DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I want to make sure I do it justice. Henry Bertram Pemberton was born on January 20, 1867, to Charles and Eliza Pemberton. In 1876, the family made their move to Marshall, settling in close to Wiley College.
And then, in 1883, Charles died — leaving young Henry to look after his mother and his sisters. That's a weight most folks wouldn't wish on anybody. But Henry Pemberton was not most folks.
He graduated from Wiley College in 1888, magna cum laude, and he is considered to be the very first college graduate that institution ever produced. Right after graduation, he married Norella Hawley — herself a Wiley graduate — and was immediately hired to teach English in the Elementary Department. He worked his way up through those halls, position by position, until he reached the chairmanship of the Department of Math and Science.
Now, you might think that's the peak of the story. You'd be wrong. In 1894, Pemberton was hired as the principal of the Colored School in Marshall, and the moment he walked in the door, he saw something that needed fixing: there was no proper school building.
He was given permission to build one. He was given no funding. Most people would've stopped right there.
Pemberton didn't stop. He arranged a loan on his personal credit, and he constructed a two-story, four-room building on what is now the corner of Travis and Alamo streets. That loan was repaid by the African American community of Marshall — and the school didn't just survive, it grew.
Rapidly. Pemberton guided the expansion of the Black schools across Marshall, drawing in educated and qualified teachers, building something that went well beyond brick and mortar — a solid atmosphere for scholarly education in the Black community. He served in regional and state professional and civic organizations, and he was a charter member of the local NAACP chapter.
The man had range. Then, in 1940, thousands of Harrison County citizens signed petitions asking the Marshall school board to name Central High — the very school Pemberton had founded — in his honor. And the board did.
Henry Bertram Pemberton died on April 27, 1944. But the marker doesn't end there, and neither do I. It says he remains an inspiration — for his courage, his leadership, and his dedication to education.
A man who started with permission and no money, put his own name on the line, and built something that outlasted him by decades. That's not just a school. That's a statement.
What the marker says
Henry Bertram Pemberton was born on January 20, 1867 to Charles and Eliza Pemberton. In 1876, Charles and his family moved to Marshall and purchased a house near Wiley College. He died in 1883, leaving Henry to care for his mother and sisters. Henry graduated magna cum laude from Wiley in 1888. Following graduation, he married Norella Hawley, also a graduate of Wiley. Pemberton, considered to be the first college graduate of Wiley, was immediately hired to teach English in the Elementary Department. He worked his way into higher positions until he became the Chairman of the Department of Math and Science. In 1894, Pemberton was hired as the principal of the Colored School in Marshall and he immediately saw the need for a new school building. Given permission but no funding, Pemberton arranged for a loan on his personal credit and constructed a two-story four room building on what is now Travis and Alamo streets. The loan was repaid by the African American community and the school experienced rapid growth. Pemberton guided the expansion of the Black schools in Marshall, and attracted educated and qualified teachers which created a solid atmosphere for scholarly education in the Black community. He also served in a number of regional and state professional and civic organizations, and was a charter member of the local NAACP chapter. Petitions signed by thousands of Harrison County citizens in 1940 led the Marshall school board to name Central High, the school he founded, in his honor. Pemberton died on April 27, 1944 but remains an inspiration for his courage, leadership and his dedication to education. (2014)