BS 1960 Mechanical Engineering

A native of Moline, IL, Tom Hanson graduated from The University of Iowa in 1960 in mechanical engineering. Following graduation, he worked for Union Carbide Corporation in Charleston, WV. Hanson’s career then led him to The Trane Company, La Crosse, WI, and another firm in Winston-Salem, NC. Three years later, Hanson moved to suburban Chicago, where he ran the regional sales office of York International. After years in the heating and cooling industry, he integrated his expertise in engineering, business, sales, and communications and started his own company in 1980, Fleming Hanson Sales. The Chicago-based company, from which Hanson retired in 2000, contracts with various heating and cooling manufacturers as exclusive regional sales representatives. Inspired by his own career experiences and deep commitment to his alma mater, Hanson and his wife, Nancy, endowed the Hanson Center for Technical Communication in the College of Engineering. Through this innovative center, today’s students have a comprehensive resource for developing excellent communication skills as part of the engineering education – skills Hanson felt were too often missing among engineers. He especially enjoys staying in touch with the student peer consultants and staff members so he can observe the progress this unique center is making. Hanson served as a member and chair of the College of Engineering Development Council and is currently a board member of The University of Iowa Foundation. In 2010, he received The University of Iowa Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award for Service.

Inducted: Saturday, June 12, 2010