Red Cross Commission to Western Russia and the Baltic States.^[5][8][2] He was appointed head of the Red Cross in Gemany during 1920-1923.^[8][2] Later, he became a United States Foreign Service Officer and diplomat.^[1][3][5]

His first post in the Foreign Service was in Dublin, Ireland, where he served as Vice Consul.^[6] In 1925, he took a post Eastern European Division of the Department. Where he served for the next eighteen months.^[9] During that time, he worked in Eastern Europe, the Baltic States, and in the Soviet Union.^[1][6] After completing that post, he returned to a Washington post at the Eastern European Division and served under the Secretary of State.^[1][7] He was then posted at the newly opened American Embassy to the Soviet Union under Ambassador Will Bulitt.^[10][11][8] In 1943, he was appointed envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Iraq.^[3]

In March 1945, he returned to Washington to become the chief of the State Department's Division of Near Eastern and African Affairs.^[3][5][1] During his three years in this position, he played a key role in the department's formulation of policy toward the Middle East.^[5][6]

Loy Wesley Henderson retired in 1960 and spent seven years teaching international relations at Washington, D.C.'s American University.^[1][10] His memoirs, entitled "A Question of Trust: The Origins of U.S.-Soviet Diplomatic Relations"^[5], are part of the Loy W. Henderson Papers collection.^[10] Henderson died on March 24, 1986 in Bethesda, Maryland.^[1] He was buried at Rock Creek Cemetery in Montgomery County, Maryland.^[12]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10} Wikipedia Contributor. "Loy Wesley Henderson." Accessed 3 Mar 2023.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Prabook Contributor. "Loy Wesley Henderson." Accessed 3 Mar 2023.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5} United States Department of State, Office of the Historian, Foreign Service Institute. "Loy Wesley Henderson (1892-1986)." Accessed 3 Mar 2023.
4. ↑ Johnson, Eric A., The Foreign Service Journal, Feb 2008. "FS Heritage Mr. Foreign Service: Loy Henderson." Accessed 3 Mar 2023.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5} Perkins, Anne Witt, University of Richmond, UR Scholarship Repositary. "Loy Wesley Henderson: A cold warrior in near eastern affairs." Accessed 3 Mar 2023.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3} McKinzie, Richard D., National Archives, Harry S. Truman Library and Museum. "Loy W. Henderson Oral History Interview." Accessed 3 Mar 2023.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} Krebs, Albin, The New York Times, 26 Mar 1986. "Loy W. Henderson is Dead; Longtime Diplomat was 93." Accessed 3 Mar 2023.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3} Humanities and Social Sciences Online. "American National Biograph Online." Accessed 3 Mar 2023.
9. ↑ Online Archive of California. "Overview of the Loy W. Henderson memoirs." Accessed 3 Mar 2023.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2} Bickel, Richard B., Revised and expanded by Michael Spangler, Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Washington D. C. 1992. "Loy W. Henderson Papers." Accessed 4 Mar 2023.
11. ↑ William C. Bullitt Papers (MS 112). Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library. "William C. Bullitt Papers." Accessed March 04, 2023.
12. ↑ Burial: Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44383570/loy-wesley-henderson: accessed 04 March 2023), memorial page for Loy Wesley Henderson (28 Jun 1892–24 Mar 1986), Find A Grave: Memorial #44383570, citing Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia, USA; Maintained by Searching Days Gone By † ღ©1990-2022 (contributor 47144938).

See also:

• Wikidata: Item Q448973