In Honor and Memory of Eugene N. Hanson, the Ohio Northern Claude W. Pettit College of Law will berenovating and reconfiguring a 2664 square foot space of the existing Law Library into a new ReadingRoom. The room will consist of:
- Reading room space (1846 square feet)
- 2 soft seating discussions rooms (368 and 297 square feet, respectively)
- 2 special-use alcoves (263 square feet each, respectively)
- And in memory of Eugene N. Hanson the Fellows Program:
- The program will provide annual, need-based scholarships to students who demonstrate financial
need and exemplify undergraduate academic
success.
The program has an approximate cost of $1 million dollars,
and all funds raised in excess of 
this amount will support
the Fellows Program. Professors Emeriti Al Baillis, Dan
Guy, and George Vaubel are the honorary co-chairs of
the fundraising campaign
A short biography...
Eugene N. Hanson led the Ohio Northern Pettit College of
Law as dean from 1958 to 1973.
Dean Hanson was born in Iola, Wis., he survived polio at
age 8 and went on to receive a bachelor's degree from
Luther College, a master's in mathematics and a doctor of
jurisprudence degree from the University of Wisconsin,
then a master's of law from the University of Michigan.
He joined the law faculty at Ohio Northern in 1947. It was
here he met his wife, Katie Lou.
Dean Hanson was a Fulbright professor in Iceland in 1961
and established the student exchange program that
continues today. From 1974 to 1976 he was a visiting
professor at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento,
Calif.
He served as a Hardin County court judge from 1982 to 1988. He was
a member of the St. Mark Lutheran Church, Ada, and a member of the
Kiwanis.
Dean Hanson and his wife were leaders in the Ada community and in
1990 received the Ada Distinguished Citizens Award.
View pictures of the Hanson Reading Room construction project here.
