Born to Eugene and Ellen Finley on August 3, 1923, Eddie Finley, Sr. learned early on the importance of education. As a young child, he decided that working at a job to use anything other than his brain was not for him. Mr. Finley graduated from Oak Lawn High School in Waxahachie, Texas in 1940 and was the class salutatorian. That fall, he began attending Paul Quinn College, where he majored in mathematics and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1944. During this time, he also married his wife, Mary Frances Hazzard.

Upon graduation from college, Mr. Finley joined the United States Army where he was stationed in London, England during World War II. During this time, he also attended Oxford University, where he enrolled in postgraduate coursework. When victory was finally proclaimed in World War II, Mr. Finley returned home where he began his teaching career. For one year, Mr. Finley taught mathematics in Italy ISD before coming to Waxahachie ISD where he taught for nineteen years. While teaching his students, Mr. Finley was also a student himself as he went back to school to obtain his Masters of Education degree from Texas A&M Commerce in 1972. His educational career did not end in the classroom as he later went on to serve as a high school and middle school principal for Waxahachie ISD for sixteen years.

On a personal level, Mr. Finley was an avid family man. If he was not in his office, he could be found spending time with his wife, Mary, and their five children: Raymond, Eddie Jr., Edith, Minyon, and Deborah. Mr. Finley was also an entrepreneur. He owned Finley’s Professional Services for a number of years where he did accounting and bookkeeping work for a number of local businesses. His favorite saying was “Know where you are going, what it takes to get there, and when you expect to arrive.”

Eddie Finley, Sr. will forever be remembered as a man who believed in the education of all children. His commitment and dedication to the educational profession helped to pave the way for excellence for thousands of Waxahachie school children. Waxahachie ISD is forever grateful.