Henry S. Reuss, 89; Wisconsin Congressman Was Environmentalist

Henry S. Reuss, 89, a former congressman from Wisconsin who served 28 years in the House of Representatives, died Saturday at his home in Belvedere, Calif., of congestive heart failure.

Reuss, a champion of the environment, was first elected to Congress in 1954. He wrote legislation that led to congressional designation of the Ice Age National and State Scenic Trail. One of eight such National Scenic Trails, it snakes for about a thousand miles through Wisconsin.

He supported protection for Wisconsin’s environment, developing alternative energy sources and preserving Milwaukee’s historic buildings.

The son of a bank executive, Reuss grew up in Milwaukee. He graduated from Cornell University and Harvard Law School. He was awarded a Bronze Star as an infantryman during World War II and later served in the military government overseeing postwar Germany.