Index
Scholarships
The Doris M. And Ralph E. Hansmann Scholarship
The Doris M. and Ralph E. Hansmann Scholarship is awarded to students who are disabled or visually- or hearing-impaired. It was established by Betty and Malcolm Smith in 1991 in honor of Ralph E. Hansmann, Class of 1940 and a Life Trustee of the College, and his wife, Doris.
Coming to College Hill from nearby Utica, NY, Ralph E. Hansmann majored in history, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1940. During his time at Hamilton, he served as president of the Emerson Literary Society, and was manager and a prize-winning member of the College debate team. Ralph met his future wife, Doris Macdonald, at a regional debate conference. While Doris completed her formal education and nursing training at Columbia University, Ralph completed an M.B.A. at Harvard University.
After Harvard Business School, Ralph served as Lieutenant in the Navy until 1945, and then pursued a financial investments career on Wall Street. He served on the College’s Board of Trustees since 1969 and was instrumental in managing the endowment as chair of the Trustee Investment Committee. He was elected Life Trustee in 1988. In 1992, Ralph received an honorary L.L.D. degree and, in 2008, he received the Bell Ringer Award for exceptional service to his alma mater, its alumni and the community.
The Hansmanns' son Robert V. Hansmann graduated from Hamilton in 1972.
April 2016
Please note: The named scholarships profiled on these pages are awarded as part of the College’s need-based financial aid packages. These funds help ensure the Hamilton Promise of keeping education affordable through meeting a student’s full demonstrated financial need.
Materials published here were diligently researched and written by students who strived for historical accuracy.
