H. Clay Hansen

H. Clay Hansen was born and raised on a farm in North Arkansas near Ash Flat. He graduated from the University of Arkansas College of Agriculture in 1937. Mr. Hansen’s work experience has been varied, but almost always associated in some way with the field of agriculture. For six years he was district manager for the Farmers Home Administration. He spent two years as general manager for the Arkansas Central Cooperative, a statewide purchasing and marketing association. He was employed by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation for six years as an agri-business loans examiner and member of the Loan Approval Committee. Mr. Hansen was with the Olin Corporation of Little Rock for 24 years, serving as area sales manager in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Louisiana. After retiring from Olin in 1977, Mr. Hansen became executive director of the Arkansas Agricultural Pesticide Association. When Mr. Hansen retired from the AAPA, the organization honored him by creating a full-time scholarship in his name at the University of Arkansas. He can be said to have served Arkansas agriculture almost continuously for more than 50 years, with the exception of his military and foreign service during World War II. He was very active in vocational agriculture and FFA work, and has been credited with the idea for the Vo-Ag Workshop, a summer training program for vo-ag teachers. Mr. Hansen was also active in Arkansas Farm Bureau, serving on the Pulaski County board of directors for 21 years. He was president of the Farm & Ranch club of Arkansas and served on its board for many years.