Henry Prather Fletcher (April 10, 1873 – July 10, 1959) was an American diplomat who served under six presidents.[1]
Early life
Fletcher was born in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, in 1873 to Louis Henry Fletcher (1839–1927) and Martha Ellen (née Rowe) Fletcher (1840–1896). His siblings included James Gilmore Fletcher (1875–1960), David Watson Fletcher (1880–1957) and Florence Fletcher (1883–1957).[2] He was the fourth cousin once removed of William McKinley.[3]
Fletcher planned to attend Princeton University, but his family could not afford to send him, therefore, he studied law and shorthand in his uncle's law office.[2]
Shortly after beginning to practice law, the Spanish–American War broke out and the United States declared war on Spain in 1898.[4] Fletcher joined Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders as a private in Troop K.[5] He served in the U.S. Army, both in Cuba and in the Philippines for two years.[2]
Career
After returning from the Philippines, he entered the diplomatic service under President Roosevelt's administration as secondary secretary of the United States legation in Havana, Cuba. In 1903, he was transferred to Beiping and then, in 1905, as secretary to the legation in Lisbon, Portugal. In 1907, he returned to China and negotiated an agreement whereby US capital was allowed to participate on equal terms with European capital for the first time.[4]
As a reward, President William Howard Taft named him US Minister to Chile in 1909.[6] He was in that position until 1914, by which time the mission had been raised to the status of an Embassy, making him the first United States Ambassador to Chile.[7][6] He served in that role until March 9, 1916.[8][9]
In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson appointed him United States Ambassador to Mexico, his term coinciding with the height of World War I.[10] On January 19, 1917, the German Secretary of State, Arthur Zimmermann, sent a message to Mexico promising Texas, New Mexico and Arizona to Mexico if it entered the War on German's side. The note was intercepted in Washington and made public and is considered one of the immediate causes for the United States entering the war six weeks later.[11] He presented his credentials on March 3, 1917, and served as ambassador in Mexico until January 25, 1919, when he returned to the United States.[4][12]
Thereafter, he served as ambassador to Belgium from 1922 until 1924 under both Harding and his successor, Calvin Coolidge, who became president after Harding's death in 1923. In 1923, he was sent to the Pan-American Conference in Santiago, taking the place of Secretary of StateCharles Evans Hughes, who had declined to go. At that time, the United States Secretary of State was ex officio chair of the Pan-American Conference, although that changed in Santiago after Latin American criticism.[16]
On April 22, 1930, President Hoover appointed him chairman of the United States Tariff Commission after the Tariff Act of 1930. He was said to have accomplished more work in one year than what had been done in the previous seven.[2]
From 1934 to 1936, he was the chairman of the Republican Party[21] and was a delegate to the Republican national conventions in 1936 and 1940.[22][23]
Henry Paul Henry and Prosper Henry Henry Probus Henry VIII Henry IV of England Henry IV, Part 1 Henry II of England Henry Schein Henry (vacuum) Henry VI, Part 2 Henry Norris John Henry Henry VI, Part 3 Henry Stafford Henry Lawson Henry Alexander Henry Brooke Henry VI, Part 1 Henry Davies Terry Henry Henry Bedingfeld Henry Austin Henry the Lion Henry Harpur King Henry Henry Huggins Henry Parker Henry Nicholas Henry V of England Saint Henry Henry Neville Henry Samson Henry Gantt O. Henry Award Anthony Henry Henry Townshend Henry Gale Thomas Henry Henry Cowper Henry the Young King Henry of Eppens…
tein Paul Henry Henry Ludlow Henry Fowler Henry Ward Thierry Henry Henry rifle Henry Leonard Henry Woods Henry Henry Henry County, Georgia Henry Osborn Martini–Henry Henry the Bearded Henry Lawrence Henry Bennett Henry, Sweet Henry Lenny Henry Henry VII Chapel Battle of Fort Henry Henry Stern William Henry Henry Newton Henry Clinton Frederick Henry Henry I of England Henry Black Henry McHenry Emory and Henry Wasps Henry Long Henry Briggs Henry Robins Henry Vane Henry Chamberlain Henry Clayton Henry Tucker Henry Slater Henry III of England Henry Sandys Henry Pierrepont Henry Thomson David Henry Horrid Henry (TV series) Henry Evans Henry Sampson Henry Fletcher Henry Bruce Henry IV of France Patrick Henry Henry Jonsson Henry López Henry J. Kaiser Henry Green (disambiguation) Henry Windsor Henry Crawford Henry Pratt Henry Ford Health Henry VII of England Henry of Bath Clarence "Frogman" Henry Henry IV, Part 2 Henry Wilkinson Henry Scott Henry Hastings Henry Johnston Henry Freeman Henry Hopkins Henry Larsen Henry Langley Henry Rose Henry Guildford Robert Henry Henry Courtenay Henry Temple Henry County, Alabama Henry VI of England Pete Henry Henry Stanley Carol Henry Henry Osborne Hen