Marshall High School grew out of an institution chartered during the days of the Texas Republic. This institution, known respectively as Republican Academy, Marshall University, Van Zandt University, and White Boys' College, had its charter signed on January 18, 1842, by President Sam Houston. On March 27, 1843, Peter Whetstone donated a tract of 10 acres to this university because of his "interest in the progress of literature." This 10 acres, including the adjoining streets, was an area bounded by Houston Street on the north, College Street on the east, Whetstone Street on the south, and Rosborough Street on the west. During the first decade, the Republican Academy was maintained in a twenty by forty "hewn log house" with a one-room addition in 1849 for the Female Department. However, co-education ceased in 1850 when the girls were sent to the Marshall Masonic Female Institute, located between North Franklin and North Wellington Streets and West Burleson and West Grand Avenue. The Male Department continued as Marshall University, which in 1851 erected a $10,000 two-story brick building.

The facility of Marshall University was rented to the city in 1884 to be used for educational purposes. On July 24, 1895, Marshall University presented a 30-year lease to Marshall Public Free Schools with a right to renew the lease. On September 12, 1898, Marshall High School began operating in the building leased from Marshall University.

The first Marshall High School had only two teachers, 30 students and five subjects-Latin, English, history, math and science. Only grades 8, 9 and 10 were taught at first. By 1900-01 the high school went through the 11th grade. From 1901-02 to 1910, 12 grades were required for graduation. The 12-grade system was reintroduced in 1936. The first graduating class had one student, Miss Verbena Barnes. In 1900 there were three graduates.

For the first decade of the new century, students were scattered in several directions. The high school, along with some lower grades, moved into the new East Side building on September 25, 1905. Due to a lack of sufficient science lab space or lab equipment, the high school moved in 1907 to the old Masonic Female Institute, where the classes of 1908, 1909 and 1910 received their diplomas. The Class of 1911 graduated at City Hall. From 1907 to 1911 there was no one school large enough to accommodate all four grades, making it necessary to hold classes in the Boys' College, Masonic Female Institute, City Hall and the Old Tabernacle at West Grand and North Washington. The freshman class of 1908 was so large it had to be shuttled several times during the year.

In February, 1910, the city school board began deliberations with Marshall University trustees for a building site, located at 600 West Houston Street. On March 29, 1910, the trustees conveyed their property to the Marshall School Board as a site for a high school building. It was agreed that the new school would be called the Peter Whetstone High School...but it never was.

In September, 1911, 200 high school students moved in. By 1914, it became necessary to add four classrooms and enlarge the study hall. By 1923 another building change became necessary, so the old Marshall University building was torn down and replaced with a new building facing West Houston.

From 1924 until 1940, the high school remained in this building. In 1939, the building erected in 1911 was removed to make way for an addition to the campus. This new building, which faced College Street, served as the high school. The junior high remained in the old portion until the seventh and eighth grades moved out in 1964, providing more room for a growing high
school.

In 1954, administrative offices, fine arts classrooms and the industrial arts department occupied a new wing on the west side. By that time, a gym wing had been added to the back of the original building. In 1965 the gym became a cafeteria and another gym was built onto the south end of the old one. These projects and other improvements to the building were funded by a $4,264,000 bond issue in 1962.

A successful bond issue in 1976 led to construction of a new high school for Marshall. In September, 1980, students in grades 10-12 stepped into a "comprehensive" 212,000-square-foot facility on Maverick Drive. The school had an initial capacity of 1600 students and basic facilities for 2000. Its features included a 2000-seat gym with three courts, 600-seat auditorium, multi-tiered dining area for 500 and separation of academic classes from shop, band and choir areas. Outside the building were a 7000-seat stadium with all-weather track, a 12,000 square-foot field house, six tennis courts and a baseball field.

A facilities study, followed by bond issue in 1986, led to the closing of Marshall's ninth grade school, Pemberton High, and the opening of a ninth-grade wing at Marshall High School. The 44,420-square-foot addition opened to students on September 1, 1988. A supplemental field house for baseball, cross-country, soccer and tennis opened at the north end of Maverick Drive in December, 1988. In 1993 came a 2000-seat addition to the stadium, a new track and an addition to the band hall. In fall 2002 a new program, the Junior Air Force ROTC, moved into a portable structure building north of the main building. All-weather turf was installed in Maverick Stadium in the summer of 2003. In the spring of 2004 construction began on an addition to the stadium field house.