Hawthorne Battle was born in Petersburg, Virginia, on December 15, 1901, the son of Henry Wilson Battle, D.D., a minister of the Baptist Church, and his wife, Margaret Stewart Battle. In 1906, the family moved to Greensboro, North Carolina, and in 1910 to Charlottesville, Virginia. Henry Wilson Battle's father was a lawyer in Alabama and served as a Confederate General during the Civil War.
Battle had three brothers: John Stewart Battle, born in 1890; Henry Wilson Battle, II, born in 1892; and James M. Battle, born in 1900. John was a lawyer in Charlottesville and later served as Governor of Virginia from 1950 to 1954. Henry was a chemist in Louisville, Kentucky. James was an insurance executive in Seattle, Washington.
Battle also had two sisters: Florence, born in 1894, and Emily, born in 1896. "Florrie" was superintendent of primary education for the State of Connecticut and an author of children's books. Emily was married to J. Edwin Wood, II, M.D., a cardiologist on the medical faculty at the University of Virginia.
Honey Battle received his law degree from the University of Virginia in 1924, where he was a member of the Board of Editors of the Virginia Law Review and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Order of the Coif. Battle said he was recruited to the Charleston firm by Robert S. Spilman in 1924. As was the case with most of the young lawyers with the firm at the time, he received experience in all areas of the firm's practice, including real property, commercial law, taxation, trials, and appeals. He became a partner in the firm July 1, 1931, along with John J.D. Preston and Frederick L. Thomas.
He married Martha Julia Thomas of Charleston in 1929. They had four children: Hawthorne Dill Battle, Jr., who died in 1947; George Thomas Battle, a partner in the firm; Henry W. Battle III, and Martha Battle Stathers. His grandson, Hawthorne Dill Battle III, is a partner of the firm.
Honey Battle's stint with the law firm was interrupted in 1942 when he enlisted with the U.S. Navy, even though he already was 41 years old. He served as a lieutenant until his discharge in 1945. He served as the firm's "Office Manager" for five years before taking his military leave. After his return, he and State Senator J. Hornor Davis combined their talents in 1946 to draft and secure enactment of legislation permitting joint city-county health departments; they persuaded the City of Charleston and Kanawha County to organize the combined Kanawha-Charleston Health Department. Battle subsequently served as the first president of the combined Health Department.
Battle took another leave from the firm in the 1950s. He had acted as counsel for the Charleston interests of the Tierney family of Bluefield. Lewis Tierney moved to Charleston and organized WCHS-TV, Inc. Upon Tierney's death, Battle was asked to take over as president of the television station. He spent several years as the chief executive of the television station, the radio station, and its affiliates. When he negotiated a favorable sale of the station in 1960, he returned to the law firm.
Hawthorne Dill "Honey" Battle died on December 11, 1984.
(Source: Elizabeth Jill Wilson, Spilman Thomas & Battle's History of Service: The First 150; 2014)
Battle had three brothers: John Stewart Battle, born in 1890; Henry Wilson Battle, II, born in 1892; and James M. Battle, born in 1900. John was a lawyer in Charlottesville and later served as Governor of Virginia from 1950 to 1954. Henry was a chemist in Louisville, Kentucky. James was an insurance executive in Seattle, Washington.
Battle also had two sisters: Florence, born in 1894, and Emily, born in 1896. "Florrie" was superintendent of primary education for the State of Connecticut and an author of children's books. Emily was married to J. Edwin Wood, II, M.D., a cardiologist on the medical faculty at the University of Virginia.
Honey Battle received his law degree from the University of Virginia in 1924, where he was a member of the Board of Editors of the Virginia Law Review and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Order of the Coif. Battle said he was recruited to the Charleston firm by Robert S. Spilman in 1924. As was the case with most of the young lawyers with the firm at the time, he received experience in all areas of the firm's practice, including real property, commercial law, taxation, trials, and appeals. He became a partner in the firm July 1, 1931, along with John J.D. Preston and Frederick L. Thomas.
He married Martha Julia Thomas of Charleston in 1929. They had four children: Hawthorne Dill Battle, Jr., who died in 1947; George Thomas Battle, a partner in the firm; Henry W. Battle III, and Martha Battle Stathers. His grandson, Hawthorne Dill Battle III, is a partner of the firm.
Honey Battle's stint with the law firm was interrupted in 1942 when he enlisted with the U.S. Navy, even though he already was 41 years old. He served as a lieutenant until his discharge in 1945. He served as the firm's "Office Manager" for five years before taking his military leave. After his return, he and State Senator J. Hornor Davis combined their talents in 1946 to draft and secure enactment of legislation permitting joint city-county health departments; they persuaded the City of Charleston and Kanawha County to organize the combined Kanawha-Charleston Health Department. Battle subsequently served as the first president of the combined Health Department.
Battle took another leave from the firm in the 1950s. He had acted as counsel for the Charleston interests of the Tierney family of Bluefield. Lewis Tierney moved to Charleston and organized WCHS-TV, Inc. Upon Tierney's death, Battle was asked to take over as president of the television station. He spent several years as the chief executive of the television station, the radio station, and its affiliates. When he negotiated a favorable sale of the station in 1960, he returned to the law firm.
Hawthorne Dill "Honey" Battle died on December 11, 1984.
