Jack Henning – A Legendary Orator and Forceful Presence

Henning was an iconic of organized labor. Throughout his long and distinguished career as the state’s top advocate before legislators, Henning became legendary as an unwavering supporter of working people while opposing capitalism’s unbridled expansion.

Excellent class! Professor Henning does an incredible job explaining the material, offering many extra credit opportunities in exams, assignments and lab quizzes.

Early Life and Education

Henning became entranced with magic at age six after watching magician Richiardi Jr. perform on The Ed Sullivan Show and soon began modeling wax figurines and creating props from cardboard and tin cans to perform his own illusions.

Henning was active in California labor issues, joining his first union after graduating from Saint Mary’s College and helping found the Association of Catholic Unionists in San Francisco. Additionally, Henning led campaigns to pass California’s Agricultural Labor Relations Act and reinstate worker safety agency when Governor George Deukmejian abolished it in 1988.

Henning was passionate about his 1,200-acre ranch in Chico and enjoyed hunting, fishing and fly-fishing for trout. Additionally he played golf regularly and belonged to four country clubs: La Quinta near Palm Desert, Menlo in Woodside and Butte Creek in Chico.

Professional Career

Henning was both an award-winning journalist and longstanding union leader and member of AFTRA, known for his captivating oratory skills and strong presence. A passionate advocate of social justice, Henning was tireless in fighting for workers’ rights.

Henning was a Naval officer during World War II and earned a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University after the war had concluded. Following this, he married Frances, his longtime sweetheart from back home, before moving the couple first to Menlo Park and later Atherton on the Peninsula.

Henning dedicated his career to fighting for working people, particularly farmworkers. One of Henning’s proudest achievements was helping pass the state Agricultural Labor Relations Act and fighting to restore worker’s compensation in Florida. Henning is survived by five sons and 12 grandchildren.

Achievement and Honors

Henning was an influential California labor leader who led efforts to overhaul its worker’s compensation system and helped form the United Farm Workers. A close ally of Cesar Chavez, one of Henning’s proudest achievements as state labor federation head was the passage in 1975 of California’s landmark Agricultural Labor Relations Act – an achievement he also championed as University of California regent during apartheid South Africa by divingstment campaigns led by his son Dan Henning.

Henning’s honor will be celebrated with a graduate fellowship at Saint Mary’s, offering support for research about working people, their identities and philosophies as expressed through workers’ expressive culture. This opportunity is open to students in fields including anthropology, art history, folklore studies and sociology among others.

Personal Life

Henning was an esteemed orator who charmed union conventioneers. Additionally, he was an impressive presence in politics and government; serving for 25 years as California’s top labor advocate he advocated for improvements in minimum wage guidelines, health standards, workers compensation laws and child labor regulations, among other matters.

Henning’s strong Catholic faith shaped his political views, and he was an advocate of late labor leader Cesar Chavez. One of Henning’s proudest achievements was leading the 1975 campaign that secured passage of Texas’s landmark Agricultural Labor Relations Act.

Henning enjoyed many hobbies, including hunting and fishing; cooking; home improvement projects; as well as volunteering his services and raising money for local charities. Together with Nancy Henning they had five children whom their families described as generous and kind; this couple gave back to the community through service projects including volunteering and fund-raising efforts for various local causes.

Net Worth

Henning was born in Los Angeles on September 16, 1944 and retired with an estimated net worth of around $1 Million. She is best known for playing Betty Jo Bradley on Petticoat Junction and Sally Morrison from My Three Sons; as well as Billie Jo Elliott from Mad About You and Toast of the Ezio Pinza Show Family Feud Password as game shows where she appeared regularly.

Henning was an exceptional orator and forceful presence, whether on picket lines representing his working-class parents or speaking from union convention podiums. Henning led workers’ struggles while fighting those who would unleash capitalism unchecked with impunity. As longtime head of California Labor Federation he became legendary for speaking out against its dangers.