About G.C. and Frances Hawley
We began The G.C. and Frances Hawley Museum® - NC Black History, December 24, 2017, after too many years of not seeing ourselves represented in the collections of the different North Carolina State entities.
We know that our underrepresentation is a consequence of intentional historical exclusion.
So, we set out to correct that attempted erasure and decided to create a database of sorts, a clearing-house - a North Carolina Black History virtual Museum.
Our museum is named after the maternal grandparents of one of our co-founders, recognizing what her grandparents went through and understanding that without their faith, courage, vision, and resilience, this work would not have begun.
You can read a short history of the school where Rev. G. C. Hawley was hired to be principal. It is a short history of how the Hawleys, through abiding faith and vision as well as help from the community, built an educational environment for all children in one North Carolina rural county during the troubled times of Jim Crow.
Thank you for visiting our site. We hope you come back for more because every day we add new life-stories of the Black people of North Carolina.
Dr. V.A. Johnson and L. D. Edwards
Cofounders & Owners
The G. C. And Frances Hawley Musuem®
I Remember Our History®
There are some lives that disappoint us, some impressions of character which we have to revise in later years, but the impression that was formed of Grover Cleveland Hawley when you first met him remained unchanged to the end of his life.
Reverend Grover Cleveland Hawley was born November 16, 1907, to the parentage of Willie Hawley and Hallie Cheatham Hawley, in Oxford, Granville County, North Carolina. He had four sisters and three brothers.
He received his early education in Granville County Schools, graduating from Mary Potter Academy, which was established to educate Black students in Oxford. It was a boarding school with tuition. Students from all over NC came to attend, seeking to be educated.
In 1931, he received a bachelor's degree and a sacred theology degree from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. 1944 he received a master's degree from North Carolina Central University. In 1954, he received an advanced principal's certificate from the University of Pittsburgh. He furthered his studies at East Carolina University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
He was the former principal of The Creedmoor Negro Elementary School, which would later bear his name, The G.C. Hawley High School, which after integration was Hawley Elementary and is now Hawley Middle school.
Reverend Hawley completed his 37 1/2 year career as an educator as the principal of Carver High School in Mt. Olive, North Carolina.
Rev. Hawley's life stands as a guiding star; his deeds are like brightly gleaming diamonds. He was a member of Antioch Baptist Church, serving as Assistant Pastor. He was a member and past master of Blooming Star Masonic Lodge No. 53; chairman of the Board of Trustees of Granville County Community Center; a former member of the Board of Trustees of Granville Medical Center; co-founder and past president of the Oxford Business and Professional Chain; past chairman of the Human Relations Commission of Mount Olive; former secretary of the Planning Commission of the town of Mount Olive; co-founder and treasurer of the Oxford United Investors, Inc.; and founder and director of the Granville County Transportation Program for older people, the NHSC Dental Assisted Program in Granville County, and the Aging Council of Granville County.
He was the leader in establishing a Senior Center in Oxford by stopping the destruction of the Orange Street School, a Black school built during segregation. Grants were found to fund the Senior Center and provide services to the elderly of Oxford. Rev Hawley also worked closely with the Indian Affairs of NC to provide support, education, and services for the Native Americans of Granville County.
His father was a Native American, but at the time of white supremacy and segregation, Native Americans were not allowed by law to purchase land. His father had to choose whether to be a Black man or a Native American man, and he chose to be listed as a Black man so that he could purchase land for his family to live on and farm.
Rev. Hawley's mother was a relative of Henry P. Cheatham, an educator, farmer, and politician who was elected as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1889 to 1893 from North Carolina. He was one of only five African Americans elected to Congress from the South in the Jim Crow era of the last decade of the nineteenth century, as disfranchisement reduced black voting. After that, no African Americans were elected from the South until 1972, and none from North Carolina until 1992.
Rev. Hawley was also a member of the American Association of Retired Persons, the Retired Teachers Association of Granville County, the Oxford Exchange Club, Eta Sigma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, the Oxford-Granville County Ministerial Conference, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Government. He has received many awards and has been chosen "Man of the Year" by numerous organizations, including the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.
In 1988, he was named "Citizen of the Year" by the Granville County Chamber of Commerce, the second oldest recipient ever to be so honored. These are but a few of his accomplishments that attest to his dedication to hard work and his unending devotion to serve mankind. These glowing attestations tell us so much about him. But only those who experienced the soundness of his judgment, the wisdom of his counsel, the mildness of his temper, the firmness of his purpose, the affectionate tone of his manners, the tenderness of his heart, the dignity of his virtues-only those who really knew him can truly estimate his worth. Because of his sincerity, dignity and humility, throughout his lifetime hundreds of people were helped and lifted up and made to feel worthy, by the difference this one man made in their lives.
Rev. G. C. Hawley, lived his life to better the lives of others. Serving God as he followed the teachings of Jesus.
Reverend Grover Cleveland Hawley
November 16, 1907-1990
Was a life long resident of Oxford, North Carolina. Mrs. Hawley was the only daughter among five siblings, of the Late Reverend Lee H. Johnson and Ida Faison Johnson.
She received her formal education in Granville County and in 1944 she graduated from Bennett College For Women in Greensboro, North Carolina. Mrs. Hawley was the first married student to be accepted at the College.
In February of 1935 she was united in marriage to Reverend Grover Cleveland Hawley, also of Oxford, Granville County.
