Loy Henderson American diplomat Date of Birth: 28.06.1892 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Education
2. American Red Cross Service
3. Hospital Management in Estonia
4. Diplomatic Career
5. Moscow and Near Eastern Affairs
6. Ambassadorship and Retirement
7. Later Years and Legacy

Early Life and Education

Loy Wesley Henderson was born in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, to a Methodist minister. He graduated from Northwestern University and attended Denver Law School in 1917-1918.

American Red Cross Service

In the summer of 1918, Henderson joined the American Red Cross. This allowed him to avoid military service while still engaging in risky work. He participated in the repatriation of prisoners of war from World War I in Germany, Estonia, and other countries.

Hospital Management in Estonia

In early 1920, Henderson aided soldiers of the Northwest Army in Estonia, who had retreated there after fighting near Petrograd. A typhus epidemic had spread among them, and Henderson led a large field hospital established in the empty buildings of the Kreenholm factory. He also contracted typhus during this time.

Diplomatic Career

In 1922, Henderson entered the U.S. State Department, serving as vice-consul in Dublin and later in the Eastern European Division. He married Elise Marie Heinrichson in 1927, the same year he became third secretary of the American mission in Riga.

Moscow and Near Eastern Affairs

In 1930, Henderson rejoined the Eastern European Division. He played a key role in establishing the American embassy in Moscow after diplomatic relations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union were restored. From 1934, he served as second secretary of the American embassy in the USSR.

After the war, Henderson became director of Near Eastern and African Affairs in the State Department. He opposed the creation of Israel and tried to convince President Truman to abandon support for the partition resolution for Palestine.

Ambassadorship and Retirement

Henderson served as ambassador to Iraq (1943-1945), India and Nepal (1948-1951), and Iran (1951-1955). He later became deputy undersecretary of state for administration (1955), U.S. representative to CENTO (1956), and head of the Africa mission (1957). He retired in 1960 and taught international relations from 1961 to 1968.

Later Years and Legacy

Henderson died on March 24, 1986. His memoirs, "A Question of Trust," were published in 1986. He is remembered for his diplomatic service and his controversial stance on the creation of Israel.