11 Facts About Henry Wade

Henry Menasco Wade was an American lawyer who served as district attorney of Dallas County from 1951 to 1987.

Henry Wade participated in two notable US court cases of the 20th century: the prosecution of Jack Ruby for killing Lee Harvey Oswald, and the US Supreme Court case that held abortion was a constitutional right, Roe v Wade.

Henry Wade, one of 11 children, was born in Rockwall County, Texas, outside Dallas.

Shortly after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, in 1939, Wade joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation, headed by J Edgar Hoover.

Henry Wade served in the US Navy during World War II, participating in the invasions of the Philippines and Okinawa.

In 1947, Henry Wade joined the Dallas County District Attorney's Office.

Henry Wade won election to the top job four years later, a position he held for 36 years, until his retirement in 1987.

Henry Wade lost the opportunity to try Lee Harvey Oswald for the killing of Kennedy and the murder of Officer JD Tippit when Dallas nightclub operator Jack Ruby murdered Oswald two days later; Henry Wade became known nationally for prosecuting Ruby for Oswald's murder.

Henry Wade closely supervised the Ruby trial, but he appointed his assistant, William Alexander, to conduct the courtroom proceedings.

Henry Wade continued to serve in office for an additional 14 years, and he remained a fixture around the new Crowley Courts Building, where members of the Dallas Bar called him "the Chief".

Henry Wade gained national attention in 1988 with the release of Errol Morris's documentary film The Thin Blue Line.