Henry was the third of five sons born to Wililam  E.  Goodnight and Elizabeth Rawls.  His father was known as Dr. Goodnight, a notorious outlaw in Brazos County, Texas.  Dr. Goodnight, his wife and three youngest sons were headed out on a train after robbing a stockman of $5,000.  On the train, Dr. Goodnight was shot and wounded. He died shortly  thereafter and the deputies were able to recover all but $45.00 from the the wife, Elizabeth.  Henry was only a little over two years old.  Almost four years later, Elizabeth contracted tuberculosis and died. The children were taken from their maternal granparent and sent to Buckner's orphanage in Dallas in 1882.  Henry stayed in the orphange until he was 16 years old. He worked as a candy maker.  In 1904, he worked as a substitute postal worker.  Henry  continued his work with the Post Office, being promoted to the role of Superintendent in 1923. He served the United States Postal Service for 42 years. 

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H.B. Goodnight was a vetern of World War I and served in France.  During his military service in France, he was invited by the French government to promote plans for orphanages in France that were patterned after the Buckner Oprhanage he was raised in.   Henry was a prominent commuity and civic leader in Dallas, Texas.  He served in various leadership roles with numerous organizations:  Branch 86 of theNational Association of Postal Supervisors, Dallas County Child Welfare Bureau, the Humane Federation of Texas, the Board of Trustees of Dallas Methodist Hospital, the Board of Directors of American National Bank of Oak Cliff, and the Family Services. H.B. Goodnight was a member of the Scottish Rite and Hella Temple Shrine of the Masonic Lodge,  the Scottish Rite Choristers and the Shrine Drum and Bugle Corps. Henry was appointed Ambassador of Good Will from Mexico to the United States for Shriner services in Mexico.