Shirley Hanson was one of the three "Founding Mothers" of the Chestnut Hill Historical Society, along with Anne Spaeth and Nancy Hubby. She held a master's degree in urban planning and worked as a planning consultant. Hanson was instrumental in saving the Veterans of Foreign Wars building in Chestnut Hill, which led to the founding of the Chestnut Hill Historical Society the following year in 1967. She co-authored Preserving and Maintaining the Older Home. In 2007, she was presented with the Chestnut Hill Historical Society's first-ever Founder's Award.
Bibliography:
Contosta, David R. Suburb in the City: Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, 1850-1990 . Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State University Press, 1992. Page 247.
Chestnut Hill Historical Society. "Founding Member Shirley Hanson Honored." Chestnut Hill Historical Society Newsletter 23 (Winter 2008)
From the guide to the Shirley Hanson Collection, circa 1975-1995, (Chestnut Hill Historical Society)
