Drama students work to honor former instructor

A campaign is in progress to honor a former Hampton drama teacher.

Wayne "Hank" Hansen served as the Drama Director of Ames High School from 1970 until his retirement in 2003. Before that though, Hansen got his start in teaching in Hampton as a fresh UNI graduate, teaching at the school from 1965 through 1970.

Hansen passed away in 2020, but the impact he left on countless students over his more than three decades of drama instruction remains strong. So much so that a number of them have come together to ask that Ames High School name their new auditorium in his honor.

"If anybody deserves something to be named after him, it's Mr. Hansen. He almost lived there," said Jami Simon, a graduate of the Class of 1976 and co-sponsor of the naming application. "He basically built the high school drama department when he was there."

A Change.org petition started last year has since gathered more than 1,500 signatures in support of naming the auditorium after Hansen. Simon and others have been reaching out to other former students and colleagues to let them know of the effort and ask for letters expressing what Hansen meant to them. Several have already obliged, including some of Hansen's former Hampton students.

"He was just so dedicated to the arts, and I figure he was the same way in Hampton," said Simon. "It'd be great to hear from some of the students if they're still around Hampton."

The process of getting the Ames School Board to agree to dedicate their new auditorium to Hansen is ongoing. The school board will be meeting on July 11 for a board meeting and work session. Hansen's supporters hope that they will be able to address the matter with the board at that time.

Until then, Hansen's students plan to continue raising awareness the petition and the overall effort in order to make their case to honor a standout teacher.

"He was unrivaled," said Simon. "There was nobody like him."