Henry Varnum Poor

Henry Varnum Poor (December 8, 1812 – January 4, 1905) was an American financial analyst and founder of H.V. and H.W. Poor Co, which later evolved into the financial research and analysis bellwether, Standard & Poor's.

Biography Born in East Andover, Massachusetts (now Andover, Maine), to Sylvanus and Mary (Merrill) Poor, he was the first of his family to attend college, graduating from Bowdoin in 1835. He was descended from General Enoch Poor of the Revolutionary War. He joined his uncle's law firm, being called to the bar in 1838.

In 1862, Henry Poor was appointed a government commissioner to the newly chartered Union Pacific Railroad and left his position as editor of the Journal. That year he was elected as the railroad company's first Secretary.

Publications Henry Varnum Poor. History of Railroads and Canals in the United States (1860) (online) Henry Varnum Poor. Poor's Manual of Railroads (1868) (online)