McCauley, Edward J. (Edward Johnson), 1926-2003.

Edward Johnson McCauley (1926-2003) was a photojournalist and life-long resident of Burlington, N.C. He spent more than 20 years on the staff of the "Burlington Daily Times-News," covering a wide variety of events in Burlington, across Alamance County, and in other parts of North Carolina. He was also a professional portrait photographer, photographic developer, and framer.

Edward Johnson McCauley was born in Burlington, N.C., in 1926. McCauley was a lifelong resident of Burlington, leaving only to join the United States Navy after graduating High School and to attend the University of North Carolina. As a young man, he was active in the Boy Scouts of America where he acquired an affinity for the outdoors, fishing, camping, hiking, and also picked up a hobby: photography. He graduated from Burlington High School in 1942 and joined the United States Navy in 1944 to serve in World War II. Because of his previous experience with photography, McCauley was chosen to attend the United States Navy Photography School in Pensacola, Fla.

It was during this time that he received formal training as a professional photographer. He served as an aerial photographer for the Navy during the war. He would later build on this education by attending Hugh Morton's Camera Clinics. After his service to the nation was complete and the war had ended, McCauley attended the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Communications in 1950. Starting in December of 1949, he began to take some photographs for his hometown newspaper, the Burlington Daily Times-News .

By January of 1950, he was hired as a full-time photographer, operator of the Fairchild Photo-Electric Engraving Machine (cutting edge equipment for the time that allowed newspapers to publish their own photographs the same day they were developed), and as a part-time Circulation Assistant. McCauley was employed as a photographer at the Burlington Daily Times-News for over 20 years, serving as Chief Photographer for much of that time. During the two decades that McCauley took pictures of Burlington and surrounding areas of Alamance County, McCauley captured with his camera some of the many changes and challenges that faced Burlington, North Carolina, and the United States during the 1950s-1970s. McCauley captured events in Burlington ranging from local news, sporting events, graduating classes, annual events (Christmas parade, Easter Egg Hunt, Fourth of July), organizations (Freemasons, Kiwanis Club, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, unions), churches, and local business. He married, raised two daughters, and was an active member in the Burlington community, especially as a member of the Masonic Lodge No. 721 and as member of First Presbyterian Church.

He retired from the Burlington Daily Times-News in 1974. He left the paper to pursue his work as a contract photographer, photographic developer, and framer, and to operate Ed McCauley Art Supply, a popular art supply store with his wife Aileen. McCauley died in 2003 at the age of 77 after fighting Parkinson's for several years.