Hawley was born on April 27, 1895, in Danbury. He was the only son of Mr. and Mrs. George M Hawley. He had a sister named Mayme, who was married to an Ivan Fairchild. Hawley spent most of his life in Danbury in the Great Plain district. He worked for several years as a clerk in Barnum pharmacy. About 1916, he left Danbury for Ansonia to work first in a pharmacy and then later as a timekeeper for the Coe Brass Company. On February 18, 1918, he enlisted into the army as a private.

Hawley spent the first part of his training at Camp Devens located near Ayers, Massachusetts, located around one hour from Boston. He was a part of the 23rd Company, 6th Battalion while he was there. It was also there he started his basic training, received his uniform, inoculations, vaccinations and ID number. After about 6 weeks, he was transferred to Camp Upton in Long Island, NY.

Camp Upton was the training camp for Company B of the 307th Infantry where he finished his training and was issued his rifle. While in camp, the division had a group picture taken right before being sent to fight in the war in France.

Hawley was first under fire in northern France in June of 1918 and continued to see battle on several occasions thereafter and his unit was one of the first AEF units to join the lines of battle in France. His division was marched from the northern front to the southern front during which time Hawley kept in constant contact with his family back home. He often wrote to his mother and sister to update them on what he was doing, what or whom he saw, and his experiences in the military. In turn, they would keep in contact with him and updating him as to what was happening on the home front, especially what was going on in Danbury.

During the latter part of 1918, Hawley contracted spinal meningitis and died shortly thereafter on October 7, 1918, at the age of twenty-three.