Inspired by the life-changing experiences they had at Emporia State, longtime supporters Leon and Judy Hannebaum set out to create opportunities for future Hornets to earn an outstanding education and create their own life-changing experiences. The Hannebaums have recently taken this philosophy to the next level by making a substantial gift for endowed student scholarships.
“Without my education at Emporia State, I wouldn’t have had the guts to venture out on my own,” successful entrepreneur, Leon Hannebaum said. “When you leave one company, start your own and you throw a shingle upside your basement door, that’s scary. Doing it worked out great for us.”
Leon and Judy Hannebaum dated from their senior year in high school until just before their senior year at Emporia State when they were married. A year later, Leon and Judy Hannebaum each obtained their bachelor degrees in 1969.
As Leon earned a Bachelor of Science in Business — Business Management degree, Judy received her Bachelor of Science in Education — Elementary Education degree.
The most important lesson Leon learned at Emporia State was to see the big picture, he said. He learned this by taking a variety of classes such as the one taught by the late Dr. William Preston that used the Wall Street Journal as a textbook. Diving into the details of real life business situations helped Leon think outside the box. The class had deep discussions on why some businesses were growing and why others weren’t, which Leon expressed to be very influential in his life.
After earning his degree, Leon Hannebaum served in the Vietnam War for 15 months before returning to the United States. He worked at a local grain company in Salina for eight years while serving in accounting, merchandising and grain elevator management roles. He then founded Hannebaum Grain Co., Inc. in 1979, where he still serves as CEO.
Leon had a chance to capitalize on his understanding of the big picture when he saw the need to change the way some grain was being moved. Because of changes in freight rate tariffs he took a risk and switched to semi-trucks instead of moving most grain from country points by rail. Being a trailblazer paid off for his business by being one of the first cross country grain companies to take advantage of buying grain and moving it by truck as more and more railroad lines were abandoned in grain production areas.
Leon also feels very fortunate to have had a lot of very good and talented employees work with him over these past 37 years. He feels that they must be doing something right because the average length of time that employees have worked at the company is over 17 years.
Growing up, Judy Hannebaum knew she wanted to teach, and went to Emporia State because of their national reputation for being a university that prepares students to be excellent teachers.
“If not for Emporia State, we wouldn’t be where we are at today” Judy Hannebaum said. “Neither one of us had a lot of money growing up nor when we were students in college. Early on in our careers we felt it was our responsibility to help future ESU students, so we started giving.”
The Hannebaums have supported Emporia State with a multitude of gifts to various purposes over the decades. Their largest gift establishes the Leon K. and Judy M. Hannebaum Family Scholarship, which will provide significant annual financial aid to two or more students per year in perpetuity. The scholarship recognizes the tenacity and determination required to complete a business degree and encourages students who may not have the best grade point average in their class, but remain driven to succeed.
As the Hannebaums’ success has grown over the years, so has their yearly contribution to Emporia State.
“We wanted to give back because of our success,” Leon Hannebaum said. “My wife is a big part of the motivation to give. She taught for four years in Salina and then had the important job of raising our four children: Kari, Karmen, Krista (who earned her Master of Science—School Counseling degree at Emporia State in 2012), and Ryan (his wife Jess earned a Masters of Science in Special Education at ESU in 2013). We hope to inspire the next generation of Hornets to give back as well.”
About Emporia State University
Emporia State University offers 42 undergraduate and 27 graduate degrees. Emporia State is ranked as a Tier 1 Top 100 Regional University in the 2014 edition of “Best Colleges” compiled by U.S. News & World Report.
We invite you to experience Emporia State first hand. Schedule a campus visit or find out more information by visiting iamahornet.com or calling admissions at 877-468-6378.
About Now & Forever
For information about how you can be a part of Now & Forever, the Campaign for Emporia State University, please contact campaign manager Carol Cooper at 620-341-6463.