George M. B. Hawley Collection

Born on September 17, 1870, in Red Wing, Minnesota, George Maxwell Blackstock Hawley moved to Geneva, New York at a young age. He was educated there, attending Hobart College before moving to the University of Minnesota, where he studied engineering and law. He received an LL.B. degree in 1895 and LL.M. in 1896, serving as a law instructor at the University from 1895 to 1898. Hawley worked as an engineer in several states between 1890 and 1892, and practiced law in Minnesota from 1898 to 1906.

In 1906, Hawley moved back to Geneva, working as an industrial engineer. He passed the New York bar in 1916, and took up the practice of law besides his engineering career. An avid amatuer historian, he built an extensive collection of regional resources and published numerous articles on New York history. He eventually served as Geneva's city historian. Hawley took part in several organizations, including the American Chemical Society, New York Historical Association, Minnesota Historical Association, Masonic orders and the Episcopal Church. His wife was Ruth Wilson Hawley. George M. B. Hawley passed away on October 5, 1941.