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Terre Haute business and community leader David Hannum has been
appointed to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s Board of Trustees,
strengthening a relationship which features a rich family tradition that
continues today – into a fourth generation -- with his own children. He
will participate in his first board meeting this fall.
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David Hannum |
Hannum, a 1981 mechanical engineering alumnus, is chairman and chief
executive officer of Garmong Construction Services and Hannum, Wagle &
Cline Engineering. Garmong Construction is a family-owned business that
has evolved into one of Indiana’s premier contracting firms, while
Hannum, Wagle & Cline (HWC) is a full-service consulting design and
engineering firm with offices in Terre Haute, Indianapolis, Lafayette
and Scottsburg. HWC was founded with Ralph Wagle, a 1983 Rose-Hulman
graduate.
“David’s outstanding leadership abilities will help Rose-Hulman as we
strive to become an even greater higher education institution for
undergraduate engineering, science and math education,” stated Rose-Hulman
President Matt Branam. “David has a deep appreciation for Rose-Hulman
and the Institute’s traditions. Rose-Hulman is looking forward to having
his many contributions in the future.”
After graduating from Rose-Hulman, Hannum spent almost 10 years on the
gulf coast with Schlumberger, the world’s largest underground
exploration company, and studied petroleum engineering at the University
of Texas. He served as one of Schlumberger’s corporate recruiters,
returning to campus frequently to help hire several more Rose-Hulman
graduates.
Hannum and his wife Katherine, a mechanical engineer, and their five
children have lived in Terre Haute since 1990.
The Garmong family has a proud Rose-Hulman legacy that began when
company founder, Claude H. Garmong, sent his only son, Karl R. Garmong
to Rose Polytechnic Institute. Karl became the college’s first
architectural engineering graduate (1931) and used his college training
to help the business prosper through designing and building commercial
projects, and patenting the original wood casement window. Garmong’s
son-in-law, Kenneth Hannum (a 1956 graduate), joined the firm as an
industrial engineer and changed the company’s focus to commercial and
manufacturing projects. In 1989, Kenneth’s son, David, joined the firm
to continue the evolution of Garmong Construction Services.
Also holding Rose-Hulman degrees are David’s uncles Arnold Hannum (1949)
and Carl Garmong (1962), and relatives Harry Garmong (1936) and Ned
Hannum (1962). Keeping with tradition, David and Katherine’s daughter,
Rachael (2007), is currently a Beckman Coulter engineer, and son Eric,
is a junior mechanical engineering student at Rose-Hulman.
“David’s strong family ties to Rose-Hulman will be important as he helps
us chart a course toward future greatness,” Branam said.
Under Hannum’s leadership, the company has added full-service
engineering and architectural design (HWC), design/build capacity of
large industrial projects, and financing and development capabilities
for commercial/industrial projects. Garmong Construction Services and
HWC have maintained the original emphasis of “quality first” and have
earned statewide engineering innovation excellence awards. Hannum has
also been named Entrepreneur of the Year by Indiana University’s Kelley
School of Business, and Garmong and HWC have both been named to
Indiana’s Fastest Growing Businesses list by Indiana Business Magazine.
“Claude (Garmong) thought it was a great measure of success to send his
son to earn a Rose-Hulman degree, and that feeling of pride continues
today within the family,” David says. “Rose-Hulman is a gold mine of
young talent. The college continues to educate tomorrow’s engineering
leaders.”
The Garmong/Hannum family of businesses is the top Wabash Valley
employer of Rose-Hulman alumni. Five of the company’s six partners are
Rose-Hulman alums including David (’81), Ralph Wagle (’83), Dick Weigel
(’86), Eric Smith (’93) and Cory Whitesell (’95). This pipeline of
quality engineers is part of the impetus behind Rose-Hulman scholarship
funds being established by both companies.
“It has been a mutually beneficial relationship,” says David, who
realizes the value of a Rose-Hulman education as a graduate, parent and,
now, trustee. “Rachael gained so much from her Rose-Hulman Ventures’
experience. It gave her the confidence to succeed, just like the
Rose-Hulman education did for my father, Kenneth, in 1956. As an
alumnus, I continue to be proud that Rose-Hulman is still paving the way
for success among its alumni.”
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