HARVARD GAZETTE ARCHIVES

Counter Helps Pay Tribute To Explorer Matthew Henson

Harvard Foundation Director S. Allen Counter Jr. went to Washington, D.C., last month to pay tribute to a hero who was nearly forgotten before Counter took up his cause.

Matthew A. Henson, an African-American explorer who in 1909 was among the first men to reach the North Pole, was honored at a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on Nov. 21.

Henson's central role in the North Pole assault led by Robert E. Peary was rarely acknowledged by history until, in 1988, Counter petitioned President Ronald Reagan to have Henson's remains buried at Arlington. Henson was then interred next to Peary in a ceremony attended by descendents of both men.

In 1996, on the anniversary of Henson's birth, the Navy named its newest oceanographic survey ship after the explorer, again largely thanks to efforts by Counter. "I'm happy to see this day and this wonderful ship," Counter said at that time. "I'm proud to have been in any way involved with it." Counter says Navy officials told him there had not been a larger gathering of admirals for any event since the end of World War II.

Prior to the recent wreath-laying ceremony, Counter and members of the Henson family were invited by the Navy on a brief cruise aboard the USNS Henson, which is used in collecting data for nautical charts and in creating new charts.