Olof Hanson
Encyclopedia
Olof Hanson was a Deaf
American architect
.
Olof Hanson was born in Fjälkinge
, in Skåne County
, Sweden
. His father was a well-to-do farmer, county official, and railroad director. In 1874 the family had made arrangements to go to America, where a farm had been purchased. But the father was taken sick and died, and the trip was postponed till the following year, when they came to the United States and settled near Willmar, Minnesota
. Olof Hanson lost his hearing two weeks after coming to this country.
Before becoming deaf he attended public schools in Sweden. In 1878 he entered the Minnesota School for the Deaf at Faribault
, and graduated in 1881. Then he entered Gallaudet College at Washington and graduated in 1886 at the head of the second largest class in the history of the college up to that time.
After graduating he entered the office of Hodgson & Son, architects, Minneapolis, and remained with this firm in their Minneapolis and Omaha
offices until 1889, when he made a trip to Europe for professional study. About ten months were spent abroad, during which he visited England
, Scotland
, France
, Italy
, Switzerland
, Germany
, Denmark
, Sweden
and Norway
. Returning in 1890 he secured a position with Wilson Bros. & Co., Philadelphia, who were then making plans for the new Pennsylvania School for the Deaf
at Mt. Airy
, and for nearly a year he was engaged on the plans for these extensive buildings.
In 1891 he returned to Minnesota and worked at his profession in Duluth
and Minneapolis. For about two years he taught in the school for the deaf at Faribault. But, being resolved to follow his chosen profession of architecture, he opened an office in Faribault, where he has been engaged in business on his own account for about three years. Among the buildings erected from his plans are: The North Dakota School for the Deaf
; a boys' dormitory building at the Kendall school, Washington, D. C.; one building for the State School for Feeble-minded at Faribault; residences for Dr. J. L. Noyes, Faribault, for Mr. J. C. Howard, Duluth, and half a dozen others in Faribault and elsewhere; also six brick stores and business blocks in Faribault and other places; and a hotel for the Orinoco company in Venezuela
. He engaged on a public school building for the city of Faribault, which was won in competition with about twenty architects.
Hanson's papers were donated to the University Archives of Gallaudet University. Some of his papers are also located at the Rice County Historical Society, Faribault, Minnesota
. There is also some other archival information on Hanson at the Northwest Architectural Archives, University of Minnesota
. The University of Washington
, Department of Special Collections, has material on Hanson related to his work in the UW Department of Buildings and Grounds.
Hanson served as President of the National Association of the Deaf
of the United States (NAD) from 1910 to 1913.
Marion F. (born c. 1901 in MN), Alice C. (born c. 1905 in WA) and Helen (born c. 1907 in WA).
Deaf culture
Deaf culture describes the social beliefs, behaviors, art, literary traditions, history, values and shared institutions of communities that are affected by deafness and which use sign languages as the main means of communication. When used as a cultural label, the word deaf is often written with a...
American architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
.
Background
Olof Hanson was born in Fjälkinge
Fjälkinge
Fjälkinge is a locality situated in Kristianstad Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 1,690 inhabitants in 2010....
, in Skåne County
Skåne County
Skåne County is the southernmost administrative county or län, of Sweden, basically corresponding to the historical province Scania. It borders the counties of Halland, Kronoberg and Blekinge. The seat of residence for the Skåne Governor is the town of Malmö...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. His father was a well-to-do farmer, county official, and railroad director. In 1874 the family had made arrangements to go to America, where a farm had been purchased. But the father was taken sick and died, and the trip was postponed till the following year, when they came to the United States and settled near Willmar, Minnesota
Willmar, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,351 people, 7,302 households, and 4,461 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,549.9 people per square mile . There were 7,789 housing units at an average density of 657.8 per square mile...
. Olof Hanson lost his hearing two weeks after coming to this country.
Before becoming deaf he attended public schools in Sweden. In 1878 he entered the Minnesota School for the Deaf at Faribault
Faribault, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,818 people, 7,472 households, and 4,946 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,644.8 people per square mile . There were 7,668 housing units at an average density of 605.8 per square mile...
