Laurin L. Henry papers, 1930/2022

Access and use

Location of collection:
Virginia Commonwealth University, Cabell Library
James Branch Cabell Library
Virginia Commonwealth University
P.O. Box 842003
901 Park Avenue
Richmond, VA 23284-2003
Contact for questions and access:
POC: SCA Staff
Phone: (804) 828-1108
Fax: (804) 828-0151
Restrictions:

Boxes 1-4 in this collection are processed and open for research. Boxes U1-U4 are unprocessed but may be open for research. Contact Special Collections and Archives staff at libsca@vcu.edu to discuss access.

Terms of access:

There are no restrictions.

Preferred citation:

Laurin L. Henry papers, 1930-2022, Collection # M 568, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.

Summary

Extent:
7.13 Linear Feet 6 record storage boxes, 1 letter document box, 1 half-size letter document box
Creator:
Henry, Laurin L. (Laurin Luther), 1921-2025
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Laurin L. Henry papers, 1930-2022, Collection # M 568, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.

Background

Scope and content:

The Laurin L. Henry papers contains materials created between 1930 and 2022. The collection largely reflects Henry's professional career in the Public Administration Clearing House, The Brookings Institution, University of Virginia, Federal Executive Institute, and Virginia Commonwealth University. It includes memoirs written between 2000-2022, (mainly professional) correspondence, news clippings, journal articles, reports, materials related to professional organizations and programs Henry was involved with, lecture notes, syllabi, and some research and writing. Outside of some information shared in memoirs, the collection does not include materials related to his personal life.

Many folders and/or items contain contextual and reflective notes written by Laurin Henry between the 1980s and 2022.

The unprocessed portion of this collection consists of 4 boxes. These materials include transition materials from Nixon-Ford and Ford-Carter administrations, personal notes and consultations on presidential transitions by Laurin Henry, miscellaneous research materials and reports, materials on the Brookings project with McKinsey Management, research on transitions within various government departments (e.g. Budget, Defense, etc.), and extensive news clippings.

Biographical / historical:

Laurin Luther Henry was born on May 23, 1921 in Kankakee County, Illinois to parents Laurimer L. and Jeanette Wagner Henry. He served in the Navy during World War II, enlisting as a personnel specialist and advancing to the rank of Chief Petty Officer. In 1946, Laurin married Kathleen Jane Stephan and they had two children, Stephanie Jane and Robin Leigh.

Henry received his BA in history from DePauw in 1942. He earned his MA in 1948 and his PhD in 1960, both in political science and from University of Chicago. From 1950 to 1955, Henry was a staff member of the Public Administration Clearing House. Starting in 1955, he worked as a research associate and senior staff member for The Brookings Institution, where he conducted research on American government, administration, foreign aid, and presidential transitions. In 1964, Henry became a professor at University of Virginia (UVA) in the school of Government and Foreign Affairs. During this time, he helped establish the Federal Executive Institute (FEI) in Charlottesville, where he also served as the liaison between FEI and UVA. He worked at UVA until 1978, when he was appointed as Dean of the School of Community and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). He remained Dean until he resigned from the position in 1986 to complete his final year of teaching at a regular appointment. Henry became professor emeritus at VCU in 1987, but continued teaching introductory courses in the spring for the next several years.

Laurin Henry is best known for his book Presidential Transitions (1960), which was the first systematic study of the issues that arise between the end of one president's term and the start of a new president's term, and how to handle them. The book was well received in academic and political circles, leading to Henry being involved in aspects of the Eisenhower to Kennedy presidential transition. Throughout his career and into his retirement, he frequently served as a consultant to government agencies (such as Alaska Statehood Commission, NASA, the Civil Service Commission, the State Department, and more) and to schools starting or reworking public administration programs. Nationally, Laurin was active in professional organizations such as the National Academy of Public Administration and the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Public Administration.

Since his retirement in 1987, Laurin Henry continued to give lectures, teach occasional courses, be asked for his opinions on presidential transitions, and write on the history of education for public service in the United States. Outside of that, Henry has spent his time tending to cattle and his farm in Highland County, Virginia.

Acquisition information:
Boxes 1-4 are gift of Laurin L. Henry, 2022. Boxes U1-U4 are gift of Stephanie Henry, 2025.
Arrangement:

Collection was arranged by Laurin L. Henry into 6 series: General, L.H. Early, Brookings, UVA, VCU, and Retirement Years. For the most part, this arrangement has been kept, the only exception is that the General and L.H. Early series were combined.

The series arrangement post-processing is:

Folders have been alphabetized within series and the contents of most folders have been arranged chronologically.

The unprocessed portion of this collection has not been arranged.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard