Matthew Alexander Henson (08/08/1866-03/09/1955)
MSA SC 3520-12524
Co-discoverer of the North Pole

Biography:

Born on August 8, 1866, near Nanjemoy, Charles County, Maryland. Son of Lemuel and his second wife, Caroline (Gaines) Henson. Married Lucy Ross, September 1907. His only child was an Inuit son, Anaukaq. Died on March 9, 1955, in New York City. Buried, Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York. Re-interred, Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, D.C., April 6, 1988.

Henson co-discovered the North Pole with Admiral Robert Peary on April 6, 1909. His memoir, A Negro Explorer at the North Pole, was published in 1912.

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