Analyzing and ultimately placing in context Paul Hanna's vast contributions, this book provides a richly textured narrative of his life and his major role in twentieth-century American education and the development of modern American education.

Paul Robert Hanna had an immense, lasting impact on education in both the United States and abroad. Over a career of more than fifty years, his diverse contributions included a curriculum design that became the standard for elementary school social studies instruction, new formulations of the community school concept for international development education, the production of dozens of textbooks, and the creation of an important resource for research in the instrumental uses of education.

Yet, despite his long career and major contributions to education, there has been no comprehensive biography of Hanna available—until now. At last analyzing and placing in context Hanna's vast contributions, Paul Robert Hanna: A Life of Expanding Communities illuminates the life of a man who played a major role in the history of education in the twentieth century.

From the beginnings of his career in the rural Midwest to its peak as a leading figure in education, these chapters reveal the personal "expanding communities" of influence Hanna achieved throughout his life, including his work at Teacher's College of Columbia and Stanford University, his establishment of the Stanford International Development Education Center, the development of the analysis of the relationship between schools and modern social, political, and economic institutions, his role in founding and leading professional organizations for educators, his consulting work in East Asia, Africa, Europe, and Central and South America, and much more.

Introduction
Social studies education plays a crucial role in preparing American children to take on the duties of citizenship. In a liberal democracy, however, tensions exist between the needs of individuals and those of the greater society. These tensions are evident in public education every time a teacher encounters difficulty interesting students in the prescribed curriculum. Paul Robert Hanna struggled throughout his career with these often conflicting needs as he sought an appropriate balance for the foundation of social education in the schools. The models he developed went far beyond the traditional approaches to the social studies. ...

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Paperback: 348 pages
Author: Jared R. Stallones
Publisher: Hoover Institution Press (June 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0817928324
ISBN-13: 978-0817928322

Conclusions

Paul Hanna embodied a unique blend of scholar and promoter.His scholarship provided the basis for the formulation of curriculum designs, concepts, and materials to help children and youth better understand their social, political, and economic environments.

He employed his promotional abilities to spread his ideas and products around the world and to cause his design for the elementary social studies curriculum to become predominant (LeRiche 1987, 139). Hanna’s affinity for the life of the scholar began early in his parents’ home. Surrounded by books and learned visitors, he grew to love learning and ideas (Hanna 1982a, 11).

This affinity only deepened as he studied philosophy at Hamline University and education at Teachers College. The promotional side of his personality developed as he persuaded classmates to initiate a debate team and a school yearbook, as he sold books door-to-door, and as he traveled with President Kerfoot to recruit students and donors for Hamline University. Without either quality, scholarship or promotional ability, Hanna would not have achieved the prominence he did as an educational leader. ...

Paul Robert Hanna (1902 – 1988)

Paul R. Hanna was a Professor of Education, author of books and journals, in the educational field, and leader in elementary education. He also held titles such as an honorary Doctor of Pedagogy, husband, father, grandfather throughout his lifespan.

Paul Robert Hanna was born in Sioux City, Iowa, on June 21, 1902, to George Archibald and Regula Figi Hanna. Hanna spent most of his youth in Minnesota. He graduated high school in 1920 and married Jean Shuman in 1926. Paul and Jean Hanna had two sons and a daughter, John (born 1930), Emily (born 1932), and Robert (born 1934)and lived in the Hanna-Honeycomb House. The Hanna’s were also blessed with eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Throughout his school and college years, Hanna belonged to many organizations such as the Kappa Delta Rho, Student Council, and the Extemporaneous Team. He attended college from 1924 to 1929 to earn his Ph.D. degree which led him to become a teacher in Washington State University and in 1935 became an associate professor at Stanford University (Nelson).

He had studied and taught elementary education, social studies, and he had improved the education of spelling as well as had his say in the international development of education. Additionally he consulted public schools and revised their curriculum. Paul R. Hanna had also a strong community relationship with his students and kept in contact with them long after they had graduated.

As an associate professor Hanna taught and developed a wide variety of courses. He advised on doctorial dissertations, founded the Stanford International Development Education Center (SIDEC), served on the Board of Trustees of Castilleja from 1957–1981, and worked as a senior researcher in the Hoover Institution in his last years to generate the Hanna Collection. Hanna wrote over eighty educational essays, sixteen books and several yearbooks before he died at age 85, on April 8, 1988.  (Wikipedia.org)

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