[1] Henry began farming in 1918, and was elected a Grove Township trustee two years later.
During the Great Depression, Henry was active in the Farmers' Holiday Association and participated in a protest at the Iowa State Capitol, which numbered 36,000.
During his tenure as a county supervisor, which lasted until 1953, he served as president of the board for eleven years.
[1] Henry won his first state legislative election 1952, and assumed office as member of the Iowa House of Representatives for District 31 on January 12, 1953.
He served a single four-year term on the Iowa Senate, stepping down on January 8, 1961, and was succeeded by Richard C. Turner.