Edwin J. Hamlin

Edwin J. (Ed) Hamlin, a former North Carolina newspaperman, state government agency administrator and practicing attorney of 3508 Proprietor Way, Raleigh, died on June 16, 2009, at the age of 93. A native of Roxboro, NC, Edwin Jones Hamlin was born December 7, 1915, the elder son of Robert E. and Lenora Jones Hamlin, themselves natives and lifetime residents of Person County, North Carolina. While still in high school, he indicated his long-held interest in newspapers and after enrollment at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, began a three-year association with the Daily Tar Heel student newspaper, serving for various periods as reporter, news editor or columnist, prior to graduation in 1938 with the undergraduate degree of Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. Following this came a four-year period of progressive newspaper employment, culminating in his induction in July 1942 into military service as a volunteer officer candidate in the United States Air Force in World War II. He worked briefly on the weekly Person County Times in Roxboro, followed by stints as reporter and/or news editor for the Burlington Daily Times News and the Winston-Salem Journal. During his 50 months of active duty in the Air Force, he was assigned to the Air Force headquarters Office of Flying Safety and successor organizations, working with others designing means and methods to reduce the heavy toll of accidents to military aircraft during training and operations. Following his release in 1946 from active duty with the rank of Major, he was asked to work as a civilian employee of the organization for two years, doing similar work to that performed in uniform. He remained in the inactive Air Force Reserves until 1957 before final release. Upon leaving the federal government employment in 1948, he purchased controlling interest in the two county-seat newspapers serving the adjoining Orange and Alamance counties, assuming the dual roles of Editor and Publisher for both newspapers, The News of Orange County and The Alamance News. He sold the Alamance paper in 1954 but continued to publish and produce a large part of the local content of The News of Orange County until 1966, when he sold that newspaper and retired from the newspaper business. During his 18 years of residency in Hillsborough and Orange County, he was active in many phases of community life, including service in the North Carolina General Assembly, representing Orange County, 1963-64; Chairman, Orange County Board of Elections, six years; President, Hillsborough Merchants Association; President, Treasurer and Director, Hillsborough Lions Club, 12 years; Chairman, Board of Deacons, Hillsborough Presbyterian Church, member of board 10 years; member, Historic Hillsborough Commission (six year term appointed by Governor); Chairman, North Carolina Weeklies division of N.C. Press Association. He played active leadership roles in separate bicentennial celebrations of both Hillsborough and Orange County and actively supported the colonial restoration movement which culminated in the successful transformation of the town’s official name from Hillsboro to Hillsborough. In 1966, following sale of the newspaper, Hamlin was appointed Public Information Officer for the State Department of Social Services and Editor of its publication. Six months later he was promoted to the position of Director, Division of Administrative Services for the Department, serving in that capacity until January 1, 1974 when he became State Administrator for the Disability Determination Service, the state agency responsible for making disability decisions for Social Security under contract with the federal government. He retired from active employment in 1982 and the next year applied to and was admitted to the Law School of North Carolina Central University. In May 1986 he was awarded the law degree of Juris Doctor and subsequently was admitted to the practice of law by the North Carolina Bar at the age of 71. He practiced law in Raleigh for another three years with the firm of Johnson, Gamble, Hearn Vinegar, before again retiring in 1991. He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Doris B. Hamlin of the home; daughters Emily H. Mink of Mountain City, TN; Sarah D. Hamlin of Charlotte and Kimberly M. Carle of Greensboro; son, Robert C. Hamlin of Richmond, VA; 4 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. A celebration of Mr. Hamlin’s Life will be held at the Chapel of Mitchell Funeral Home, 7209 Glenwood Ave., on Saturday June 20, at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions may be made to The UNC Educational Foundation or the charity of donor’s choice. (In typical newspaperman fashion, Mr. Hamlin wrote this obituary.)