Henry B. Pemberton, Educator

1944

Henry B. Pemberton was a well-known community leader in Marshall, Texas.

Henry B. Pemberton (1866–1944) was the first principal of Central High School, the first Black public school in Marshall, Texas. Pemberton used his own money to help build the school. He worked at the school for decades, and his daughter, Lollaretta Pemberton, also taught at Central.

Pemberton was a prominent civic leader in Marshall and Harrison County. He also served on regional and state organizations, including as president of the Colored Teachers State Association of Texas and as a charter member of the local NAACP chapter. In 1941, the school board renamed Central High School in Pemberton’s honor.