Penn Biographies

Henry Charles Townsend (1854-1905)

• B. S. 1874

Major for Pennsylvania National Guard

Henry Townsend was born in Philadelphia in 1854 and entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1871. While at Penn he was Vice-Regent of the Zelosophic Society, a member of the Delta Psi Fraternity and was the class Prophet. After graduating in 1874, Townsend was admitted to the Philadelphia Bar and joined the army as a private in the 1st City Troop of the Philadelphia City Cavalry. In 1878 he was promoted to Captain of the 1st Brigade of the National Guard of Pennsylvania and would later become Major and Assistant Adjunct General of the same division in 1887. During this time Townsend was also the registrar of deposits for the Philadelphia branch of the U.S. Mint. After a leaving a successful law practice and enjoying a solid military career, Henry Townsend died in Philadelphia on April 3, 1905.