Don Hanaway

The Honorable Don Hanaway
40th Attorney General of Wisconsin
In office January 3, 1987 – January 7, 1991
Governor	Tommy Thompson
Preceded by	Bronson La Follette
Succeeded by	Jim Doyle
Wisconsin Circuit Judge for the Brown Circuit, Branch 4
In office July 1991 – September 7, 1995
Appointed by	Tommy Thompson
Preceded by	John Jaekels
Succeeded by	William C. Griesbach
Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 2nd district
In office July 11, 1979 – January 3, 1987
Preceded by	Tom Petri
Succeeded by	Robert Cowles
27th Mayor of De Pere, Wisconsin
In office April 1972 – April 1974
Preceded by	Roger H. Rebman
Succeeded by	Robert P. DeGroot
Personal details
Born	(1933-12-25)December 25, 1933 Stevens Point, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died	September 7, 1995(1995-09-07) (aged 61) Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting place	Allouez Catholic Cemetery and Chapel Mausoleum Green Bay, Wisconsin
Party	Republican
Spouse	Jo Ann
Children	4
Alma mater	University of Wisconsin–Madison University of Wisconsin Law School
Profession	attorney, judge
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1954–1956

Donald J. Hanaway (December 25, 1933 – September 7, 1995) was an American lawyer, jurist, and Republican politician from De Pere, Wisconsin. He was the 40th attorney general of Wisconsin, serving from 1987 to 1991, and subsequently served the last four years of his life as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Brown County. Earlier in his career, he was the 27th mayor of De Pere (1972–1974) and served eight years in the Wisconsin Senate (1979–1987).

Biography

Hanaway was born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Commerce in 1958, and received his juris doctor from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1961. He had previously served in the United States Army from 1954 to 1956.

Before being elected Attorney General, Hanaway served as a Brown County Assistant District Attorney from 1962 to 1964, and later as a special prosecutor in Brown County from 1967 to 1968. He also served concurrently as the De Pere city attorney from 1965 to 1972, and again from 1976 to 1979. In between those stints as city attorney, he served as mayor of De Pere from 1972 to 1974.

Hanaway was elected as a Republican in a special election to the Wisconsin State Senate in July 1979. He was re-elected to the State Senate's 2nd District in 1980, and again in 1984. He served as an assistant minority leader from 1981 to 1982.

In 1986, Hanaway ran for attorney general, defeating incumbent Bronson La Follette. He served one term, being defeated for re-election by Jim Doyle in 1990.

Hanaway went on to serve as a Brown County Circuit Judge from 1991 until his death in 1995. Hanaway died from cancer at a hospital in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He and his wife, Jo Ann, had four children.

Electoral history

• 1990 Race for state Attorney General
  • Jim Doyle (D), 51%
  • Don Hanaway (R) (inc.), 47%