John William Hairston, Jr.
John William Hairston, Jr. was born on December 23, 1930, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to John William (Will) Hairston, Sr. and Lottie Spratt Hairston. He graduated from Atkins High School, Winston Salem, N.C. in 1948 and went on to attend St. Augustine College, Raleigh, N.C. where he majored in Chemistry. Upon graduation in 1952, he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry and was drafted in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict where he served in the Army Medical Corp. He was honorably discharged in 1955. John went on to pursue graduate studies at Howard University, Washington, D.C. where he earned a Master of Science Degree in Chemistry in 1957 and from 1962 - 1965 he was enrolled in Dental Program at Howard University. He entered the workforce as a Chemist with the Gillette Corporation in Rockville, MD where he did extensive research on teeth. He had an early retirement as a Chemist from the Gillette Corporation in 1981 after a debilitating car accident. Due to ongoing health problems, his life expired on January 21, 1988.
John William Hairston, Jr. loved his family, loved his community and strongly believed that the key to your success was a good education. If you were a youngster, John would always ask about your grades and give a lecture about how important it was to get a good education. John was so passionate about the community, family and education he teamed up with his cousin Squire Hairston and his Uncle Collie Hairston, who both shared the same values, to help set up the The National Hairston Clan, Inc. in Lexington, North Carolina, 1973. John and Marvin came up with the idea to have a Scholarship Program to help all students Hairstons’ and non-Hairstons’ based on financial need and academic excellence. He helped setup paperwork for the The National Hairston Clan, Inc. Scholarship Program guiding the organization to become a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization in 1974. The Board of Directors appointed Johns’ younger brother Marvin S. Hairston to be the first Scholarship Chairman of the National Hairston Clan, Inc. The National Hairston Clan, Inc. awarded the first group of scholarships in 1975 to nine students at $100 each.
Approximately 10 years after his death, the Board of Directors voted to name the Scholarship Program and Scholarship after John W. Hairston, Jr. at the 25th Anniversary Annual Meeting of the National Hairston Clan, Inc. in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The National Hairston Clan, Inc. had one of its greatest accomplishments awarding $1000 scholarships to each of the five students in the scholarship recipient “Class of 2009”. Thanks to the hard work of our members, kind donations from family, friends and the community, The National Hairston Clan, Inc. has awarded approximately 300 John W. Hairston, Jr. Scholarships to deserving students adding up to over $100,000. Supporting the goals of students across the Nation is a community partnership commitment for the National Hairston Clan, Inc.
We thank John W. Hairston, Jr. for the lives touched through his vision and core values, to give all an opportunity to receive an education with assistance through the National Hairston Clan, Inc. Scholarship Program.
