Larry Hansen
The Oklahoma CareerTech Hall of Fame biography for Lawrence Oliver Hansen notes that he may have redefined the two simple words “community service”. Now, the Oklahoma Hall of Fame for City and Town Officials posthumously recognizes him for his outstanding contributions to community service, along with the educational and operational aspects of municipal government throughout Oklahoma.
Larry was born in Sheldon, IA, but come to Oklahoma in 1932 at the age of 12. He grew up in Oklahoma City. He moved to Stillwater in 1947 to work with the Veterans Agricultural Training Program. He retired in 1984 after a 35-year career as an administrator over Vo Tech and Manpower programs that lead to increased professionalism in many fields of municipal government service. He died on April 11 of this year at age 91.
In addition to serving 13 years on the Stillwater City Commission, including eight years as mayor from 1964-1970, he also served on many other city boards and as a member of numerous civic organizations. As mayor of Stillwater, he played a leading role in the development of the Kaw Reservoir as a source of energy and potable water for communities in northern Oklahoma.
Mayor Hansen was an original trustee of the Oklahoma Municipal Retirement Fund when it was created in 1966. He served on the OMRF board until 1970, and then again from 1986-1988.
As an assistant director for the Oklahoma Department of Vocational and Technical Education, he served for 15 years as the chairman or vice-chairman of the Oklahoma Commission for Training Municipal Clerks, Treasurers and Finance Offices. His commitment and dedication to the work of the commission and the municipal officials it serves went far beyond the requirements of a “job”. It is part of why it is said that he redefined the term “community service”.
He served on the board during the initial formation of the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority until it was determined that Stillwater would not purchase power from OMPA – at least at that time. Thereafter, he was appointed by Governor Henry Bellmon in 1987 to the board of directors for the Grand River Dam Authority, serving as chairman in 1991. In a special election in December 1991, he was elected State Representative for the one remaining year in the unexpired term of Larry Gish, another hall of fame inductee, who died earlier that year. He did not seek reelection due to health problems.