ABA Newsroom
Henry F. White, Jr.
Executive Director
2006 - present
Henry F. White, Jr., New York City native, graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and the Fordham University School of Law, was appointed the American Bar Association's Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer on October 1, 2006.
Following graduation from the Naval Academy, he served on cruisers and destroyers, primarily in the Pacific theater. After active duty, he graduated from the Fordham University School of Law and practiced with the firm of Hill Betts & Nash of New York. As a member of the firm, he was involved in all aspects of maritime law and insurance and assisted the French government in its successful suit against Standard Oil of Indiana for oil pollution damages arising from the stranding of the supertanker AMOCO CADIZ.
He subsequently served as Deputy Commissioner of Transportation (Transit Operations) for the City of New York where he was responsible for the operations and oversight of all mass transit owned, operated or subsidized by the City of New York. Later appointed Counsel to the Mayor of New York City, he supervised all legal policies of the City.
In 1992, he opened and managed the New York City office of Barger & Wolen, a Los Angeles based law firm, as the resident partner establishing a corporate practice for the insurance industry and continued his specialization in maritime law and marine insurance.
In 1999, he was appointed President of the Institute of International Container Lessors and represented the international container and chassis leasing industry throughout the world and in numerous forums, among others, the International Maritime Organization, the World Customs Organization and the International Standards Organization.
Mr. White continued his service in the Naval Reserve and retired from the Naval Reserve as a Rear Admiral. At his retirement, he was serving as Vice Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, the Navy's largest operational command, whose responsibility included the organization, manning and equipping of all U.S. Naval Forces assigned to combatant commanders worldwide and the direct operation of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet and its multi-billion dollar budget.
The American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world with more than 420,000 members. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law in a democratic society.
