[1] Henry returned to Pohnpei in 1947 when his father went back to work there, enrolling at the Ponape Teacher Training School where he was taught by officers of the United States Navy.

"[2] In 1951, he was noticed by Robert Halvorsen, the educational administrator for the Caroline Islands, who became "so impressed" by Henry that he offered to send him to school in Hawaii at his own expense.

[1][2][3] He attended the school for two years before returning to Pohnpei, becoming a translator in the Trust Territory District Administrator's office.

[4] After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Hawaiʻi from 1955 to 1959, except for the summer of 1957 when he worked as a translator for the government of Pohnpei.

[8] After his experiences at the University of Hawaiʻi, which included confronting racism, Henry became active in politics and an advocate for Micronesian independence.

[9] 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.

[8] Also that year, he led a delegation with Amata Kabua that met with U.S. president Richard Nixon in Guam, expressing the desire of Micronesians to be able to decide their future.

[11] Upon returning, he helped develop the creation of a delegation to confer with the Americans on the political future of the Trust Territory.

"[4][8] In 1974, he was interviewed by the Micronesian Reporter and described his favorite accomplishments of Congress as the Political Status Committee, which educated Micronesians on the options for future political status, and bills including the Constitutional Convention bill, Social Security measure, Merit System and Income Tax Law, as well as health projects and appropriations measures.

[4] The Marshall Islands Journal noted that "Nakayama and Henry kept the Micronesian government in step for decades as the leaders focused on establishing the Federated States of Micronesia.

"[4] Henry remained a senator for Micronesia and its Speaker of the Congress until being defeated in his re-election bid in March 1987, by Leo Falcam.

[4] President David Panuelo said that the nation's Postal Service became "reliable" due to Henry's "steady leadership": "In fact, of the bottomless list of accomplishments one can attribute to Bethwel Henry, one that has had a real-life effect on every FSM citizen was his assistance in ensuring FSM postal rates are the same as US domestic destinations.

[12] President Panuelo released a statement noting that "His decades of dedication to the Congress of Micronesia under the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, to the FSM Congress as its first Speaker, and to the FSM Postal Services, allowed for our nation to emerge from a dream to a reality, and for our young government to enjoy continuity.