Biography

09/06/1843 - 07/18/1899

Colonel Alexander Leroy Hawkins (R46), 1899-1900 Beaver and Washington Counties

Early Life: 

Colonel Alexander Leroy Hawkins, born September 6, 1843, Greene County, Pennsylvania; George’s Creek Academy; Waynesburg College; private, Civil War, 1862-1866; teacher; engaged, drug business, Pittsburgh, 1866; moved to Washington County; married, Cynthia H. Greenfield Hawkins, 1869, children, daughter, Hawkins, Clyde Emile Hawkins, Jessie Benton Hawkins Darragh, Frank Burson Hawkins; deployed, Philippines; Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War 1898, Philippine Insurrection 1898-1899; elected, Republican while on active duty, Senator elect, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1899-1900; died, July 18, 1899 (aged 55), in office of Senate, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Philippine Insurrection, cancer of bowels at sea; Interment Washington Cemetery, Washington, Washington County, Pennsylvania. 

Early Career:  

Enlisted, private August 7, 1862, Company K, 160th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry; participated in 64 battles, Antietam, Tennessee Campaign, Union General George B. Stoneman’s raid into Virginia, participated in the capture of President of the Confederate States of America Jefferson Davis; mustered out, captain, January 21, 1866. 

Pennsylvania National Guard, Captain, Company H, 10th Regiment, 1877; elected, Colonel, 1884; mustered, United States Army, May 12, 1898, deployed, Philippines; Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War 1898, Philippine Insurrection 1898-1899. 

Pennsylvania Politics:

Washington County Treasurer, 1875. 

Elected, Republican while on active duty, Senator elect, Pennsylvania State Senate, 46th district, Beaver and Washington Counties, 1899-1900; died, July 18, 1899 (aged 55), in office of Senate, John Budke elected to fill vacancy, November 7, 1899.  

Legacy: 

Colonel Alexander Leroy Hawkins Memorial. 

Location: Schenley Park Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15217 Panther Hollow Drive, south end of the Panther Hollow Bridge, Squirrel Hill South neighborhood. 

Date of Installation: July 4, 1904.

Organization Responsible for Installation: Tenth Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment

Plaza memorial with larger-than-life size bronze statue of Colonel Hawkins. He was the commander of the Tenth Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment during the Spanish-American War and Philippines. He died on July 18, 1899, enroute home from complications due to an illness.  

Cited: 

Cox, Harold. "Senate Members H". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.

Smull’s Legislative Handbook, (1899). Cochran, T.B., (Editor) Miller, H.P. (Assistant Editor) Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pages 1173 Biographical Sketches of Senators, page 1146.

The Press Herald (Pine Grove, Pennsylvania) Friday July 28, 1899, Page 4.

Colonel Alexander Leroy Hawkins Memorial | The American Legion

COL Alexander Leroy Hawkins (1843-1899) - Find a Grave Memorial