Profiles in Giving: Student Aid

Jim and Joann Hanson
Moline, Illinois

When Jim Hanson's father, the late Clem Hanson, graduated in 1920 as valedictorian of his high school class in Riverside, Iowa, he received a scholarship to attend The University of Iowa.

That was a defining moment for the Hanson family, one that served to shape it for future generations.

The scholarship gave the blacksmith's son an opportunity he otherwise would not have had -- to earn a top-notch UI education -- and he met his wife, Sylvia (1927 B.A.), at the University to boot.

Clem Hanson graduated with a B.S.C. degree in 1925, and went on to develop a successful advertising career -- and a life devoted to giving back to the UI and his community of Moline, Illinois.

Now, Jim Hanson (1958 B.S.C.) and his wife, Joann (1956 B.A.), who live in Moline, are carrying on the Hanson family tradition of philanthropy and civic service. They created the James C. and Joann S. Hanson Scholarships at the UI, designed for excellent students who have volunteered in their communities.

"My parents were mentors," Jim explained. "Their example led all of us to understand that giving is a healthy thing to do. They taught us that you don't have to be the biggest giver, but you should make a significant contribution to society in whatever ways you're able.

"When it came to giving back to the UI, Joann and I understood that there's more need for scholarships than anything else. We're proud to have an influence on the University by helping to bring outstanding students to study there," he said, adding that the couple takes great joy in meeting the students who receive the scholarships they created. The UI Alumni Association named Jim a Distinguished Alumnus in 2003.

Jim has followed in his father's footsteps in other ways, too. Not only is he retired from the Moline advertising firm his father founded, but like Clem, he serves on the UI Foundation Board of Directors. And he and Joann, a retired educator, are very active as philanthropists and volunteers in civic organizations, keeping his parents' legacy of generosity and commitment alive in the Moline area.

Thanks to Jim and Joann Hanson, generations of enterprising young scholars will acquire the same life-changing gift that Clem Hanson received years ago -- a UI education.

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