The name Hanna has been vital for more than one generation in Alabama leadership, in Hanna Steel and in making a difference.
Pete Hanna of Vestavia Hills died at age 88 on May 25.
Pete was the son of the late General Walter “Crack” Hanna. When Pete Hanna was finishing high school, his father was appointed by Alabama Gov. Gordon Persons to take command and clean up Phenix City, which he placed under martial law following the assassination of then-Attorney General nominee Albert Patterson. General Hanna was shocked at the corruption in Phenix City and called it “a whole damn town of ill repute.”
The clean-up worked, and it had a lasting effect on all who knew the story, including young Pete Hanna.
On the Southside of Birmingham sits Ramsay High School, an old and traditional public school. Pete Hanna was an alumnus of Ramsay and a starter on the 1953 Ramsay state championship football team. He was a 1960 graduate of the University of Alabama’s College of Commerce and Business Administration.
He served 14 years in the Alabama Army National Guard and retired as Captain in the 20th Special Forces Group after he suffered a severe automobile accident.
He served many years as a member of the Samford University Board of Trustees.
Pete took out a modest loan and bought shares of stock in Hanna Steel from his father when he first went to work there. When his father retired in 1984, Pete borrowed $84 million and bought the company. The rest is history.
Pete worked for, owned and was a steward of Hanna Steel Corporation for over 60 years with the help of hundreds of loyal employees who passed through their gates.
Three of Pete's greatest legacies are the RISE Center at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, The Pete Hanna Center at Samford (affectionately referred to as "The Pete" by Samford folks) and Pete Hanna Football Stadium at Samford.
In an unusual testimonial, Pete Hanna quoted key Bible verses in his obituary, including the plan of salvation:
(A) All have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
(B) Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved (Acts 16:31).
(C) Confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, and thou shalt be saved (Romans 10:9).
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to The Big Oak Ranch, www.bigoak.org or The Greater Birmingham Humane Society, https://gbhs.org/
The family will receive friends on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon, with a celebration of Pete's life at noon in the Chapel at Southern Heritage Funeral Home in Pelham.
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler’s beat is the colorful and positive about Alabama -- her people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at [email protected].
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