Pemberton High School - Panther Yearbook (Marshall, TX)

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ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL Purpose: The Purpose of Ihe Adrninisiraiive Council is 'ro serve in an advisory capacify Io Ihe Principal and To aid in reaching decisions on rnaffers requiring Ihe ideas of more 'rhan one individuaI. PRINCIPAL G. A. ROSBORO. . . . Chairman MRS. P. D. JOHNSON .. . .. .Vice-Chairman MRS. E. B. LONG.. .. .. .,.. ....., . . Secrefary MRS. W. G. STEPHENS .. .. .Assisfanf Secrefary MISS C. E. FULLER .. . ... . .. ,,.. Direcior of Publicify MR. P. T. YOUNG MRS. M. B. NELSON

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A+ +l1e Helm Professor G. A. Rosboro, Principal Mrs. M. B. Nelson, Reqislrar fs, , .,., . s. ll-illiim

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,IT P 'nf THE HISTORY OF PEMBERTON HIGH SCHO0L The firsf public schools of Marshall were Taughf in churches wifh some supporf by The cify and un- der The supervision of CiTy Superinfendenf Chesley Adams. Superinfendenf Adams offered The laTe H. B. Pemberfon, Sr., The principalship of one of The Negro schools wifh an informal general oversighf of Them all unfil he could make if formal. Prof. Pemberfon made a plea To The Superinfendenf for a school building for Negroes separafe from all church connecfions wifh an organized and unified scheme of sTudies and work under The direc- Tion and supervision of The SuperinTendenT. The 'superinfendenf saw wisdom in The plea of Professor Pemberfon, Therefore he gave him per- mission To find a building, raise The money for The purchase of The same and To organize The school work as he saw fif To do. There was no public school money To buy or build a Negro school. The money had To be raised by gifTs and enferfainmenfs. There was a dilapidafed old church building locafed on a hill befween Crockeff and Border sTreeTs Thaf was abouf To be sold for debT. On faiTh, Professor Pemberfon purchased This properfy wiTh money borrowed from The bank, on his personal noTe. WiTh The loyal supporf of The cifizens, This noTe was soon paid and money was raised To build a four-room brick building. The school began wiTh The name of Cenfral School wifh a faculfy of four: fwo men and Two women. Thus, Professor Pemberfon became The real founder of The firsf Negro Public School of Marshall. Grades one To seven were Taughf in This school for a number of years. Professor Pemberfon was noT safisfied wiTh iusf The grade work for The Negro boys and girls of Marshall. Again, he pefifioned The board and af This Time The school board made addifion of four more rooms and a hall To The brick building. The High School began wiTh Prof. Pemberfon as Principal of The Two schools and The sole feacher in The High School. The High School rapidly grew, anofher Teacher was elecfed-The lafe Mrs. L. B. Williams. Cenfral School had now grown To an enrollmenf of over a Thousand pupils ranging from The firsT grade Through The elevenfh. Professor Pemberfon believed in The Training of The head, The hearT and The hands. He wanfed The children Taughf cooking, sewing, agriculfure, blacksmifhing, shoemaking, prinfing, Typing and band and insTrumenTal music. The Board was willing Thaf These subiecfs be Taughf buf There was no mone To hire insfrucfors. Wifh Professor Pemberfon There were no barriers, The GO sign was all he wanfecfi An old house near The school was renfed, a wood cooking sfove and a machine was given by Two of The leading firms of Marshall. Showers of dishes and cooking ufensils were given by whiTe and colored cifizens. The young ladies from Wiley gave Their services free of charge-Thus began The cooking and sewing deparfmenfs of Cenfral High. Mr. P. R. Kendle, an experf blacksmifh, Taughf The boys black- smiThing free of charge. A Rev. Mr. Davis, pasTor of Galilee BapTisT Church, gave his services free in 'reaching The boys To make and mend shoes, a Teacher of Wiley TaughT Typing and band music. Prof. J. J. Rhoads, now presidenf of Bishop College, Taughf insfrumenfal and vocal music. He laTer became The assisfanf Principal of The school. In I925 a new siTe on The Rosborough Springs Road near Wiley College was purchased for The erecfion ofa modern High School building for High School Sfudenfs only. Professor Pemberfon was made Principal of This school. For a number of years affer moving To The new sife The school sfill bore The name of Cenfral High. Some friends became inTeresTed in changing The name of The school To honor The man who had done so much for his race. This proposifion was presenfed To The Alumni Associafion: They readily agreed To The same, a pefifion was circulafed To ascerfain The wishes of The Pafrons and Negro cifizens To This proposifion. The peTiTion was signed by pracfically every cifizen of Marshall. Thus, Cenfral High became H. B. Pemberfon High School. In April, I944, affer more Than fiffy years of golden service for The uplifT of his race, Profes- sor Pemberfon passed. Professor 6. A. Rosboro, a young man of sferling qualiTies, an honor graduafe of Pemberfon High, and of Wiley College and a graduafe sTudenT of The Universify of Colorado, The assisfanf Principal, :nd The head of The Social Science DeparTmenT, became The second Principal of Pemberfon High. Under The efficienf leadership of This dynamic Principal, many changes have been made. The li- brary has been enlarged, and visual aid in Teaching has been inTroduced. The campus has been beau- Tified. Definife acTiviTy periods are observed, and The school has acquired new sTage scenery, eTc. Professor Rosborough, as principal of Pemberfon High School, is sfeadily adding To The well-laid foundafion made by The founder and firsT principal. ll T