Henry A Wise New York state senator

Henry Alexander Wise (August 21, 1906 – December 13, 1982) was an American lawyer and politician born in Watertown, Jefferson County, New York. He was the son of Jennings Cropper Wise and Elizabeth Lydecker Wise. After graduating from Virginia Military Institute in 1927 and the University of Virginia in 1931, he married Deborah Halsey Turnbull in 1935 and later Mary Alice Buck in 1941; they had three children.

During World War II, Wise served in the U.S. Army and practiced law in Watertown. He became a member of the New York State Senate from 1948 to 1964, representing several legislatures, and was a delegate to the 1952 Republican National Convention. In 1964, he ran for Congress but lost to Robert C. McEwen.

After moving to Lexington, Virginia, in 1966, Wise served as historian of the VMI Alumni Association and conducted extensive research on the history of Virginia Military Institute. His book, *Drawing Out the Man: The VMI Story*, was published in 1978. He died on December 13, 1982, and was buried at the Wise family cemetery in Accomack County, Virginia.

Wise's grandfather was Congressman John Sergeant Wise, while his great-grandfathers included Governor Henry A. Wise and Congressman Joseph H. Anderson.