Hermine Zipperlen Hansen, 1859-1942

Mrs. Hermine Zipperlen Hansen, described by her friends "as a tireless worker for Akron's cultural and welfare development," in the Akron Beacon Journal, left her $60,000 estate to various clubs and institutions in Akron.

When Hansen died on Jan. 8, 1942, most of her estate was left to the Edwin Shaw sanitorium and to a trust fund designed to assist "worthy but needy students" at The University of Akron. The rest of it was divided up among other Akron area organizations with which she was affiliated.

Hansen was the daughter of Civil War surgeon Adolph Zipperlen and was the widow of Hans Hansen. She was the sister of Mary Schumacher, second wife of Ferdinand Schumacher, the so-called "cereal king" of Akron.

During her life, Hansen was the chairperson of committees for the Woman's City Club. In 1917, she served as president of the Woman's Council, a citywide federation of women's clubs from across the city. She remained active in the Woman's Council, even after it was renamed the Akron and Summit County Federation of Women's Clubs. One of the most important fund-raising efforts of the Federation was the sale of Christmas Seals, the revenues of which were used in the city for various health efforts. She handled the Federation sales in both 1923 and 1924. She was also given the responsibility of chairing the committee that organized the Ohio Federation of Women's Clubs convention in Akron. She was an early president of the College Club of Akron as well.

Earlier in her life, Hansen taught school in Cincinnati.

She and her husband resided at 41 North Portage Path in Akron.

Photo courtesy of the Beacon Journal.

--Janelle Baltputnis