Joey Garrison, and Joel Ebert

The Tennessean

Douglas Henry was born on May 18, 1926.

He was first elected to the state House in 1954.

Voters later sent Henry to the state Senate, where he served until 2014.

Henry was the longest-serving member in the history of the Tennessee General Assembly.

This story has been updated to correct the suffix for Douglas Henry.

Douglas Selph Henry Jr., a giant of the Tennessee legislature for six decades and a force in Nashville politics who was regarded as the epitome of a Southern statesman and gentleman, died late Sunday. He was 90.

Longtime legislative aide and friend Nancy Russell confirmed Henry died around 11:30 p.m. surrounded by family and loved ones in his West Meade home.

The legislature will pay tribute to Henry on Thursday, when he will lie in state at the Capitol. He will be the first person to lie in state inside the building since Gov. Austin Peay in 1927.

Henry, a conservative Democrat, beloved by members of both parties and known as "Duck" to friends, was the longest-serving member in the history of the Tennessee General Assembly. He was old school in every way, from his seersucker suits to his eloquent manner of speech.

A product of Belle Meade, Henry was first elected to a House seat in 1954 before being elected to the Senate in 1970 to represent Nashville's District 21.

The longtime chairman of the Senate's Finance, Ways and Means Committee, Henry served in the Senate for 44 years, developing a reputation as a guru in state finances. He left the state legislature in 2014, but remained a presence at the state Capitol and continued to draw the respect of current lawmakers.

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Politicians remember Senator Douglas Henry

His death came less than three months after the passing of his wife of 67 years, Loiette “Lolly” Hume Henry. She died in December. Henry had been ailing for weeks, prompting visits in recent days from his closest friends.

"If I had one word to describe Senator Henry, it would be 'gentleman,' " said former Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen, who considered Henry a mentor when he became governor in 2003. "If you gave me two words, they would be 'Southern gentleman.' With three, 'Southern gentleman senator.' "

Bredesen said Henry was courteous to everyone he knew — friends and foes alike — and put the interests of his beloved state far ahead of any political or personal concerns.

"At its worst, politics is becoming every day more of a coarse and self-serving activity," Bredesen said. "But today, we should pause a moment and remember it at its best: gentlemanly, respectful and generous — the way Senator Henry practiced it every day."

Former Vice President Al Gore said Henry devoted his life to public service and "embodied the spirit of bipartisanship."

"A dear friend, with whom I talked just two weeks ago, he will be missed by all who knew him," Gore said.

Nashville attorney Bobby Thomas, Henry's longtime campaign finance chairman, said Henry had a remarkable command on issues and history. The two go back 47 years when Henry was an attorney at Boult, Cummings, Conners & Berry law firm, where Thomas practices today.

"There will never be anybody else like Senator Henry in the Tennessee legislature," Thomas said. "He had no personal agenda and no personal ambition. He just wanted to do what all of our elected officials ought to do, and that's what's good for the public. There's not many of those around."

During much of his time at the legislature, the senator could be spotted with his signature bright blond hair swooped to one side and a cigar frequently at the helm. He wore a suit and tie everywhere he went.

He took on a range of causes as a lawmaker, including sponsoring the first child seat restraint law in the nation and pushing child abuse reporting and adoption laws. Although Henry was targeted by some on the political left during his final years in office over stances on social issues, Henry also was considered a champion of the environment, conservation, public education and women and seniors.

Henry also was instrumental in helping to raise money and organize the efforts to create the Korean and Vietnam War memorials in Legislative Plaza, as well as the World War II memorial in Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park.

Ethical behavior: 'He personified it'

Republican House Speaker Beth Harwell of Nashville, a close friend of Henry's, fought back tears discussing someone who she said was especially welcoming to her when she entered the state legislature in 1989 as the only Republican in Davidson County.

"He was just one of the finest men I've ever known," Harwell said. "A lot of people talk about ethical behavior in politics. He didn't have to talk about it, he personified it."

"I learned so much from him."

Gov. Bill Haslam said one of his most fun calls as governor came in 2015 when he notified Henry — an ardent supporter of the Tennessee State Museum — that his budget would include funding for a new museum building. Haslam said that he was fortunate to visit with Henry on Friday and that the "state’s finances were still top of mind to him."

"He served the state for nearly 50 years, and it is not an exaggeration to say that he is one of the primary reasons the state is on such solid financial footing today," said Haslam, who ordered flags at the Capitol lowered to half-staff in Henry's honor. "He was a powerhouse intellect, courteous, kind, genuine and a statesman, and I will miss knowing that his wisdom and perspective are only a phone call away.”

Joe Haynes, a former Democratic state senator from Nashville, worked alongside Henry in the Senate for three decades.

"He had an excellent memory that permitted him to expound on the year and the date that we had done something in the past," Haynes said. "He was just remarkable in that sense that he had that capacity."

State Sen. Thelma Harper, D-Nashville, who served alongside Henry for 20 years, called Henry "the 'great one' of Tennessee politics," a true leader and friend, and someone who understood that "we could be fiscally responsible and still care about the welfare of others."

