Hanington, Charles H., 1867-

Charles H. Hanington was a 25-year member of the Board of Trustees of the Colorado Museum of Natural History, the original name of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. During his tenure as Board President, 1930 to 1948, he guided the Museum through the construction of Phipps Auditorium (now the IMAX theater), several major renovations, and modernization of museum practices. Charles Harrington Hanington was born in 1867 in Albion, New York. When he was three, his family moved to Central City, Colorado, where his father, a New York City banker, had been sent to close out business for the bankrupt Consolidated Gregory Mining Company, a victim of the financial panic of 1869. Twelve years later the family moved to Denver. After graduating from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1891, Hanington returned to Colorado to work in mining and smelting in several major mining districts. He operated large mines in Creede, Leadville, and Redcliffe. In 1897 he traveled to New York City to marry Marie Louise Seibt. They had one son, Theodore, born in 1901. In 1913 Hanington retired from mining and moved to Denver. In 1916 he opened Mountain Motors Company, an automobile dealership he ran for 15 years. In 1928 he became a member of the Denver Board of Education and was its president for the year 1935, after which he resigned from the Board to have more time for his favorite institution, the Colorado Museum of Natural History. In 1923 Charles Hanington joined the Museum's Board of Trustees. In 1930 he was elected Board President and served in this capacity until his death in 1948. Much changed at the Museum under his watch. Phipps Auditorium, a major addition to the Museum, was built in 1939 and dedicated on January 11, 1940. It was a popular venue and helped the Museum increase the number of presentations and outreach programs. Numerous other local societies and organizations also used its amenities. The Mead Hall and Standley Hall were completely renovated and new wildlife displays, now world-famous, were installed. Hanington spent much time at the Museum and took personal interest in the work and lives of members of the staff. He delighted in handling daily operations when filling in when the Museum Director, Alfred Bailey, was traveling. Hanington also was a good fundraiser, and he helped arrange the change in name in 1948 to the Denver Museum of Natural History to reflect the museum's status as a city institution rather than a state one.

From the description of Board of Trustees correspondence 1928-1948. (Denver Museum of Nature & Science). WorldCat record id: 68965206

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