, and graduated in 1881. Then he entered Gallaudet College at Washington and graduated in 1886 at the head of the second largest class in the history of the college up to that time.
Career
Omaha
Omaha may refer to:*Omaha , a Native American tribe that currently resides in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Nebraska-Places:United States* Omaha, Nebraska* Omaha, Arkansas* Omaha, Georgia* Omaha, Illinois* Omaha, Texas...
offices until 1889, when he made a trip to Europe for professional study. About ten months were spent abroad, during which he visited England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Returning in 1890 he secured a position with Wilson Bros. & Co., Philadelphia, who were then making plans for the new Pennsylvania School for the Deaf
Pennsylvania School for the Deaf
The Pennsylvania School for the Deaf is the third-oldest school of its kind in the United States. Its founder, David G. Seixas , was a Philadelphia crockery maker-dealer who became concerned with the plight of impoverished deaf children that he observed on the city's streets...
at Mt. Airy
Mount Airy, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mount Airy is a neighborhood of Northwest Philadelphia in the state of Pennsylvania.-Boundaries:Mount Airy is bounded on the northwest by the Cresheim Valley, which is part of Fairmount Park. Beyond this lies Chestnut Hill. On the west side is the Wissahickon Gorge, which is also part of Fairmount...
, and for nearly a year he was engaged on the plans for these extensive buildings.
In 1891 he returned to Minnesota and worked at his profession in Duluth
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
and Minneapolis. For about two years he taught in the school for the deaf at Faribault. But, being resolved to follow his chosen profession of architecture, he opened an office in Faribault, where he has been engaged in business on his own account for about three years. Among the buildings erected from his plans are: The North Dakota School for the Deaf
North Dakota School for the Deaf
The North Dakota School for the Deaf is a state-funded residential school located in Devils Lake, North Dakota that provides services to meet the educational needs of children who are deaf and hard of hearing. NDSD is under the direction, control, and management of the North Dakota Department of...
; a boys' dormitory building at the Kendall school, Washington, D. C.; one building for the State School for Feeble-minded at Faribault; residences for Dr. J. L. Noyes, Faribault, for Mr. J. C. Howard, Duluth, and half a dozen others in Faribault and elsewhere; also six brick stores and business blocks in Faribault and other places; and a hotel for the Orinoco company in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. He engaged on a public school building for the city of Faribault, which was won in competition with about twenty architects.
Hanson's papers were donated to the University Archives of Gallaudet University. Some of his papers are also located at the Rice County Historical Society, Faribault, Minnesota
Faribault, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,818 people, 7,472 households, and 4,946 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,644.8 people per square mile . There were 7,668 housing units at an average density of 605.8 per square mile...
. There is also some other archival information on Hanson at the Northwest Architectural Archives, University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. The University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, Department of Special Collections, has material on Hanson related to his work in the UW Department of Buildings and Grounds.
Hanson served as President of the National Association of the Deaf
National Association of the Deaf (United States)
The National Association of the Deaf was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1880 as a non-profit organization run by deaf people to advocate for deaf rights. The first president of the organization was Robert P. McGregor of Ohio. It includes associations from all 50 states and Washington, DC...
of the United States (NAD) from 1910 to 1913.
Personal life
Olof Hanson married Agatha Tiegel whom he had met at the Minnesota Institute for Defectives, where she was a deaf teacher. Agatha Tiegel was the first female graduate of Gallaudet University with a B.A. in 1893. Together they were the parents of three daughters:Marion F. (born c. 1901 in MN), Alice C. (born c. 1905 in WA) and Helen (born c. 1907 in WA).
Other sources
- Anderson, Dennis; Dietz, Duane; Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl Shaping Seattle Architecture (University of Washington Press. 1994)https://digital.lib.washington.edu/architect/publications/8685/
Biographical information
- Biographical information was quoted from the public domain book: Representative Deaf Persons of the United States of America (ed. by James E. Gallager, 1898, pp. 109–112)