Henry Morgenthau III facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henry Morgenthau III
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Morgenthau in 2005
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| Born | January 11, 1917 New York City, U.S.
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| Died | July 10, 2018 (aged 101) Washington, D.C., U.S.
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| Education | Deerfield Academy |
| Alma mater | Princeton University |
| Occupation | Author and television producer |
| Spouse(s) |
Ruth Schachter Morgenthau
(m. 1962; died 2006) |
| Children | 3, including Kramer |
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Henry Morgenthau III (born January 11, 1917 – died July 10, 2018) was an American author and television producer. He came from the well-known Morgenthau and Lehman family families.
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About Henry Morgenthau III
Henry Morgenthau III was the son of Elinor Fatman and Henry Morgenthau Jr.. His mother, Elinor, was the granddaughter of Mayer Lehman, who helped start Lehman Brothers. His father, Henry Jr., was the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury for President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Henry Morgenthau III was also the grandson of Henry Morgenthau, Sr., who was a U.S. Ambassador. His great-uncle was Herbert H. Lehman, a New York Governor and Senator. His brother was Robert M. Morgenthau, a famous District Attorney in New York. His cousin, Barbara W. Tuchman, was a well-known American historian.
Early Life and Career
Henry Morgenthau III went to Deerfield Academy and graduated in 1935. He then studied at Princeton University, finishing in 1939. While at Princeton, he was part of the cross country team and worked on the student newspaper. He faced challenges because he was Jewish, like being excluded from some student clubs in 1937.
During World War II, Morgenthau served in the U.S. Army. After the war, starting in 1945, he began a long career in television. He worked as an author, producer, and manager for big TV networks like NBC, CBS, and ABC. He also led his own company, Gannaway-Morgenthau Productions, Inc.
From 1955 to 1977, Morgenthau was a main producer at WGBH in Boston. His shows at WGBH won many important awards, including the Peabody Award and Emmy Award. He also helped manage the Morse Communication Center at Brandeis University.
Morgenthau III produced several notable shows. These included "Prospects of Mankind with Eleanor Roosevelt" (1959), "The Negro and the American Promise" (1963), and "Conversation with Svetlana Alliluyeva" (1967), who was the daughter of Stalin. He also contributed to the film Screamers (2006) and was a story editor for A Tale of Two Christmases (1952).
As an Author
In 1991, Henry Morgenthau III wrote a book called Mostly Morgenthaus: A Family History. This book tells the story of his family's journey. He wrote about how the family name "Morgenthau" came to be. It means "morning dew" in German.
The book shares stories about his ancestors:
- Moses Morgenthau (1773–1834): The first Morgenthau on record. He was a Hebrew teacher in Bavaria, Germany. He had to choose a family name when Jewish people were granted citizenship.
- Lazarus Morgenthau (1815–1897): Moses's son, who became a successful cigar maker. He moved to New York when his business faced problems in Germany.
- Henry Morgenthau, Sr. (1856–1946): Lazarus's son, who became a U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) during World War I. He helped Jewish people in Palestine and rescued Armenians who were being persecuted.
- Henry Morgenthau, Jr. (1891–1967): Henry Sr.'s son and Henry Morgenthau III's father. He was a close friend of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor Roosevelt. He served as FDR's Secretary of the Treasury and worked to help Holocaust survivors.
In 2016, when he was 99 years old, Henry Morgenthau III published his first book of poetry. It was titled "A Sunday in Purgatory."
Awards and Recognition
On May 9, 2015, Henry Morgenthau III received an award from Catholicos Karekin II. This award was given during the National Commemoration of the Armenian genocide Centennial in Washington D.C. It recognized his family's important work in helping Armenians during that time.
Personal Life and Passing
Henry Morgenthau III was a religious Jewish person. He became more connected to his faith after marrying Ruth S. Morgenthau in 1962. Ruth passed away in 2006. They had three children together: Henry (Ben) Morgenthau (born 1964), Kramer Morgenthau (born 1966), who is a cinematographer, and Sarah Elinor Morgenthau Wessel (born 1963).
Henry Morgenthau III became a centenarian on January 11, 2017, celebrating his 100th birthday. He had a party in Washington D.C. with 35 family members and friends. He had six grandchildren: Edward, Henry, and Mizia Wessel; Osias and Mizia Morgenthau; and Henry Morgenthau V.
Henry Morgenthau III passed away on July 10, 2018, at the age of 101.
