Bethwel Henry

Bethwel Henry (March 3, 1934 – December 16, 2020) was a Micronesian politician. He was a leading figure in establishing the Federated States of Micronesia and served as the nation's first Speaker of the Congress.

Born on Mokil Atoll, Henry graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi in 1959 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and was the first Micronesian to receive a degree in his field. Soon after, he was elected to his district's legislature, being named its first speaker. He was elected unopposed to the Congress of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands in 1964 and was chosen Speaker of the House in 1966.

An advocate for Micronesian independence, Henry negotiated with the American government and helped the territory achieve independence in 1979. He then became a member of the new nation's Congress and was elected Speaker, a position he served in until 1987. He later served as the Micronesian Postmaster General.

Early life and education Henry was born on March 3, 1934, on Mokil Atoll, part of Pohnpei State, then a territory of Japan as part of the South Seas Mandate and present-day Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). The son of Frank Henry, a carpenter, he attended elementary school in Mokil starting at age seven. However, after a year, his family moved to Pohnpei when his father was recruited for the Japanese government. He attended the school for two years before returning to Pohnpei, becoming a translator in the Trust Territory District Administrator's office.

Henry also worked as a teacher in Mokil for two months. At Hawaii, he was prominent in several local organizations and university clubs, including being president of the local YMCA, vice president of the International Students Association, and president of the . He became the first Micronesian in history to receive a degree in the field. Political career Early career After his experiences at the University of Hawaiʻi, which included confronting racism, Henry became active in politics and an advocate for Micronesian independence. The same month Henry graduated from college, the 25-year-old was selected as a Micronesian delegate and advisor for the United Nations Trusteeship Council on June 29, 1959. He was only the third Micronesian to hold such a position. Also that year, the Pohnpei Congress was reformed into the Pohnpei District Legislature and Henry was elected to the legislature. Upon returning, he helped develop the creation of a delegation to confer with the Americans on the political future of the Trust Territory. He remained the Postmaster General through 2007.