Poor, Henry Varnum, 1888-1970, American painter, b. Chapman, Kans. Poor's lyrical still lifes, portraits, and landscapes are simply painted in many media. He painted murals in fresco for the Dept. of Justice and Dept. of Interior buildings, Washington D.C., and for Pennsylvania State College (now Pennsylvania State Univ.). Poor taught art at Columbia and in Maine. His work is represented in many American museums, including the Whitney Museum and the Metropolitan Museum, in New York City. He was also famed for his work in ceramics. Poor wrote Artist Sees Alaska (1945) and A Book of Pottery (1958).

Henry Varnum Poor was a 19th century American financier and founder of H.V. and H.W. Poor Co, which was later to become Standard & Poor's.

Standard & Poor's traces its history back to 1860, with the publication of History of Railroads and Canals in the United States. This book was an attempt to compile comprehensive information about the financial and operational state of U.S. railroad companies. Henry Varnum went on to establish H.V. and H.W. Poor Co with his son, Henry William, and published updated versions of this book on an annual basis.