Local citizen reflects on his path of service, which includes having served as Walker County’s first County Court at Law judge.

From Fayetteville to Huntsville, and from his early years through high school and sports, college and military service, then on to a career in law, Joe B. Henderson, Jr., has blazed a trail that is brimming with family, friendships, and more accomplishments than this short article can hold. Let’s meet Joe and get a brief glimpse of the milestones along this journey.

Share a few details about your early years and your educational achievements.

Born in 1945 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, my family moved to Stuttgart, where I spent my childhood and teen years. I was actively involved in sports and enjoyed football, basketball, and baseball.

After graduating high school, I attended the University of Arkansas where I majored in business, finance, and accounting. During those college years, I was fortunate to serve in the student senate, be tapped for ODK, and elected president of my fraternity. During my sophomore year, I enrolled in ROTC and was commissioned at graduation as a Second Lieutenant and destined to be an armor officer, which would not have been too pleasant a role since the Vietnam war was raging. Fortunately, having applied to law school at Southern Methodist University, I was accepted into the program and spent the next three years studying law. As it turns out, I never had to wear a uniform during that time, but was always on standby to be called up. That was common for graduates who were not needed in the service at that moment. Probably half of my class from the University of Arkansas were in Vietnam within six months of graduation. I was fortunate to have bypassed that experience. Many of my classmates came back damaged in some way or never came back at all.

Please fill in some details about your service as an army officer.

Toward the end of my time at SMU, I put in for a transfer from Armor to the JAG corps. JAG stands for Judge Advocate General’s Corps, the legal arm of the Army. JAG was fortunate for me because when I passed the bar exam, I would be a Captain instead of a First Lieutenant tank officer. Nixon was bombing Cambodia at the time, so staying on home soil was preferable. By this time, I had married my college sweetheart (Jane Bell from Houston, Texas), and after passing the bar, we headed straight to the University of Virginia where I took a twelve-week military law course. While there, we enjoyed touring the East Coast, especially the fascinating historical sites in the area.

What were some of the experiences and situations you dealt with as a JAG officer?

I was first stationed at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, which is home to the 82nd Airborne and Special Operations Forces. I worked briefly on the well-known case of Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald, who was convicted in 1979 of murdering his pregnant wife and two daughters while serving as an Army Captain and Special Forces physician. I also prosecuted soldiers who were involved in a mutiny that occurred during field exercises. I spent considerable time counseling Army wives about their domestic situations. Husbands coming home from war were, many times, filled with anger which resulted in heavy drinking and spouse abuse. On some days, I would counsel as many as 25 women, explaining their options and what services were available to them. Also at Ft. Bragg, I was appointed to the Board of the Ft. Bragg Federal Credit Union and served in that capacity until I left that post. Very memorable during these years was the birth of our first son, Joe Boyd Henderson III (Trey).

From Ft. Bragg to Ft. Hood, now on Texas soil, how did this move impact your career?

My next assignment was Ft. Hood, Texas, home of the 1st Cavalry Division. The Army was improving its legal services and moving toward a more professional system. They wanted experienced attorneys in key positions, so I was appointed Chief Defense Counsel for the 1st Cav. I remained in that position my entire time at Ft. Hood. In addition to my military duties, several nights a week I taught business law classes at Central Texas College in nearby Killeen.

Out of the military and on to civilian life, what were the next steps in your career?

Although I was only one step away from becoming a Major, I had completed my obligation to the Army and was honorably discharged soon afterward. After a brief stint of practicing law in Killeen, Jane and I, along with our son, moved to Huntsville. Her parents owned ranch property in Grimes County, and she had relatives in Huntsville. We bought a home and settled in. Soon, our daughter Aynsley Bell Henderson was born. Dr. Bobby Marks, who had been one of my professors in the business school at the University of Arkansas, hired me to teach business law at Sam Houston State University. We hit it off and became close friends until his death. While teaching three courses a semester, I put my shingle out and started a solo law practice as well. I began to think about running for the office of County Attorney when the county judge approached me about it. By the following Monday, I was appointed to the vacant position, and from that point on I limited my private practice to civil work. As County Attorney for the next 2-3 years, having won a full term, I handled the county commissioner’s work, civil work, and misdemeanor criminal charges, and assisted the district attorney as needs arose. Jerry Sandal was the district attorney and was a wonderful man to know and work with.

At this time, the new Walker County Court at Law had been created by the Legislature. That position required an experienced licensed attorney. I accepted that job as an appointment and was later elected to a full term. Since this was a new court, I had to set up its policies, procedures, and day-to-day operations. This is a domestic court and handles serious misdemeanors, contested divorces, juvenile matters, and probate in the county. It was 1977, and our third child, a son named Gibbs Callaham Henderson, was born. Career-wise, I felt I was umpiring instead of playing, so when the Smither law firm approached me to join them, I eagerly accepted. I became a partner in the firm which became Smither, Martin, Henderson P.C., where I have now been the managing senior partner for many years. During this time, I acquired partial ownership in Walker County Title and currently serve as president of the company.

A growing career in a growing city; how have you been involved in the growth of Huntsville?

It has been rewarding to watch Huntsville grow and to be able to make a positive impact. When we moved here, the population was approximately 17,000. It is now over 46,000. One of the greatest needs for any community is a good hospital. In 1976, I worked with the county judge and others to successfully pass a bond election that would finance the building of the new Huntsville Memorial Hospital. Soon afterward, I was hired to be the attorney for the Walker County Hospital District, which owns and maintains the facility. I continue to serve in that position. The Hospital District is managed by a public board, with members elected by the community. I’ve worked with many fine board members, and we have been able to ensure the hospital is on solid financial ground. Luckily, our hospital was able to survive while many other rural hospitals had to close their doors. It’s been a pleasure to represent the hospital district all these years and to build good relationships with other local and state attorneys in the process.

My career in law has been extremely rewarding. I also have served as a deacon and elder at my church and have been chairman of the Walker County Chamber of Commerce and president of the Huntsville Lions Club, helping to start the flag project which has been well-received by the community. My other activities have included being president of the Walker County Bar Association, and president of the Red Top Cemetery Association (a family cemetery in Grimes County founded by my wife’s ancestors more than a century ago).

And lastly, I must add that I have been blessed to have a remarkable legal assistant, Ruth White Lynch. Her help has been invaluable, competent, always professional, and delivered with an award-winning attitude. She has been and continues to be a pleasure to work with.

With this demanding career, have you been able to enjoy hobbies?

Hobbies over the years have included fishing in our ranch lakes, hunting at the ranch, and trips over the years with my sons and relatives to Arkansas to duck hunt and to South Dakota for pheasant. Those times were great fun. When the boys were young, I coached a number of their sports teams. It wasn’t unusual for me to arrive just in time for practice or a game, still attired in my pin-striped suit and cufflinks.

My favorite hobby, however, has always been my family. Our three children have given me great joy, and now the six grandchildren only add to that. Our lives have been filled with new and exciting experiences, usually involving the family. I am slowing down and have begun limiting my law practice to only certain areas. Jane and I hope to spend more time with the grandchildren, traveling, and at our CalBel ranch. We will celebrate our 55th wedding anniversary this August. She has been my constant companion, a wonderful mother to our children, and the person who has helped me become the man that I am. I am deeply grateful for her.