[2] His father, Herman George Henschel assisted in the establishment of the Watch Tower Society's farm on Staten Island, working with and mentoring the staff about once each week during the 1920s.

[3] The family relocated to Brooklyn, New York, in 1934 to enable Herman to work on construction projects in the printeries and residences for Jehovah's Witnesses' headquarters there.

[10] By 1947, Henschel had claimed to be "anointed"[11]—not unusual among Jehovah's Witnesses at the time—which was a criterion at the time for appointment as a director of the Watch Tower Society.

Henschel was elected to the board of directors in 1947,[12] after the death of W. E. Van Amburgh (since 1903 Secretary-Treasurer of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society), who died on February 7 of that year.

[13] By 1960, Henschel was a zone overseer,[14] supervising and auditing the administrative and ministry activities of about 10% of the Watch Tower Society's branch offices.

As a result, members of the Governing Body stepped aside from their capacities in the Watch Tower Society, and Don A. Adams was appointed president.