Stedman Shumway Hanks


Stedman Shumway Hanks was one of the early aviators in the United States. After leaving active military service, he became a prolific writer and a prominent airport engineer who advocated airport construction across the United States.

Biography

Hanks was born in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts on July 17, 1889 to Charles Stedman and Clarina Bartow Hanks. He was educated at Groton and Harvard, from which he left early to join the diplomatic service. His first post was serving as a secretary to Whitelaw Reid, United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom. After Reid's death in 1912, Hanks returned to Harvard to finish his studies, graduating with a Bachelor's degree later that year.
After graduation, he returned to work in the office of the State Department, where he worked for William Phillips, with whom he had served with in London. At the outbreak of World War I, he joined the Army Air Service.
In the late 1920s, concerned with the United States' inattention to building international airports, he toured Europe's airports and published his findings in 1929. In 1936, Hanks patented a flight strip, a new concept in auxiliary airfields, and helped gain government appropriation for their construction throughout the country. Through his publications and consulting work, Hanks became a prominent airport consultant during the industry's early days.

Personal life

Hanks married Margery Hancock on February 11, 1919 and had one son, Roger Stedman Hanks. Margery Hancock was the sister of Lewis Hancock Jr. That marriage ended in divorce. In 1952, he married Helen Chappell.
In 1890, Hank's father had brought Russian Wolf-Hounds to the United States. His seven were the first to come directly to the United States from Russia, originating from the kennels of Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich. After his father's death, Hanks remained active in Borzoi fanciers' activities and continued to fund maintenance of the kennel.
Hanks died at his home in Manhattan, New York on May 23, 1979.

Military history