George Addison Hewlett Jr. (1912–1989) was a

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

politician and attorney. He was educated at

Wake Forest College Wake Forest University is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The Reynolda Campus, the un ...

and graduated from Wake Forest's law school in 1934. The same year he was admitted to the bar and entered legal practice in

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is the ...

. Hewlett joined the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

as a private in 1942 and served in the

Army Air Force The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

, ending

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

as a captain. Returning to Wilmington after the war, he resumed the practice of law and in 1948 was elected president of the New Hanover County Bar Association. A Democrat like his father (a New Hanover County commissioner), Hewlett represented New Hanover County in the

North Carolina House of Representatives The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the North Ca ...

from 1951-1961. In 1959, he was elected speaker of the state House. In 1960, Hewlett ran for the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

, losing in the Democratic primary to incumbent B. Everett Jordan. Hewlett garnered about 36 percent of the vote in a four-way race.North Carolina data-net
/ref> Hewlett served on the

North Carolina State Board of Education The North Carolina State Board of Education, established by Article 9 of the Constitution of North Carolina, supervises and administers the public school systems of North Carolina. The board sets policy and general procedures for public school syst ...

and in 1968 became first chairman of the state's Marine Science Council. He was instrumental in the creation of the

University of North Carolina Wilmington The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW or UNC Wilmington) is a public research university in Wilmington, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina System and enrolls 17,499 undergraduate and graduate students eac ...

. He served as a UNCW trustee from 1973 to 1985 and was chairman of the trustees from 1975-1977. A dormitory, Hewlett Hall, is named for him at UNCW. Hewlett also served as chairman two other institutions of higher learning, Wake Forest College and

Campbell University Campbell University is a private Baptist university in Buies Creek, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (Southern Baptist Convention). Southern Baptist ConventionColleges and Universities sbc.net ...

References

Who is Addison Hewlett? by Wilmington StarNews reporter Ben Steelman
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hewlett, Addison 1912 births 1989 deaths Wake Forest University alumni North Carolina lawyers Speakers of the North Carolina House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the North Carolina House of Representatives 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American politicians United States Army personnel of World War II