School colors blue and gold, School mascot The Patriots (originally The Braves)

Henry Patrick Birmingham was born March 4, 1854 in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Thomas and Margaret Tarpey Birmingham from Ireland. The family moved to St. Paul, Minnesota in 1857. General Birmingham graduated from the University of Michigan in 1876 where he received his medical degree. He practiced medicine for two years in civil life.

In February 1887, Henry Birmingham married Myra Clarke in New York. In November of that same year his wife Myra and infant daughter Margarite died. General Birmingham later married Myra's older sister Clara Clarke. They had three sons, Richard, a West Point graduate; Henry, U.S. Marine Corps, a graduate of Annapolis, and William, also a graduate of Annapolis. They also had two daughters, Ada married to Everette Harman, and Clara Birmingham, and one granddaughter, Evelyn Harman Eglin.

General Birmingham served the United States Army as a contract surgeon from November 2, 1878, to March 1, 1881. He entered the commissioned ranks of the Army as an assistant surgeon March 2, 1881. He was promoted to captain, assistant surgeon in the army in 1886, and later to major brigade surgeon United States Volunteers in 1898. That same year he became major surgeon, Medical Corps, Regular Army.

Ten years later in 1908, Birmingham was promoted to lieutenant colonel; then colonel in 1911, and a brigadier general in 1917. General Birmingham served as brigadier general, National Army, from October 13, 1917, to March 15, 1918. He was retired in his permanent grade of colonel after reaching the statutory age limit of sixty-four years. He was advanced to the grade of brigadier general on the retired list on June 21, 1930 under the provisions of an act of Congress approved that date.

The long military career of General Birmingham extended over a period of thirty-seven years' active commissioned service. He was a veteran of the Indian and Spanish American wars, Philippine insurrection, occupation, and as a medical observer with the American Expeditionary forces in France during World War I. During the encampment of 20,000 men at San Antonio in 1914, and the subsequent expedition at Vera Cruz, Brigadier General Birmingham, then a colonel, was acting Surgeon General. He kept the camp free from contagion, and the men in good health. His methods of sanitation later received widespread commendation. He was described by General McArthur writing to his daughter Clara as "an officer of marked ability and extensive experience in the Medical Department; a splendid administrator and executive of the highest professional and personal standards."

He retired in 1918, and was immediately recalled to active duty. He served another eleven years as Commandant, Medical Officers' Training Camp, Georgia, United States General Hospital No. 14, and finally as head of the United States Soldiers' Home Hospital in Washington, DC until 1922.

General Birmingham died on May 4, 1932 in Washington, DC at Walter Reed Hospital at the age of seventy-eight. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with military honors.

(Sources for this history include: New York Tribune, May 5, 1932, letter to Clara Birmingham from General Douglas McArthur, and letter from granddaughter Evelyn Harman Eglin.)