George L. Hanna

George L. Hanna, age 84, Lafayette attorney, died at 1:05 pm on Friday, March 18, 2011. He resided with his wife in Lafayette, Indiana.
He was born in Centralia, Illinois, on February 3, 1927, to the late L. W. Hanna and Georgia Lewis Hanna. He graduated from Centralia Township High School in Centralia, Illinois. He graduated from Purdue University in 1949, and received his Doctor of Jurisprudence Degree from Indiana University in 1953. Mr. Hanna served in the Navy during World War II and the Korean War. He was married in 1951 to Mary A. Gilmor, who survives.
Mr. Hanna was admitted to the Indiana Bar in 1953; he was also admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court. He was a partner in the founding of the law firm of Hanna, Gerde & Russell and he served as “of counsel” in retirement. He served as Tippecanoe County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney from 1954 ? 1958, and was twice elected Prosecuting Attorney, serving from 1959 ? 1966. He was a Lecturer at Purdue University for twenty years, and is the author or co-author of five books concerned with the teaching of Business Law. Mr. Hanna was selected by three Tippecanoe County Judges to serve as a Special Prosecuting Attorney from 1975 ? 1978. He was one of the Prosecuting Attorneys in the first case in the State of Indiana in which voice identification was admitted into evidence at trial; it was the first case in the nation where computer identification of speech was introduced. In later years, Mr. Hanna served as an adjunct professor at Ivy Tech Community College. In addition to his law practice, Mr. Hanna was a speaker at the National School Board Convention in Dallas, Texas, and the National Meeting of the American Business Law Teachers Association in San Francisco, California.
Mr. Hanna served for many years as a member of the Board of Directors of YMCA Camp Tecumseh, and was its President from 1969 ? 1972. He served as a member of the United Way Budget Committee from 1986 ? 1989. He served on the Board of Directors of the Bach Choral Singers, and was its President for two years. He served on the Board of Directors of the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra, and was its President from 1992 ? 1994. He also served on the Advisory Board of the Lafayette Salvation Army, and was Chairman of the Advisory Board from 1996 ? 1998, and continued as an active member until his death.
Mr. Hanna was a member of the Board of Governors? of the Tippecanoe County Historical Association and served as its President from 2004 ? 2005. He also served on the Foundation Board of their organization. In 2009 he received the “Ball-Sholty” award for outstanding service to the Tippecanoe County Historical Association.
Mr. Hanna was also a member of the Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity; the Beta Gamma Sigma Honorary; the Tippecanoe County Bar Association, serving as its President from 1973 ? 1974; Indiana State Bar Association; and a past member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys; and Association of Trial Lawyers of America. He was a past member of St. Thomas Aquinas Church and the Lafayette Country Club. At the time of his death he was a member of St. Mary?s Cathedral, Lafayette Lions Club and the Parlor Club.
Mr. Hanna was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Lafayette Junior Chamber of Commerce in 1956, and he was made an Honorary Lieutenant Colonel with the Indiana State Police in 1978. He was named a Sagamore of the Wabash by Governor Bowen in 1979.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sons, Stephen Paul Hanna and Charles D. Hanna, both of Birmingham, Alabama, and one daughter, Susan Elizabeth Hanna, of West Point, Indiana, and three grandchildren, Daniel C. Hanna of Indianapolis, Ashley Hanna Estman of Spokane, WA, and George L. Hanna, II of San Diego, CA, Also surviving are 2 great grandchild, Henry Urban Estman of Spokane, and Andrew Christian Hanna of Elwood, IN and his brother, Robert L. Hanna, of Lafayette, Indiana.
Visitation will be from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm on Thursday, March 24, 2011 at Soller-Baker Lafayette Chapel 400 Twyckenham Blvd Lafayette, IN 47909 with a Mass of Christian Burial at 1:00 pm on Thursday, March 24, 2011 at St. Mary Cathedral 1207 Columbia St Lafayette, IN with Fr Dan Garland and Fr Philip Bowers officiating. Burial will follow at St. Mary Cemetery in Lafayette.
Those wishing may contribute in his memory to the American Cancer society, Salvation Army or the Lafayette Historical Society.
You may offer condolences at www.soller-baker.com