Walter E. Hanson
Professor Walter E. Hanson began his career as an Associate Professor for Civil Engineering Department in 1939. After earning graduate degree from Kansas State he was a noted civil educator and an author. He received two consecutive awards for effective teaching when he was an associate professor. He has co-written a textbook “Foundation Engineering”, which is still used widely. In 1951 he became a chief engineer of bridge and traffic structures for the state of Illinois. He was recognized as a leading expert in foundation design and attracted many professionals to the field. In October 1954, Walter founded his own consulting engineering firm “W.E. Hanson and Associates”, which designed 56 bridges for the Kansas Turnpike in its first six months. Throughout his career, Mr. Hanson received several awards among them were the American Society of Engineers’ Honorary Member Award, Structural Engineering Association of Illinois’ John Parmer Award, and the University of Illinois’ College of Engineering Honor Award for Distinguished Service. In his later years Mr. Hanson devoted himself to strengthening civil engineering education; his firm established a chair in his name in 1997 at the University of Illinois in Department Of Civil Engineering. The Walter E. Hanson Graduate Study Award was established in his name and given to a student in civil or environmental engineering. Mr. Hanson died on April 4th, 2010, even after his death his legacy is carried forward in form of Hanson Professional Services Inc. as it has helped create opportunities for countless engineers.