She was a life long member of First Baptist Church in Oxford. During her years of loyal and faithful membership she was a willing and generous patron of many missionary fuctions. Her loving spirit will always be remembered because of her selfless nature.
Mrs. Hawley retired from the Granville County School System in 1977 after more than forty years as an elementary school teacher. She was adored by her students and parents asked to have their children placed in her classroom. She encouraged children and young adults to further their education as she knew it was the gateway to fulfilling one's life purpose.
She enjoyed travelling and one of her more memorable trips was a month long tour of Europe along with her husband and several of their friends.
Mrs. Hawley was affiliated with the Omaicron Zeta Chaper of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., the Raleigh Chaper of Bennett College Alumnae Association, North Carolina Retired School Personnel, American Association of Retired Persons, (AARP), Council on Aging and Granville County Business and Professional Chain.
Mrs. Hawley lived her life to better the lives of others. Serving God as she followed the teachings of Jesus.
Mrs. Frances Johnson Hawley
December 10, 1911 - May 4, 2005
Reverend Grover Cleveland Hawley 1907-1990
There are some lives that disappoint us, some impressions of character which we have to revise in later years, but the impression that was formed of Grover Cleveland Hawley when you first met him remained unchanged to the end of his life
Reverend Grover Cleveland Hawley was born November 16, 1907, to the parentage of Willie Hawley and Hallie Cheatham Hawley, in Oxford, Granville County, North Carolina. He had four sisters and three brothers.
He received his early education in Granville County Schools, graduating from Mary Potter Academy which was established to educate the Black students in Oxford. It was a boarding school with a tuition. Students from all over NC came to attend seeking to be educated..
In 1931 he received a bachelor's degree and a degree of sacred theology from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, in 1944 he received a master's degree from North Carolina Central University , and in 1954 he received an advanced principal's certificate from the University of Pittsburgh. He did further study at East Carolina University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
He was the former principal of The Creedmoor Negro Elementary School, which would later bear his name, The G.C. Hawley High School, which after integration was Hawley Elementary and is now Hawley Middle school.
He completed his career as an educator of 371/2 years as principal of Carver High School in Mt. Olive, North Carolina.
Rev. Hawley's life stands as a guiding star; his deeds are like brightly gleaming diamonds. He was a member of Antioch Baptist Church, where he served as Assistant Pastor. He was a member and past master of Blooming Star Masonic Lodge No. 53; chairman of the Board of Trustees of Granville County Community Center; a former member of the Board of Trustees of Granville Medical Center; co-founder and past president of the Oxford Business and Professional Chain; past chairman of the Human Relations Commission of Mount Olive; former secretary of the Planning Commission of the town of Mount Olive; co-founder and treasurer of the Oxford United Investors, Inc.; and founder and director of the Granville County Transportation Program for the elderly, the NHSC Dental Assisted Program in Granville County, and the Aging Council of Granville County.
He was the leader in establishing a Senior Center in Oxford, by stopping destruction of Orange Street School, which was a Black school in Oxford built during segregation. Grants were found to fund the Senor Center and provide services to the elderly of Oxford. Rev Hawley also worked closely with The Indian Affairs Of NC to provide support, education and services for the Native Americans of Granville Co.
His father was a Native American, but at the time of white supremacy and segregation, Native Americans were not allowed by law to purchase land. His father had to make a choice of whether to be a Black man or a Native American man, he chose to be listed as a Black man so that he could purchase land for his family to live on and farm.
Rev. Hawley's mother was a relative of Henry P. Cheatham who was an educator, farmer and politician, elected as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1889 to 1893 from North Carolina. He was one of only five African Americans elected to Congress from the South in the Jim Crow era of the last decade of the nineteenth century, as disfranchisement reduced black voting. After that, no African Americans would be elected from the South until 1972 and none from North Carolina until 1992.
Rev. Hawley was also a member of the American Association of Retired Persons, the Retired Teachers Association of Granville County, the Oxford Exchange Club, Eta Sigma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, the Oxford-Granville County Ministerial Conference, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Government. He has received many awards and has been chosen "Man of the Year" by numerous organizations, including the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.
In 1988, he was named "Citizen of the Year" by the Granville County Chamber of Commerce, the second oldest recipient ever to be so honored. These are but a few of his accomplishments that attest to his dedication to hard work and his unending devotion to serve mankind. These glowing attestations tell us so much about him. But only those who experienced the soundness of his judgment, the wisdom of his counsel, the mildness of his temper, the firmness of his purpose, the affectionate tone of his manners, the tenderness of his heart, the dignity of his virtues-only those who really knew him can truly estimate his worth. Because of his sincerity, dignity and humility, throughout his lifetime hundreds of people were helped and lifted up and made to feel worthy, by the difference this one man made in their lives.
Rev. G. C. Hawley, lived his life to better the lives of others. Serving God as he followed the teachings of Jesus.
Let’s work together
The G. C. and Frances Hawley Museum® is passionately committed to uncovering and sharing the fascinating family stories that have influenced our state's and nation's history. We believe that every family has a unique story to tell, one that adds depth to the rich tapestry of North Carolina and U.S. History.
We encourage you to reflect on your own family narrative—did your ancestors play a pivotal role in these historical events? We invite you to become a part of our family curator team by sharing your family's history, whether it be through photos, videos, articles, or documents.
Let’s work together and weave a more comprehensive narrative that honors the roles families have played in our collective past to inspire future museum visitors.