Charles W. Henney

Charles Henney was born near Dunlap, Iowa, in February 1884. He received his early education there, then attended Denison Normal School. At age 17, he began teaching school in Crawford County, Iowa, then continued his education at the Fremont Normal School, where he graduated from the pharmacy department in 1906. He then attended Northwestern University Medical School and graduated in 1910. He became a practicing physician and surgeon that year, working for two years as an intern at Cook County Hospital in Chicago.{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WPG6E4D5P7OSQ82 |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1933 |year= 1933 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library |editor-last1= Witte |editor-first1= Edwin E. |editor-last2= Kelly |editor-first2= Alice |chapter= Federal Government |page= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AWPG6E4D5P7OSQ82/full/AJL6H35DNAL6QB8H 440] |accessdate= June 24, 2024 }}{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-capital-times-obituary-for-charles-h/150019632/ |title= Dr. Henney, Former Congressman is Dead |newspaper= The Capital Times |date= November 17, 1969 |page= 8 |accessdate= June 24, 2024 |via= Newspapers.com }}

In 1912, Henney moved to Portage, Wisconsin, where he started an independent medical practice and worked as a city health officer. In 1915, he was hired as surgeon for the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad; that same year he was appointed federal pension surgeon for Portage on the recommendation of U.S. representative Michael E. Burke.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/portage-daily-register-henney-surgeon/150007053/ |title= Dr. C. W. Henney is Appointed Surgeon |newspaper= Portage Daily Register |date= August 7, 1915 |page= 3 |accessdate= June 24, 2024 |via= Newspapers.com }}

After the U.S. entered World War I, Henney was appointed an examining surgeon for the county draft board. Henney kept up a prolific private practice, performed surgeries around the state, and attended medical conferences around the country. He was president of the Columbia County medical association for many years. In 1927 he became chief of surgery at the Divine Savior's Hospital in Portage and that same year he was admitted to the American College of Surgeons. During these years, he was also active with the Knights of Columbus fraternal order, rising to the rank of Grand Knight of the Portage council in 1931.{{cite news|url = https://www.newspapers.com/article/portage-daily-register-knights-of-columb/150015366/ |title= Knights of Columbus Hold Election and Initiate Members |newspaper= Portage Daily Register |date =June 4, 1931 |page= 2 |accessdate= June 24, 2024 |via= Newspapers.com }}

Henney was also active in the local Democratic Party organization. He was appointed to the city park commission in 1926 and served for the next 16 years. He made his first run for public office in 1931, when he ran for a seat on the local school board. He lost the election 411 to 205.{{Cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/portage-daily-register-election-results/150015210/ |title= Two Aldermen Unseated in Record Poll; Band Referendum Wins 2-1 |newspaper= Portage Daily Register |date= April 8, 1931 |page= 1 |accessdate= June 24, 2024 |via= Newspapers.com }}

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In 1932, he was one of two men from Portage invited to accompany Democratic presidential candidate Franklin D. Roosevelt on a train to Saint Paul, Minnesota.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/portage-daily-register-roosevelt-henney/150015648/ |title= Portage Men on Trip with Roosevelt |newspaper= Portage Daily Register |date= April 18, 1932 |page= 1 |accessdate= June 24, 2024 |via= Newspapers.com }} That summer, Henney began a campaign for election to the U.S. House of Representatives in Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district. The district had been significantly reconfigured in the 1932 redistricting. The progressive Republican incumbent, Charles A. Kading, was drawn into an incumbent vs incumbent primary against fellow progressive John M. Nelson, with a stalwart Republican, John B. Gay, also seeking the nomination. With the two progressives splitting the vote, Gay prevailed in the primary, defeating both incumbents.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/beaver-dam-daily-citizen-congressional-p/150016232/ |title= Gay Wins Nomination Over Two Progressives |newspaper= Beaver Dam Daily Citizen |date= September 22, 1932 |page= 1 |accessdate= June 24, 2024 |via= Newspapers.com }} In the Democratic primary, Henney defeated Bert Husting, a former University of Wisconsin football star, former Major League Baseball pitcher, and the brother of former U.S. senator Paul O. Husting.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/wisconsin-state-journal-henney-primary/150017075/ |title= Henney Whips Husting in Democratic Race |newspaper= Wisconsin State Journal |date= September 22, 1932 |page= 1 |accessdate= June 24, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com }}

