Joseph Alexander Henry was born on December 17, 1797, in Albany, New York.

He was an American scientist, educator, and the first Smithsonian Secretary (1846-1878). In 1819, he entered The Albany Academy, where he was given free tuition. Here Henry worked as both a chemical assistant and lecture preparer. In 1826, he was appointed a Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy, and it was here that he began his scientific research on electromagnetism and worked on the development of the telegraph. In 1832, Henry was named Professor of Natural History at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), and his tour of European scientific centers in 1837 established his international reputation in science. His achievements as both an educator and scientist made him a prime candidate for the position of Smithsonian Secretary in 1846. Despite the challenges of the Civil War, he focused the Smithsonian on research, publications, and international exchanges. By 1849, he created a program to study weather patterns in North America, a project that eventually led to the creation of the National Weather Service. In 1852, he became a member of the U.S. Lighthouse Board, becoming its chairman in 1871, a position he held until his death. He was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1835 and the American Antiquarian Society in 1851. In 1915, Henry was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Great Americans in the Bronx, New York.

In 1830, he married Harriet L. Alexander (1810–1882). He died on May 13, 1878, in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.

Montrealer R.A.C. Henry took a double degree - B.A. and B.Sc.- from McGill in 1912. In 1912 he joined the federal Department of Railways and Canals as an inspecting engineer, and in 1923 became the Director of the Bureau of Economics of the C.N.R. He returned to the Department of Railways and Canals as deputy minister in 1929. Henry became vice-president and general manager of Beauharnois Corporation in 1930 and vice-president of Montreal Heat, Light and Power in 1939; he held both positions until 1944. During World War II, he served as economic adviser, and later executive assistant to the Minister of Munitions, deputy minister of the Department of Reconstruction, and president of Defence Communications Ltd., a crown corporation formed to coordinate communications systems in Eastern Canada on behalf of the armed forces. Henry was also Canada's representative on the Transportation Equipment Committee, surveying transportation needs in liberated war areas. He was named chairman of the Air Transport Board in 1944, but resigned in 1948 to take up a post as executive vice-president of Marine Industries Ltd, a position he held until his death. From 1952 to 1954, he was consulting engineer to the St Lawrence Seaway Project.

William George Henry was a medical student at the Toronto School of Medicine from 1878-1880 before enrolling at McGill in 1880. He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine in 1883 with honourable mention. He was appointed to the resident staff of the Montreal General Hospital following graduation.

Frederick William Henshaw was born on July 22, 1822, in Montreal, Lower Canada.

He was a Montreal shipping and produce commission merchant from 1850 until his retirement. He joined the Board of Trade prior to 1869, and for many years he was a member of its council. In 1882-1883, he was president of the Board and in 1885 and 1887, he served on the Board of Arbitration. Throughout his business career, he took a prominent part in the welfare of the commerce of the city. In 1867, he was created a magistrate by Sir George Etienne Cartier and performed many public services in his magisterial capacity. In 1856, he was appointed vice-consul for the Republic of Uruguay and in 1870, he became full consul acting for the whole Dominion of Canada.

In 1850, he married Maria Louisa Scott (1831-1915). He died on June 7, 1906, in Montreal, Canada.

Samuel Henshaw was born on January 29, 1852, in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts.

He was a natural historian and entomologist. He became a member of the Boston Society of Natural History in 1871 and served as its secretary, editor, and librarian from 1892 to 1901. Succeeding Dr. H. A. Hagen, he became an assistant in entomology and librarian of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University (1891-1898). From 1903 to 1911, he was curator of the museum (his title was changed to the director), the position he held until November 1927. Henshaw was a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of the American Society of Naturalists and American Society of Zoologists. He was one of the founders of the Cambridge Entomological Club, which started publishing Psyche in 1874. Among his publications is the "List of Coleoptera of America North of Mexico" (1885).