Zenon Clayton Raymond Hansen (July 23, 1909''Florida Death Index, 1877-1998'' – October 19, 1990) was chairman and CEO of

Mack Trucks Mack Trucks, Inc., is an American truck manufacturing company and a former manufacturer of buses and trolley buses. Founded in 1900 as the Mack Brothers Company, it manufactured its first truck in 1905 and adopted its present name in 1922. Mack ...

, Inc. from 1965 to 1974. He was the fifth president of the company. Zenon C.R. Hansen was active in the

Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded ...

and he was an

Eagle Scout Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. The Eagle S ...

. Zenon C.R. Hansen was elected to the

Automotive Hall of Fame The Automotive Hall of Fame is an American museum. It was founded in 1939 and has over 800 worldwide honorees. It is part of the MotorCities National Heritage Area. the Automotive Hall of Fame includes persons who have contributed greatly to a ...

in 1983. Hansen died in 1990. The Zenon C.R. Hansen Foundation helped to start a leadership program at

Doane College Doane University is a private university in Crete, Nebraska. It has additional campuses in Lincoln and Omaha, as well as online programs. History Doane College was founded on July 11, 1872, by Thomas Doane, chief civil engineer for the Burling ...

Crete, Nebraska Crete is a city in Saline County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 7,099 at the 2020 census. History The railroad was extended to the area in 1870, bringing settlers. In 1871, two rival towns merged to form a new town, which was name ...

. The Hansen Leadership Program is designed to develop the leadership skills of

students, area high school students, and community residents.

Early years

Zenon Clayton Raymond Hansen was born July 23, 1909, in

Hibbing, Minnesota Hibbing is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 16,214 at the 2020 census. The city was built on mining the rich iron ore of the Mesabi Iron Range and still relies on that industrial activity today. At th ...

. His parents were Nelson Christian Martin Hansen, a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

tailor and son of Swedish immigrants, and Ivah Delle Raymond Hansen, a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

housewife of French and Irish descent. His parents divorced when Hansen was four.

Recollections

"I started at Mack Trucks in June 20 1969. I started at 5C plant on the heavy Line. My twin was just above me mounting bogies (rear axles). It got to the point they had to place me on the Lite Line because my twin brother worked up from me on the same line & the bosses were giving orders to the wrong man in their area.They had to put me on the MB utility work on the Lite Line. Mr. Hansen was the best CEO that I ever worked under. The reason I say this , he was a fair man to his employees & a kind gentleman to ALL HIS EMPLOYEES. He did a lot for all the people in the Lehigh Valley & Allentown Pa.I put 32 years at Mack Trucks, from 1969-1974 were the best years of my life , thanks to Mr. Hansen. A Proud Mack Man" - Clinton L. Trumbauer

Later life

Zenon died of cancer on October 19, 1990, at the age of 81. His obituary was featured in the ''New York Times'' and other papers across the country.

In popular culture

Hansen was featured in the 2014 biography ''Legacy of Leadership: Zenon C.R. Hansen-The Untold Story of a Dedicated Boy Scout's Rise to Captain of Industry'' by Steve J. Myers.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hansen 1990 deaths American chief executives of manufacturing companies 1909 births 20th-century American businesspeople