"He was my go-to senator because there was nothing he did not know about the finances or the budget of his beloved state of Tennessee," Harper said. "I can truly say I learned from the best."

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said he first met Henry in the mid-1990s during Corker's time as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Finance.

"No one focused more over a longer period on the fiscal issues facing our state than Senator Henry, and with a steady hand and wise guidance, he set a tremendous example of bipartisanship and integrity in public service," Corker said. "I will truly miss Doug’s friendship and will keep the entire Henry family in my thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

Politics a family tradition

Born on May 18, 1926, in Nashville, Henry grew up in an affluent Presbyterian family that made money from the old National Life and Accident Insurance Co., a company that his grandfather helped form. Henry approached the Senate as a full-time job, though he also practiced law for several years, once serving as assistant vice president and counsel for the National Life and Accident Insurance Co.

Henry, whose father served in the Tennessee Senate under former Gov. Peay, was the eldest of two. He attended school in Nashville and Chattanooga before graduating from Vanderbilt University. He later served 2½ years in the U.S. Army during World War II.

Throughout his life, Henry was involved in various organizations, including the YMCA, Tennessee Historical Society, Kiwanis Club, American Legion Post 5, Tennessee State Museum Foundation Board and Tennessee Foreign Language Institute Board. He also served as chairman of the Southern Legislative Conference in the late 1980s.

“He truly is an institution,” said former Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, a Republican who considered Henry a mentor despite being in the opposite political party.

Ramsey, who on occasion was invited to Henry’s house for dinner that featured a mix of Republicans and Democrats, said although Henry was wealthy, he didn’t flaunt it.

“He was a very frugal man,” Ramsey said. Henry was a voracious reader and Tennessee history buff, Ramsey said. And beyond his love of books, Henry was fluent in French and also spoke Greek, Latin, German and Italian.

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., who served as governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987, said, "There was no one in the Tennessee General Assembly who demonstrated integrity, courtesy and financial stability more than Douglas Henry.

"To him, party politics were of no importance," Alexander said. "The citizens he served were what mattered. His example will be important for years to come.”

Lasting legacy

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry said Henry's tremendous impact on Nashville and distinguished service in the legislature would undoubtedly last for generations to come.

"He was a fervent student and teacher of our shared history, he was an expert on the state budget, and he set a high standard for decorum and decency in public life," Barry said.

U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, said Henry was "one of a kind."

"He was civil, courtly and brilliant. He made the legislature behave and tamed governors."

Over the years, some within his party grew frustrated by Henry's most conservative positions, many of which were rooted in a past generation of Southern Democratic politics.

Henry led the effort in 1998 to clear brush and trees on state-owned land off Interstate 65 in Nashville to open visibility of a privately owned statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest, the lieutenant general for the Confederate Army during the Civil War and first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. Henry was anti-abortion. And in 2008, Henry was criticized for comments he made on the Senate floor about the definition of rape.

These and other views made him vulnerable in a primary. Henry's political career nearly ended abruptly in 2010 when Jeff Yarbro, who challenged Henry from the left, came within 17 votes of defeating Henry in the Democratic primary. Yarbro won the seat four years later after Henry opted to not run for re-election again.

“When you run a race with someone, you get to know them really well," Yarbro said. "But I think it’s unusual how much we grew to like each other during that experience."

Henry remained an influence in the legislature even after his departure.

When Randy McNally ascended to lieutenant governor on Jan. 10, Henry was among those on hand for the occasion and was even named a special counsel to the Oak Ridge Republican. Henry had been named chairman emeritus of the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee.

“He was like a father figure,” McNally said, adding that Henry reminded him of his father, who was a physicist who once taught at MIT.

McNally said Henry was a social conservative whom Republicans tried to recruit because they knew they couldn't defeat him.

Although Henry faced criticism from some liberals for stances on abortion and other social issues, Rep. Mike Stewart, D-Nashville, said Henry was a progressive for other reasons.

Admitting that he and Henry might have disagreed on some social issues — Henry famously smoked marijuana in 1977 outside Tennessee as the legislature was debating a bill but rejected the drug as a dangerous substance — Stewart said the elder statesman was rooted in progressive politics.

Henry was "absolutely in the progressive tradition in creating and maintaining strong enduring governmental institutions, protecting them from corruption and ensuring that they were properly funded," Stewart said.

Stewart said Henry was a great statesman who did a lot of obscure work on budget and tax committees and was among the architects behind the state's fiscal stability.

Henry's ability to reach across the aisle and respect those with opposing views was evident throughout his time in the Senate, even on the day of his departure.

“Goodbye everybody, be always kind and true,” he said in his farewell address to the Senate in 2014.

Henry is survived by five children, 13 grandchildren and his many great-grandchildren. Details on Henry's funeral arrangements are forthcoming. Public viewing and visitations with family members at the capitol on Thursday will be from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 6 p.m.

Reach Joey Garrison at 615-259-8236 and on Twitter @joeygarrison. Reach Joel Ebert at jebert@tennessean.com or 615-772-1681 and on Twitter @joelebert29.



