John E. Hodgin Jr. Family Papers

NOTE:  The numbers cited in parentheses, e.g. 1:5, refer the researcher to the Series#:Folder# in which that name/topic will be found.

INTRODUCTION

The John E. Hodgin Jr. Family Papers consist primarily of correspondence and photographs pertaining to the Hodgin family, who were Quakers and lived in the Guilford College area for much of the 20th century. The focus is John E. Hodgin Jr., with many letters and photographs from his service in Europe during World War II, while numerous other photographs relate to his parents, his sisters, and their descendants. Of particular note is a manuscript describing the Guilford College area and its residents in the early 1900s. Researchers interested in the Hodgin family, the town of Guilford College, or local Quaker history may find this collection useful.

Arrangement: This collection is organized in four series and arranged within series by subject. The series are: Correspondence, 1912-1996; Miscellaneous, 1820-1996; Photographs, 1899-2005; and Printed Material, 1897-ca. 1989.

Provenance: This collection was donated by Mary Beth Kureczka in October 2015 and assigned the accession number 2015.56.1. The donor found these items in the attic at 811 Dolley Madison Road.

Processing: This collection was organized and the finding aid was prepared by volunteer Leah Nykamp in March 2023.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

John Ernest Hodgin Sr. (1876-1958) was born in Guilford County to Martha Blair and David J. Hodgin (1829-1898), a politician, teacher, and later farmer in Sumner Township. After farming as a young adult, John Hodgin Sr. worked for the U.S. Post Office in Greensboro for forty years, including as a supervisor. He married Aileen Ross Hodgin (1884-1975) in 1913, and the couple had three children: Julia Blair, John Ernest Jr., and Jonaleen. As Quakers, the family were lifelong members of New Garden Friends Meeting. In 1918, they moved from downtown Greensboro to a house they named Quaker Acres at 811 Dolley Madison Road near Guilford College.

John Ernest Hodgin Jr. (1916-2011), known by family and friends as Jack, attended Guilford High School and earned a B.S. in mathematics from Guilford College in 1937. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Forces as a weather forecaster, first attached to the British Royal Air Force and then as part of the Eighth Air Force and Mediterranean Allied Air Forces. After returning to Greensboro, he married Georgia Newton (1915-2003), and the couple had a son, John E. Hodgin III. In 1949, he became an insurance salesman with Federated Mutual Insurance Co., for which he worked for nearly two decades. He was living at Quaker Acres by 1970, and the Greensboro chapter of the American Red Cross recognized his many blood donations with the first Thomas Z. Osborne Memorial Award in 1992.

Both Julia Blair (1914-1990) and Jonaleen (1918-2002) also attended Guilford High School and Guilford College. In 1942, Julia Blair married Robert Kendall. The couple moved to Massachusetts and later Florida, and they had two children: Kim and Robert. Jonaleen married Walter A. Jacobsen and had two children: Jonalyn and John Nils. After leaving North Carolina, she lived in New York City and then Florida.

Biographical Sources: The sources for this biographical note include items in the collection; the Greensboro city directories; Ancestry.com; The Quaker (1937); the obituaries of John E. Hodgin Jr. (News & Record, February 10, 2011), John E. Hodgin Sr. (The Greensboro Record, September 17, 1958), Aileen Hodgin (Greensboro Daily News, April 2, 1975), Julia Blair Hodgin Kendall (News & Record, February 22, 1990), and Jonaleen Hodgin Jacobsen (News & Record, March 8, 2002); and “John E. Hodgin Jr. wins Osborne Award / Blood donor keeps promise” (Greensboro News & Record, September 30, 1992).

SCOPE & CONTENT NOTE

The types of materials in this collection include letters, photographic prints and negatives, financial and legal documents, newspaper clippings, and a plaque. The majority of items relate to members of the Hodgin family. A highlight of the collection is a manuscript describing the road between Guilford College Station and the college, along with the people living there in the early 1900s. Also of note is an early 1960s directory for New Garden Friends Meeting with a history of the meeting. Genealogical materials provide background on the Hodgin family, while notes and photos document John E. Hodgin Jr.’s service in Europe during World War II. Researchers interested in the Hodgin family, World War II veterans, the Guilford College area, or local Quaker history may find this collection useful.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

1. Correspondence.  8 folders (23 items).  1912-1996, n.d.

The correspondence contains greeting cards, John E. Hodgin Jr.’s commencement announcement from Guilford High School, and a calling card for Aileen Hodgin and her daughter, Julia Blair (1:1). Of particular interest are John E. Hodgin Jr.’s notes and photos from his time in the military (1:3). Also included are long letters from his maternal aunt, Ona Hodgin, to her sister Aileen about her travels (1:7).

2. Miscellaneous.  5 folders (20 items).  1820-1996.

The most noteworthy items in this series are the genealogical materials, which include family trees, a copy of the family crest, and a brief synopsis of the family history in America (2:4). An article by Mary Mendenhall Hobbs about the life and faith of David Hodgin was reproduced from the February 1899 issue of The Guilford Collegian. Also of interest is a copy of the marriage license of Georgia Newton and John E. Hodgin Jr. (2:4). Among the financial and legal documents are Aileen Hodgin’s passport, Georgia Newton Hodgin’s driver’s licenses, and a Home Federal Savings and Loan Association savings account book (2:3). The Guilford College Civitan Club Award conferred upon John E. Hodgin Jr. demonstrates his involvement in the community (2:2).

3. Photographs.  10 folders (ca. 450 items).  1899-2005, n.d.

Almost all the photographic prints feature members of the Hodgin family, with a few of the family home named Quaker Acres. Multiple generations are depicted during a period spanning over a century, but the majority of the prints relate to John E. Hodgin Jr., his parents, and his two sisters (3:4-5, 3:7-8). Some photos are professional portraits by Greensboro studios, including Dixon White, Eutsler Studio, Howerton Studio, and J.A. Leonard, while others are more casual, taken at the family homes. Most of the negatives were taken by John E. Hodgin Jr. during his time serving in Europe during World War II (3:1). They show parts of England, Scotland, and Italy, and depict his fellow soldiers, army bases, army vehicles, and civilians.

4. Printed Material.  5 folders (14 items).  1897-1982, n.d.

The highlight of the printed material is the manuscript titled “Station Road.” Written by Hodgin neighbor Harriet Crutchfield Hood, it describes the road between Guilford College Station and the college itself, as well as the people living there in the early 1900s (4:5). The Quaker community in Guilford County is also featured through a 1960s directory from New Garden Friends Meeting with a history of the meeting, as well as a list of famous women involved in the meeting (4:3). Also contained in this series are newspaper clippings that mention Hodgin family members (4:4), a 1930s class roll from Guilford High School that includes John Hodgin Jr., and a copy of an 1898 list of students at Sumner Township School that includes Ona and Aileen Hodgin (4:2).

FOLDER LISTING