Henry Lee Shattuck


Henry Lee Shattuck was an American attorney, philanthropist, and politician from Massachusetts.
Shattuck was born in Brookline, Massachusetts and graduated from Noble and Greenough School in 1897. He then went onto Harvard, from which he graduated with his Bachelor's degree in 1901 and his law degree in 1904. He then worked for the law firm Ropes, Gray & Gorham, which made him partner in 1909. He was elected to five terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and two stints on the Boston City Council from 1933-1938 and from 1943-1948. Politically influential, his endorsement "was a pivotal factor in a number of mayoral elections".
In 1929, Shattuck left political office and was appointed to the position of Treasurer of Harvard University, just prior to the onset of the Great Depression. Other positions included chair of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau and, for 33 years, president of the private North Bennet Street Industrial School.
A supporter of Irish causes despite having a limited Irish ancestry, he served as the Treasurer of the Charitable Irish Society of Boston. He also received honorary degree from the National University of Ireland and Trinity College, Dublin. He also received honorary degrees from Williams College, Boston College, and his alma mater, Harvard University.
He was a member of the Massachusetts Historical Society from 1935 until his death. His personal papers, totaling 84 boxes, are kept at MHS.