Henry Watson Furniss

Henry W. Furniss
U.S. Envoy Plenipotentiary to Haiti
In office June 17, 1897 – November 30, 1905
President	Theodore Roosevelt
Preceded by	William F. Powell
Succeeded by	Madison R. Smith

Henry Watson Furniss (February 14, 1868 - December 20, 1955) was a medical doctor and diplomat from the United States.[1]

Early life and family

He was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of William Henry Furniss who was appointed assistant secretary of state in Mississippi.[2] In Jackson, Mississippi his brother, Sumner Alexander Furniss, was born in 1874.[2] The family relocated to Indianapolis about 1880.[2]

Furniss studied at Howard Medical School, the Harvard Medical School. He received his master's and a PhD in pharmacology from New York University Grossman School of Medicine.[2]

In October 1903, he married Anna Wichmann in London, England.[2]

Career

In 1898, Furniss joined the U.S. Consular Service when he was appointed as consul to Bahia, Brazil.[2][3] He stayed in the Consular Service for seven years. The Consular Service was part of the Department of State before 1924.[4] They collected information for decision-makers and garnered support for U.S. policies. While in Brazil, Furniss contracted numerous illnesses that affected his health for the rest of his life.[3]

In 1905, Theodore Roosevelt appointed him as ambassador to Haiti.[2] The position was formally titled Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.[5] It wouldn't be promoted to an ambassadorship until 1943. Furniss promoted American economic interests in Haiti.[3]

Furniss was one of the first African American men to be appointed as diplomatic envoy that had previously worked in a foreign service position.[6] The New York Times reported on his work in Haiti in 1909.[7] In 1909, Harry Johnston complimented Furniss and his ability to work with the "rotten" Haitian government in a letter to Roosevelt.[8] Furniss was succeeded as ambassador to Haiti by Madison Roswell Smith in 1913.

Later life and legacy

After leaving Haiti with his family, he settled in West Hartford, Connecticut.

A 1908 photographic display by Cyrus Field Adams for the president and vice-president of the time included Furniss along with other prominent African American officials in U.S. government posts.[9] Various diplomatic papers and medical writings of his are extant.[10]

His brother Sumner also became a doctor and was involved in Indianapolis politics.[11]

References

1. Justesen, Benjamin R. (2013). "Furniss, Henry Watson". Oxford African American Studies Center. doi:10.1093/acref/9780195301731.013.38950. ISBN 978-0-19-530173-1.
2. Erickson, Norma (March 27, 2022). "Fade to White: The Racial Journey of Henry Watson Furniss". Indiana Medical History Museum.
3. Lewis, James (2018-12-26). "Henry W. Furniss (1868-1955) •". BlackPast.org. Retrieved 2025-02-04.
4. Phelps, Nicole. "A Brief Introduction to the US Consular Service". Researching the US Consular Service – University of Vermont. Archived from the original on 2024-07-07. Retrieved 2025-02-04.
5. "Henry Watson Furniss - People - Department History - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov.
6. Miller, Jake C. (1978). The Black Presence in American Foreign Affairs. Washington, D.C.: University Press of America. p. 12. ISBN 0819105848.
7. "Minister Furniss Home.; He Brings New of Peace and Prosperity from Haiti". The New York Times. May 7, 1909. p. 3. Archived from the original on January 26, 2025.
8. "TR Center - Letter from Harry Johnston to Theodore Roosevelt". www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org. Retrieved 2025-02-04.
9. "Hon. W. T. Vernon, Register of the United States Treasury; Hon. Henry W. Furniss, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Haiti; Hon. Charles W. Anderson, Collector of Internal Revenue, New York City; Hon. Robert Smalls, Collector of Customs, Beaufort, S. C." NYPL Digital Collections.
10. "Furniss, H. W. 1868-1955 (Henry Watson) [WorldCat Identities]".
11. "Sumner A. Furniss - indyencyclopedia.org".

External links

• Works by or about Henry Watson Furniss at Wikisource