Dr. Harry Fishburne Estill was born in Lexington, Virginia, on August 12, 1861, to Charles Patrick Estill and Katherine Fishburne. His siblings were; Annie Rhodes, Jennie Patrick, Junius Fishburne, and Libbie. Around 1870 his family moved to Huntsville, Texas.

Harry Fishburne Estill attended Austin College from 1875-1877, then Sam Houston Normal Institue in 1880. Here he earned top honors in his graduating class.

August 3, 1892, Dr. Estill married Loulie Sexton, the daughter of Judge Frank B. and Eliza Richardson Sexton. Her father was an attorney and a member of the Confederate Congress of Texas. Dr. Estill and Loulie Sexton had five children Frank, Katherine, Mary, Harry F., and Ruth.

In 1908, he became the fifth and longest-serving president of SHNI, serving for twenty-nine years. During his presidency, he expanded the curriculum to four years in 1918 and changed the school's name to Sam Houston State Teachers College in 1923.

Dr. Estill wrote textbooks that were considered ground-breaking and were used throughout the South. Some of his writings were "The History of Our Country" (written with Oscar Henry Cooper and Leonard Lemmon), published in 1893, and "The Beginner's History of Our History," published in 1900.

The Estill Library, now known as the Estill Building, was built and named in his honor in 1930.

After his presidency ended in 1937, Dr. Estill stayed at SHSTC as president emeritus and as a history professor until his death on February 12, 1942. His wife, Loulie, died in 1935. They are both buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Huntsville, Texas.

Harry Fishburne Estill was a member of the Masonic Lodge, the Shrine, and Knights Templar, president of the Rotary Club, director of the Chamber of Commerce, and a trustee of the Huntsville Public Schools.