Henry L. Heymann ’43

Henry died Feb. 8, 2007, of lung cancer at his home in Washington, D.C. He was 86.

Born in Philadelphia, he prepped at Penn Charter School and the Hun School, graduating first in his class. He made the dean’s list all four years at Princeton and graduated cum laude. He participated in intramural boxing and Whig-Clio. During World War II, he was a field-artillery captain in Europe and won the soldier’s medal for bravery.

Henry joined the State Department in 1950 as a Foreign Service officer, working in Germany, Italy, and Indonesia. An ardent conservationist, he led State Department efforts to complete the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the first international treaty for wildlife protection. In the early 1980s, he represented the International Primate Protection League. His testimony before Congress led to strengthening the Lacey Act on importation of wildlife killed by Americans contrary to foreign laws.

Henry took up running at age 50 and won numerous awards. He placed first in the 75-79 age group in the Army’s 10-miler and first in the 80-plus age group in the Cherry Blossom 10-miler, both prestigious annual events in Washington. Henry is survived by his wife of 47 years, Renate B. Heymann.