HAROLD “HANK” W. HANNAH: SCHOLAR-LAWYER-GENTLEMEN

            It is with deep sadness that the American Veterinary Medical Law Association announces that its first President, and Distinguished Life Member, Harold “Hank” W. Hannah (Texico, Illinois) passed away on November 20, 2001. Hank was the first, and to date, the only member of the Association to have been designated a Distinguished Life Member.

            Hank was born January 16, 1911 in Monticello, Illinois. He was the son of a central Illinois tenant farmer. He was educated at country grade schools, at Monticello Community High School, and at the University of Illinois Colleges of Agriculture and Law.

            Hank held several positions at the University of Illinois, including Assistant to the Dean, Associate Dean and Professor of Agriculture and Veterinary Law.

            World War II interrupted Hank’s service at the University of Illinois. During the war, Hank was a paratrooper, rising to the rank of Lt. Colonel in Normandy in 1944. He was wounded in Holland in 1944 during operation Market Garden. In 1945 Hank was retired from the Army for disability. Upon returning to the University of Illinois Hank was placed in charge of the university’s Veterans’ program.

            Hank’s foreign assignments were many, chief among them was his role in helping establish an agriculture university in India between 1955 and 1957. He followed that with two on-site researched books on universities in developing countries. He also served on a commission on post secondary and higher education in Nigeria. Among Hank’s many accomplishments, was directing a project in Michigan for a legislative committee on the reorganization of the state government.

            Hank’s publications include several books on agricultural and veterinary law, as well as university bulletins and numerous articles in professional journals. His last law review article was Animals as Property–Changing Concepts that appears in Vol. 25 Southern Illinois University Law Journal 571 (Spring 2001). Among Hank’s books were Academic Interlude, Military Interlude and Mules in the Law.

            For more than thirty years Hank authored the Legal Briefs column for the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. He dictated his last Brief the day before his passing. The A.V.M.A. still has three or four of his articles for publication.

            After Hank’s retirement from the University of Illinois he continued to teach agricultural and veterinary law for many years, at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

            Hank loved the law and particularly veterinary law. He came to the founding meeting of the AVMLA in Minneapolis in July 1993 and was elected the Association’s first president in 1994. Hank was very helpful in the formation and guidance of the AVMLA For his service and guidance the Board of Directors awarded him a Distinguished Life Membership in July, 2001.

            Commencing with the July 2002 AVMLA program in Nashville, Tennessee, a Harold “Hank” W. Hannah Memorial Lecture will be given in recognition and appreciation for Hank’s remarkable life, achievements and his service to the American Veterinary Medical Law Association.

            Hank loved life. He continued with his hobbies of woodworking and farming until his death. Hank was a giant among the profession and will be sadly missed.