G.C. Hawley High School Class of 1939

G.C. Hawley High School-Creedmoor, NC
This is the first graduating class- 1939
Principal G.C. Hawley, is on the left side of the graduates.
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A Brief Summary of The G. C. Hawley High School's History

G. C. Hawley High School began as a one teacher elementary school in the early '20'. It was an old tobacco barn with a dirt floor, no heat, no bathroom, no running water.
In 1933, two teachers were hired and in the fall of 1936, Reverend Grover Cleveland Hawley, a 1931 graduate of the college and theological departments of Lincoln university, Lincoln, Pennsylvania, was selected to serve as principal of the Creedmoor Negro Elementary School.
During this same year Principal Halwey established a high school department
From 1936-1938, children either walked to school or were transported by the parents that were able to do so. By the Spring of 1938, a school bus was purchased with contributions made by the parents, teachers and the county, which resulted in rapid student growth for the school.

The first class was graduated in 1939, and at that time the school was named, The G. C. Hawley School.
The progress made was tremendous, with land being donated to expand the school into a modern, spacious environment for learning for the negro students. The parents volunteered to clear the land by hand and Principal Hawley lead the determined group to Butner, NC to glean wood from Camp Butner that the military structures no longer needed.
In September 1952, the doors of a new facility opened with 44 teachers and 1380 students. Under the leadership of Rev. Hawley, the school had been brought from three teachers to 44; from 100 students to 1380; from one small room to five educational buildings and from no buses to 15 school buses.

The G.C. Hawley School was a segregated union school for the Negro students in Creedmoor, until 1969, when the high school department was closed and it's students were integrated into the White South Granville High School. Then, on a cold January night in 1970 a fire destroyed he predominantly White Creedmoor Elementary school. Four days later, the faculty and students Creedmoor Elementary School were transitioned and housed with the faculty and students of The G. C. Hawley School.

The fire brought a change from segregation to integration in Granville County,NC
Today, G. C. Hawley is a Middle school, which still continues serving not just the African American students of the area but, all students in the district.
The vision of Rev. G. C. Hawley, continues to do what he set out to do, provide an equal and proper education.

*NOTE, unfortunately, at this time we don't know the names of these graduates and we are searching through records to identify them.*