Theasel Henderson - The First African American Elected To Serve On Galveston’s School Board

Theasel Henderson was the first African American to serve on the Galveston Independent School Board. During a tenure that spanned from 1968 to 1986, Henderson served in several different positions, including board president.
After Henderson was born in 1921 in Hope, Arkansas, his parents, Pervis and Savannah Henderson moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana, with Henderson, his twin brother, and their oldest son. In Fort Wayne, a fourth son was born to the couple. As parents, they encouraged their sons to get an education so after he graduated from Central High School in Fort Wayne, Henderson enrolled in Indiana University.
When the United States entered World War II, the Henderson twins were drafted and Theasel Henderson was stationed at the Galveston Army Air Base for a year. While at t a USO (United Service Organization) dance at the Wright Cuney Recreation Center, Corporal Henderson met Florence Fedford, a fourth-generation Galvestonian. The couple married in 1945 in Florida, where Henderson was stationed before he shipped overseas to Guam to serve as a medic in the Medical Detachment of the 1869th Engineer Aviation Battalion.
Honorably discharged from military service in 1946, Henderson resumed his education at Indiana University before he transferred to Texas State University (later renamed Texas Southern University). After he graduated from TSU with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1949, he was hired by Oakland Vocational Schools as principal and interim mathematics teacher. He worked one year at the Palestine, Texas, campus before he transferred to the school’s facility in Waco. Both campuses catered to African American veterans who had not finished high school.
Eventually, Henderson and his young family moved back to Galveston, where he acquired a few more hours of post-graduate study as he began what became a 19-year career with the U.S. Postal Service. In 1970, Henderson made a career change into the field of life insurance, which lasted 20 years and ended with his retirement in 1990.
Henderson was devoted to his church and loved God above all. He didn’t just send his children to Sunday school and church, he took them there and taught biblical principles at home by his actions. In Fort Wayne, he attended Shiloh Baptist Church but after the family relocated to Galveston, Henderson joined Reedy Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, where his wife’s family had been members since 1865. At Reedy Chapel, Henderson sang in the Brotherhood Chorus and Chancel Choir. He also taught and served as superintendent of the Sunday school, was a longtime member of the Church Board of Trustees, Chairman Pro Tem of the Steward Board, and the Nehemiah Ministry, a group of dedicated volunteers who work on AME buildings in need of repairs.
Throughout his adult life, Henderson maintained his interest and involvement in community activities. During his tenure with the postal service, he was involved with the National Alliance of Postal and Federal Employees and held various positions, and participated in local and regional meetings. Avidly interested in the NAACP, Henderson also served as secretary and president of the Galveston Unit.
Concern and care for children was an underlying factor in much of his community involvement. While his three children attended public schools in Galveston, Henderson was an active member of the Parent Teacher Associations of their schools. He became the first African-American to serve on the Board of Trustees of the Galveston Independent School District when he was appointed in 1968 to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Andrews Baker. Re-elected citywide the next year, Henderson maintained his position on the school board for the next 18 years and held various positions including secretary, vice-president, and eventually, board president. In addition to his position on the school board, Henderson was also involved in several state and national associations that included the Workmen’s Compensation Board and the National Association of School Boards, where he served as a Texas delegate. He was also actively involved with multiple other community organizations that included the Galveston County Memorial Hospital Board, the Galveston Association of Life Underwriters, the Sunshine Center Board, the Communities-In-School Board, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Old Central Cultural Center Board, Galveston County Park Board, and the Galveston County Black Democrats.
Henderson truly cared about people and it showed through his actions, yet none of Henderson’s activities took precedence over his love, care, and support of his family: his devoted wife of 54 years, Florence, son Theodore, and daughters Diane and Janice. He enjoyed his nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews and was elated with the arrival of his five grandchildren and the first great-grandchild whom he lived to see before his passing in 1999. After his passing, the auditorium of Central Middle School was named The Theasel Henderson Memorial Auditorium in his honor.
Shared from Galveston Historical Foundation
www.galvestonhistory.org​