Thoughts on Education
My grand aunt (born in 1894) and my grandmother (born in 1898) were both raised in West Virginia by a father who believed that women needed an education because they were responsible for raising the next generation. Accordingly, both attended and graduated from Maryville College in Tennessee—my grand aunt in 1916 and my grandmother in 1920. (Interestingly, their younger brother never pursued education beyond high school.) One of my favorite pictures of my grandmother shows her on horseback with her suffragist “sisters” at college, where in 1918 she served as Secretary to the Equal Suffrage Club. Notably, it was Tennessee’s vote that secured the 36th and final ratification needed to adopt the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote.
Equal Suffrage Club, Maryville College, Maryville, Tennessee, from the yearbook: The Chilhowean 1918
My remarkable grandmother went on to teach in public schools. However, she was unable to secure a teaching contract in her hometown of Denver, Colorado, because married women were expected to stay home and care for their husbands. Instead, she found a position in another town, and when she became pregnant with my mother, she had to hide it to keep her job—once again, a reflection of the era’s expectation that women should remain homemakers. After raising her three children (my mother and her younger twin brothers), my grandmother returned to teaching. Her income and pension provided financial security, which my grandfather wisely invested, allowing them to travel the world and live independently well into their late 90s.
My grandfather, in contrast, had only attended business school after completing eighth grade before entering the banking industry. Despite his hard work, he was repeatedly passed over for promotions because he lacked a college degree—a source of lifelong frustration.
My mother, born in 1924, earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Denver and went on to earn a master’s from the University of Wisconsin in 1945. She later returned to DU to work for the dean of women. She also taught grade school in Denver as she was unmarried at the time. After marrying my father, the day after his college graduation, she continued teaching grade school in New Jersey.
Mrs. Marion S. Hawley’s 1st grade class, 1952-1953, George Washington School, Wycoff, N.J.
My father served in the 460th division of the Army Air Corps during World War II. He achieved the rank of 1st Lieutenant and was a navigator on B-24 Liberators before his decorated, honorable discharge. After service, with the G.I. Bill, he attended and graduated from the University of Denver, where he met my Mother. They married and immediately moved to N.J. where my Mom continued teaching and my father began his career as a chemical engineer.
First Lieutenant E.R. Hawley, navigator on B-24 Liberator bombers, in the 460th division of the Army Air Corps, WWII.
After high school, my father thought I should join the Air Force, but my mother wouldn’t allow it. Instead, they both supported me continuing formal education at college. After graduating and spending 22 years in commercial real estate, high-tech communications, and consulting, I eventually did serve my country—by teaching. For 16 years, I taught math, beginner Spanish, and business in a rural Maryland public school system. My focus each day was on fostering independent thinking, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and effective communication.
I taught middle school classes from 2002 - 2007, then on to high school from 2007 - 2018.
Education and service to our country run deep in my ancestry, and I cannot imagine a nation that does not prioritize making education accessible and affordable for all children, regardless of their background. Do NOT allow the Department of Education to be dismantled. Do NOT allow our nation’s history to be "whitewashed." Do NOT let Orwell’s 1984 become reality in 2025.
