Luther Howerton Barbour was born on September 7, 1892, in Durham, North Carolina. During World War I, Barbour served overseas with the 113th Field Artillery, seeing combat at Beaumont, Toul, St. Mihiel, and Meuse. He was wounded by an exploding shell at Thiaucourt, France, on September 14, 1918, and, despite his own severe wounds, was able to help another wounded soldier to safety. The courage and devotion to duty he exhibited that day garnered him a Silver Star. Upon his return to the states, Barbour joined the Durham Machine Gun Company of militia and served as a lieutenant. In July 1920, he and his unit successfully protected the lives of three wrongfully accused Black men from an angry lynch mob in Alamance County, North Carolina. From 1923 to 1943, he served as the superintendent of the Durham County public school system. Barbour died in Durham on December 23, 1982.