HENRY E. BENNETT was born on January 22, 1913, in Calvert, Texas, and at an
early age the family moved to Oklahoma and later to Gary, Indiana.
He excelled during high school in sports and academics. In 1929 he was All City
High School Tennis Champion for three consecutive years and in 1932 he became
an honor graduate of Gary Roosevelt High School. During his college years, he
matriculated to Indiana State Teacher’s College by paying for his schooling with a
job at the U.S. Steel Coke Plant. In 1940 he was elected to the Indiana State
Teacher’s College Student Council. While in college in 1941 Henry joined Kappa
Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and has remained financial and active for nearly six
decades.
In 1943 he volunteered to serve in the U.S. Navy and that year was selected for
radio operator training at Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Illinois. In 1945
Henry integrated the Naval Radio Communications System by becoming one of
the first ten African-Americans transferred to Pearl Harbor, in Oahu, Hawaii and
was assigned responsibility for routing all communications traffic in the Pacific
Theater.
In 1947 he became high school sponsor of the “All Out Americans” organization
creating community clean-up projects, middle school educational tutoring, training
or leader ship programs and other civic duties and functions within the
community. Henry also revitalized Gary Boy Scout Troupe #30 with headquarters
at Campbell Friendship House at 2100 Washington Street in Gary, Indiana. During
this year Henry joined the Gary Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.
During the next 52 years of continuous membership, he served in several capacities
including chapter president, parliamentarian and social chairman.
In 1950 Henry was elected to the Board of Trustees of First A.M.E. Church and
was consistently re-elected until his retirement in 1990.
In 1980 Henry retired from the Gary Public School System after a long and
successful career as a teacher, librarian and assistant principal.
In 1980 to 1992. Henry was elected and served as President of the Gary Branch
N.A.A.C.P.
In 1993, along with his wife Pauline, Henry was honored by the community with
“Henry E. and Pauline Bennett Day” celebrating more than 50 years of community
service.