Walter Hurley Sr.

Walter "Doc" Hurley Sr. was born in 1923 in Albany, Georgia. He was the son of William Hurley and Willie Smith. He was raised in Hartford, Connecticut. Hurley was a four-sport star who graduated from Weaver High School in 1941 and won state championships in football, basketball, and track. He graduated from Virginia State University and received his Masters Degree from Springfield College. During World War II, while in college, Hurley enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He returned to Hartford in 1959 to teach Physical Education at Barnard-Brown Elementary School and Northeast Jones School. In 1968, following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he began working at Weaver High School until he retired in 1984 as Assistant Principal. In 1975, Hurley co-founded the Doc Hurley Foundation, which helped young people with their education and sports careers. For over thirty years, Hurley was extensively involved in community programs that benefited the youth of Hartford. This includes the Doc Hurley Scholarship Classic, an annual basketball tournament that raises thousands of dollars. He died on 9 February 2014.

Sources:

LibGuides: Hartford Changemakers: Hurley, Walter “Doc” (1923-2014). (n.d.). https://hplct.libguides.com/changemakers/hurley

Obituary information for Walter “Doc” Hurley, Sr. (n.d.). https://www.carmonfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Walter-Doc-Hurley-Sr?obId=20503900