You never know what history will be revealed on a daily basis. In mid-July of this year, a few town of Wytheville employees received a letter from Mr. Abraham Jones who sent an inquiry about an African-American man named William Francis Crockett. Per what Mr. Jones discovered, William was the first African-American male to be an attorney and judge of Wailuku, Hawaii. Born in Wytheville, Virginia on July 12, 1860, William attended public schools in town, then continued his education at the Centenary Biblical Institute of Baltimore, Maryland, obtained an LLB degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 1888, and received an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from Morgan College in 1929. He achieved all of this during a distinctly tumultuous time in American history. In 1901, William moved to Wailuku, Hawaii.
William’s career extended from occupations in law and government to business and local affairs. Some of his well-known positions include being a member of the Board of Registration of Wailuku, Deputy County Attorney of Maui County, a judge for Wailuku, and a member of the Territorial House of Representatives. He was known for his fairness, conscientiousness, and modesty. According to an acquaintance as reported in the Supreme Court of the Territory of Hawaii, June 10, 1941 to July 5, 1944, William “was a splendid example of the country lawyer at his best – the type of attorney who was both friend and counselor, who regarded his profession as a sacred trust above the plane of pecuniary considerations – a man of simple life, true charity, and deep religious convictions.”
William married Annie V. Ryder Crockett (1866-1960) and had a daughter and a son, Wendell Francis Crockett (1891-1977), who followed in his father’s footsteps practicing law for many years. William passed away on March 21, 1943. The death announcement, presented by C. Nils Tavares, captures how much he was appreciated and admired:
“Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved by the bar of this Territory that by his passing we have lost an honored and distinguished member and the community a sincere and public-spirited citizen who was ever willing to lend his aid for the benefit of his community and to the poor and the needy;
And Be It Further Resolved that this resolution be spread upon the records of this court and that a copy hereof be forwarded to the family of this deceased member in token of our respect and esteem.”
William F. Crockett was truly an amazing man who proved you can achieve what you set out to do while upholding important values and offering to be the best you can be.
*The U.S. claimed Hawaii as a territory in 1900, and welcomed it into the Union as the 50th state on August 21, 1959.
*Sources available upon request