Henry Nesbitt

Henry Nesbitt was born in County Cavan, Ireland on May 26, 1865. At nineteen, he immigrated to the United States, settling in Duluth, Minnesota.¹ He first worked at an insurance firm before briefly selling whale meat, then found a job at a cooperage, which closed with the onset of the Great Depression. 

Henry and his wife, Henrietta, moved several times before settling in Hyde Park, New York. There, Henrietta formed a close friendship with future First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and both she and Henry were hired by the Roosevelts to work on their White House staff in 1933.² When Henrietta reflected on Mrs. Roosevelt's invitation to work at the White House, she noted that the first lady had assured her that Henry would also have a job. This gesture revealed Mrs. Roosevelt's sympathy for Henry's failed business ventures and the hardships of the Great Depression.³ 

The White House hired Henry as a custodian under housekeeping, where he managed the department's finances and established an up-to-date accounting system.⁴ Henry died on January 5, 1938, while still employed at the White House. Upon hearing the news, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt reportedly rushed to their home to comfort Henrietta.⁵ Henry is buried at Saint James Episcopal Churchyard in Hyde Park, New York.⁶