Henry Wade
| Henry Wade | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
Henry Menasco Wade November 11, 1914 Rockwall County, Texas, United States |
| Died | March 1, 2001 (aged 86) Dallas, Texas, United States |
| Cause of death | Parkinson's disease |
| Alma mater | University of Texas |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Known for | Prosecution of Jack Ruby Roe v. Wade |
Henry Menasco Wade (November 11, 1914 – March 1, 2001) was a Texas lawyer who served as District Attorney of Dallas from 1951 to 1987. As such, he participated in two of the most notable U.S. court cases of the 20th century: the prosecution of Jack Ruby for killing Lee Harvey Oswald, and the U.S. Supreme Court's decision legalizing abortion, Roe v. Wade. In addition, Wade was District Attorney when Randall Dale Adams, the subject of the documentary film The Thin Blue Line, was convicted in the murder of Robert Wood, a Dallas police officer. He is also the longest-serving district attorney in United States history.
Wade, one of eleven children, was born in Rockwall County, Texas, outside Dallas. A good student, Wade, along with five of his seven brothers, entered the legal profession. Shortly after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, in 1939, Wade joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation, headed by J. Edgar Hoover. Wade's assignment as Special Agent was to investigate espionage cases along the US East Coast and in South America. During World War II, Wade served in the US Navy, taking part in the invasions of the Philippines and Okinawa.
He was first elected Rockwall County Attorney. In 1947, Wade joined the Dallas County District Attorney's Office. He won election to the top job only four years later, a position he would hold for 36 years, until his retirement in 1987.
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