(Source: Elizabeth Jill Wilson, Spilman Thomas & Battle's History of Service: The First 150; 2014)
Hawthorne Battle was born in Petersburg, Virginia, on December 15, 1901, the son of Henry Wilson Battle, D.D., a minister of the Baptist Church, and his wife, Margaret Stewart Battle. In 1906, the family moved to Greensboro, North Carolina, and in 1910 to Charlottesville, Virginia. Henry Wilson Battle's father was a lawyer in Alabama and served as a Confederate General during the Civil War.
Battle had three brothers: John Stewart Battle, born in 1890; Henry Wilson Battle, II, born in 1892; and James M. Battle, born in 1900. John was a lawyer in Charlottesville and later served as Governor of Virginia from 1950 to 1954. Henry was a chemist in Louisville, Kentucky. James was an insurance executive in Seattle, Washington.
Battle also had two sisters: Florence, born in 1894, and Emily, born in 1896. "Florrie" was superintendent of primary education for the State of Connecticut and an author of children's books. Emily was married to J. Edwin Wood, II, M.D., a cardiologist on the medical faculty at the University of Virginia.
Honey Battle received his law degree from the University of Virginia in 1924, where he was a member of the Board of Editors of the Virginia Law Review and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Order of the Coif. Battle said he was recruited to the Charleston firm by Robert S. Spilman in 1924. As was the case with most of the young lawyers with the firm at the time, he received experience in all areas of the firm's practice, including real property, commercial law, taxation, trials, and appeals. He became a partner in the firm July 1, 1931, along with John J.D. Preston and Frederick L. Thomas.
He married Martha Julia Thomas of Charleston in 1929. They had four children: Hawthorne Dill Battle, Jr., who died in 1947; George Thomas Battle, a partner in the firm; Henry W. Battle III, and Martha Battle Stathers. His grandson, Hawthorne Dill Battle III, is a partner of the firm.
Honey Battle's stint with the law firm was interrupted in 1942 when he enlisted with the U.S. Navy, even though he already was 41 years old. He served as a lieutenant until his discharge in 1945. He served as the firm's "Office Manager" for five years before taking his military leave. After his return, he and State Senator J. Hornor Davis combined their talents in 1946 to draft and secure enactment of legislation permitting joint city-county health departments; they persuaded the City of Charleston and Kanawha County to organize the combined Kanawha-Charleston Health Department. Battle subsequently served as the first president of the combined Health Department.
Battle took another leave from the firm in the 1950s. He had acted as counsel for the Charleston interests of the Tierney family of Bluefield. Lewis Tierney moved to Charleston and organized WCHS-TV, Inc. Upon Tierney's death, Battle was asked to take over as president of the television station. He spent several years as the chief executive of the television station, the radio station, and its affiliates. When he negotiated a favorable sale of the station in 1960, he returned to the law firm.
Hawthorne Dill "Honey" Battle died on December 11, 1984.
(Source: Elizabeth Jill Wilson, Spilman Thomas & Battle's History of Service: The First 150; 2014)
Battle had three brothers: John Stewart Battle, born in 1890; Henry Wilson Battle, II, born in 1892; and James M. Battle, born in 1900. John was a lawyer in Charlottesville and later served as Governor of Virginia from 1950 to 1954. Henry was a chemist in Louisville, Kentucky. James was an insurance executive in Seattle, Washington.
Battle also had two sisters: Florence, born in 1894, and Emily, born in 1896. "Florrie" was superintendent of primary education for the State of Connecticut and an author of children's books. Emily was married to J. Edwin Wood, II, M.D., a cardiologist on the medical faculty at the University of Virginia.
Honey Battle received his law degree from the University of Virginia in 1924, where he was a member of the Board of Editors of the Virginia Law Review and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Order of the Coif. Battle said he was recruited to the Charleston firm by Robert S. Spilman in 1924. As was the case with most of the young lawyers with the firm at the time, he received experience in all areas of the firm's practice, including real property, commercial law, taxation, trials, and appeals. He became a partner in the firm July 1, 1931, along with John J.D. Preston and Frederick L. Thomas.
He married Martha Julia Thomas of Charleston in 1929. They had four children: Hawthorne Dill Battle, Jr., who died in 1947; George Thomas Battle, a partner in the firm; Henry W. Battle III, and Martha Battle Stathers. His grandson, Hawthorne Dill Battle III, is a partner of the firm.
Honey Battle's stint with the law firm was interrupted in 1942 when he enlisted with the U.S. Navy, even though he already was 41 years old. He served as a lieutenant until his discharge in 1945. He served as the firm's "Office Manager" for five years before taking his military leave. After his return, he and State Senator J. Hornor Davis combined their talents in 1946 to draft and secure enactment of legislation permitting joint city-county health departments; they persuaded the City of Charleston and Kanawha County to organize the combined Kanawha-Charleston Health Department. Battle subsequently served as the first president of the combined Health Department.
Battle took another leave from the firm in the 1950s. He had acted as counsel for the Charleston interests of the Tierney family of Bluefield. Lewis Tierney moved to Charleston and organized WCHS-TV, Inc. Upon Tierney's death, Battle was asked to take over as president of the television station. He spent several years as the chief executive of the television station, the radio station, and its affiliates. When he negotiated a favorable sale of the station in 1960, he returned to the law firm.
Hawthorne Dill "Honey" Battle died on December 11, 1984.
(Source: Elizabeth Jill Wilson, Spilman Thomas & Battle's History of Service: The First 150; 2014)
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