Willis Nichols Hawley

Willis Nichols Hawley (August 9, 1875 – November 19, 1898) was an American soldier who died of typhoid fever during the Spanish–American War. His parents were Homer Augustus Hawley, farmer, and Grace (Nichols) Hawley, homemaker. Willis was the eldest of three children, including Sarah Louisa Hawley (born 1879) and James Shepard Hawley (born 1881). He spent three years at Newtown Academy starting in 1891.

Hawley enrolled at Storrs Agricultural College in the fall of 1895. He pursued the three-year agricultural program and was a member of the Class of 1898. "Quiet and unassuming," he received good grades, played right end on the Connecticut Aggies football maet, and participated in the Shakespearean Club on campus. Hawley served as the student leader and first lieutenant of the college's cadet company, overseen by Professor Henry A. Ballou. He graduated in spring 1898. In September, Hawley spent a six-day furlough visiting friends in Storrs.

During the war, disease ran rampant in the overcrowded and unsanitary military encampments in the United States. "Typhoid fever and not Spanish bayonets was the principal hazard of war," observed college historian Walter Stemmons. His mother was by his side when he died. The cause of death was typhoid fever. Hawley never saw combat. In 1899, Hawley's classmates installed a commemorative plaque in an alcove in the college chapel. Crafted of Italian marble in the shape of a shield, the tablet features the inscription below. After Hawley Armory opened, the tablet was moved to a location above the Armory's front entrance. Erected in Memory of Willis Nichols Hawley. 1st Sgt. Co. H. 3rd Conn. Volunteer Infantry. By His Loving Classmates. He Died for His Country. Born Aug. 9, '75 – Died Nov. 19, '98. "Semper Fidelis." S.A.C. '98