Laurens-Washington-Hancock County GaArchives Biographies.....Hawkins, Kendrick J. 1871 - living in 1913
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 20, 2004, 8:29 pm

Author: William Harden
p. 870-871

   KENDRICK J. HAWKINS. The appointment of a lawyer to the bench always calls
forth a storm of comment and often occasions warm discussions and criticism, but
in the case of Kendrick J. Hawkins, who is now judge of the superior court of
the Dublin circuit, composed of the counties of Johnson, Twiggs and Laurens,
Georgia, the approval was practically universal, and with the exception of his
few enemies which fall to the lot of any strong man, everyone agreed that no one
could have been selected who would fill the place to the greater satisfaction of
the people. The faith which was thus reposed in him has been amply fulfilled,
for his decisions have been made by a mind free from prejudice, and with a
background of a wide and deep knowledge of the law and its puzzling
technicalities, he has been able to make his court an example of real justice,
and was re-elected in the primary of August, 1912, carrying every county in his
circuit over strong opposition and a bitter fight.

   Kendrick J. Hawkins is a native of the state of Georgia, having been born in
Washington county, on the 6th of January, 1871. His father was William A.
Hawkins and his mother was Mary (Mayo) Hawkins. His father was also a native of
Washington county, where he was born on the 6th of November, 1836. His mother
was born in Dougherty county, in 1851. Judge Hawkins' father was a veteran of
the Civil war, having served throughout the long four years, and who came out of
the conflict bearing the marks of the wound which he received at Chickamauga.
When Kendrick Hawkins was but a lad his parents moved to Hancock county,
Georgia, and here he attended school until he was fourteen years of age. His
family not being so very rich in this world's goods, he was then forced to stop
school and learn the printer's trade. He went to Warrenton and here he became
master of this trade, later moving to Gibson, Georgia. At the age of seventeen
he went into the newspaper business, and attained considerable success in this
field, having many of the qualities necessary to the composition of a good
newspaper man. He continued in this line of work until he was twenty-four, at
which time he took up the study of law under the tutelage of Judge B. F. Walker,
of the Toombs circuit court. His newspaper experience stood him in good stead in
this study and after two years of close application he was admitted to the bar,
in 1896.

   He began to practice immediately after his admission in Gibson, Georgia,
removing to Dublin, Georgia, in 1902. Here he proceeded to build up both a
lucrative practice and a good reputation as a lawyer. His arguments were always
forceful, and his treatment of his cases was so clear and simple that he was
seldom involved in useless technicalities. He was recognized as an unusually
brilliant and clever attorney, and his appointment as judge of the city court in
December, 1908, occasioned, little, if any, surprise. A further triumph was in
store for him, the more to be remembered as it was the last act of Governor Hoke
Smith. This was his appointment by the governor on the 1st of January, 1912, as
judge of the superior court of the Dublin circuit, which circuit was created by
the legislature of 1911.

   Some people attribute Judge Hawkins' success to their belief that talent of a
certain order may run in a family. They point to the late Judge W. A. Hawkins,
of the supreme court of Georgia, who lived at Americus, Georgia, before his
death and was a relation of Judge Kendrick J. Hawkins, and say that the ability
along legal lines is an inheritance of the Hawkins family. This is no doubt true
to some extent, but the success of the judge is largely due to his own hard work
and to the painstaking care which he exercised in all the work which he did.

   Judge Hawkins was married on the 26th of February, 1900, to Mary Leola
McNair, the daughter of L. F. McNair, of Jefferson county. No children have been
born to the judge and his wife.

   The subject of fraternal relationship has always been regarded with much
interest by Judge Hawkins, and he is a member of various fraternal
organizations, in which he takes an active part. He is a member of the Knights
of Pythias, of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, of the Royal Arcanum,
and of the Woodmen of the World.


Additional Comments:
From:

A HISTORY OF SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
BY
WILLIAM HARDEN

VOLUME II
ILLUSTRATED
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK
1913

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