In the general election, the Wisconsin progressive faction threw their support behind Franklin Roosevelt and other Democratic candidates, in a major schism with the Republican Party.{{Cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/portage-daily-register-republican-schism/150016474/ |title= Kading Gives His Support to President |newspaper= Portage Daily Register |date= October 24, 1932 |page= 1 |accessdate= June 24, 2024 |via= Newspapers.com }} The influential Madison newspaper The Capital Times was at that time an organ of the state's progressive apparatus, and their swing toward the Democrats was a considerable advantage to Henney, whose district contained Madison and Dane County. Henney's advertising leaned into this, identifying himself as a "progressive Democrat" in the newspaper.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-capital-times-henney-campaign-ad/150017278/ |title= C. W. Henney |newspaper= The Capital Times |date= October 26, 1932 |page= 5 |accessdate= June 24, 2024 |via= Newspapers.com }} Henney won 56% of the vote against Gay and two minor party candidates in the Democratic wave election of 1932.{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WPG6E4D5P7OSQ82 |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1933 |year= 1933 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library |editor-last1= Witte |editor-first1= Edwin E. |editor-last2= Kelly |editor-first2= Alice |chapter= Parties and Elections |page= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AWPG6E4D5P7OSQ82/full/A3GRXQM7N4O5JW8V 511] |accessdate= June 24, 2024 }}

By 1934, however, the progressive faction had formally split from the Republicans and formed their own party, the Wisconsin Progressive Party. At the 1934 election, the progressives carried seven of Wisconsin's 10 congressional districts, including Henney's. Henney came in second place with 33% in his district, behind progressive lawyer Harry Sauthoff, with 42%.{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/PK3IJRHBGDIWA8L |title= The Wisconsin Blue Book 1935 |year= 1935 |publisher= Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library |editor-last1=Ohm |editor-first1= Howard F. |editor-last2= Bryhan |editor-first2= Leone G. |chapter= Parties and Elections |pages= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/APK3IJRHBGDIWA8L/full/A2UASUJXF736G79C 549], [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/APK3IJRHBGDIWA8L/full/AARTU2OAF5ZNLX86 619] |accessdate= June 24, 2024 }}

Henney remained active in Democratic politics through the 1930s and 40s, and was selected as a presidential elector in 1948, casting his vote for Harry Truman.{{cite news|title=Ex-Congressman Dies |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/84392035/charles-w-henney-1884-1969/ |newspaper=Kenosha News |date=November 18, 1969 |location=Kenosha, WI |page=5 |via = Newspapers.com |accessdate = August 30, 2021}} {{Open access}} He also remained active in the Knights of Columbus, and served on the national board of directors from 1946 to 1957.

Henney died at a nursing home in Portage on November 16, 1969, after a long illness.

Charles Henney was one of at least six children born to George Elbridge Henney and his first wife Sarah Jane ({{nee}} Hanigan).{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/portage-daily-register-obituary-for-sara/150013671/ |title= Mother of Dr. Hennney Dies at Dunlop, Ia. |newspaper= Portage Daily Register |date= August 16, 1918 |page= 1 |accessdate= June 24, 2024 |via= Newspapers.com }}

Charles Henney married Margaret Tierney on October 28, 1915, at St. Mary's Church in Portage.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/portage-daily-register-october-weddings/150007814/ |title=Three October Weddings to Occur at St. Mary's |newspaper= Portage Daily Register |date= October 11, 1915 |page= 3 |accessdate= June 24, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com }} They had two sons.

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{{US House succession box | state=Wisconsin | district=2 | before=Charles A. Kading |after=Harry Sauthoff

|years=1933–1935}}

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Category:1884 births

Category:1969 deaths

Category:Physicians from Chicago

Category:People from Harrison County, Iowa

Category:People from Crawford County, Iowa

Category:People from Portage, Wisconsin

Category:Politicians from Columbia County, Wisconsin

Category:Midland University alumni

Category:Feinberg School of Medicine alumni

Category:Fellows of the American College of Surgeons

Category:Physicians from Wisconsin

Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin

Category:20th-century Wisconsin politicians

Category:Catholic politicians from Wisconsin

Category:20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives