2025 Alumni of the Year: James ’65 and John ’70 Hanawalt
More than 55 years have passed since John and James Hanawalt earned their Milton Hershey School diplomas, James in 1965 and John in 1970. They came to the school on May 14, 1957. Their father had recently passed away, and their mother was infirm.
“Milton Hershey School taught me that I had the ability to do any job. No job was above me, no job was beneath me,” John said. “I was equipped, ready to face what’s next. It wasn’t about where you were at, it was where you were going.”
James and John both knew those lessons were not intended to be self-serving.
“Mr. Hershey wanted three things from his graduates—support yourself, support your family, and support your community,” John said.
The Hanawalt brothers never forgot, or lost appreciation for, the gift of MHS. Their family lives, careers, and community involvement centered around the school’s Sacred Values: Commitment to Mission, Integrity, Positive Spirit, and Mutual Respect. They always found time to give back to MHS and enrich the lives of generations of students.
In recognition of their deep commitment to living out the values and work ethic of school founders Milton and Catherine Hershey, John and the late James (Jim) Hanawalt have been named the 2025 Alumni of the Year. Jim, who passed away on June 26, 2024, is being honored posthumously with this distinction.
Life at MHS
John’s earliest memories of MHS center around his elementary years in student home Adams. The fitness director would teach the importance of healthy lifestyles by having students run around the neighborhood regularly.
“That taught me a lot about taking care of myself in conjunction with the School Pledge, keeping myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight,” John recalled recently while sitting in the living room of his former student home. “Being responsible for my own fitness is important to me.”
John played basketball and football and ran track at MHS. In 2011, he was inducted into the Spartan Hall of Fame. He has run six marathons and numerous other road races. When it came time to give up running, he transitioned to cycling to ensure his physical fitness.
Teachers, coaches, and houseparents have had a significant influence on John’s life, as did his brother Jim. They only lived together on campus for about one year, but after his graduation, Jim returned often to ensure John was on the right path.
“Brother Jim always had my back; he was the oldest of four of us,” John said.
Having others’ backs was Jim Hanawalt’s way. The United States Army drafted him into service shortly after his graduation from MHS. During that time, he worked in orphanages in Saigon, Vietnam.
“As soon as he came back to the United States, he was at MHS Homecoming and involved with the school,” his wife, Linda, said. “He just wanted to give back.”
Career
After graduating from Penn State University, Jim spent 37 years in the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s Human Resources Department. John entered the financial world after earning his diploma from Susquehanna University. Their career successes, John said, were rooted in the lessons they learned in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
“MHS prepared me to deal with people from all walks of life and from varying abilities,” John said. “At the student home, you knew if you were going to be a leader, you had to be able to bring everybody together.”
Community Involvement
After seeing a need in his community for young girls to get involved in sports, Jim organized the Paxtonia Basketball Association for 22 years.
“He was all about skills beyond basketball,” Linda said. “It grew very, very big at the end. He had about 1,000 kids in the program.”
A strong core of volunteers, including 200 coaches and support staff under Jim’s leadership, ensured the players received the individualized attention they needed to succeed.
“He’d just walk up to people and say, ‘This is what I need, what can you do?’” Linda said. “It was very hard to say no to Jim.”
Among many other causes, John donated his time and talents to his church, to building nine houses with Habitat for Humanity, and to organizing Relay for Life events for the American Cancer Society.
When they learned their family heritage dates to the Revolutionary War, Jim would organize an annual cemetery cleanup day near Raystown Lake in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, where soldiers who fought for America’s independence are buried.
Always Connected to MHS
Jim spent his entire life in Central Pennsylvania, near his MHS home. He was busy with work, family life, and community activities, but he always found time to give back to the school that gave him so much. Through the Harrisburg Chapter of the MHS Alumni Association, he organized a tailgate party before Homecoming games. Generations of MHS students benefited from Easter parties and summer pool parties Jim helped to organize. National Honor Society (NHS) students learned the importance of community service through the Hanawalts’ example.
“Students benefit greatly from working alongside people from a different generation who were once in their shoes,” NHS Advisor Heather Dougherty said. “The support our current students have received from John and Jim Hanawalt is absolutely amazing.”
The Hanawalt brothers helped countless alumni and students; however, they always believed there were more opportunities to give back and share the school’s mission. As volunteers for the MHS Admissions team, the Hanawalts have shared the importance of an MHS education with potential students.
MHS Admissions Counselor Debra Turnpaugh said the Hanawalt brothers have approached their work with a “servant’s heart,” always focused on how they can help others and share the mission of MHS.
“John is able to tell his story and share it in a way parents can relate, and kids can see themselves in him,” Turnpaugh said. “Jim had a way about him of making everyone around him feel important.”
Turnpaugh recalled one recruitment event in Millersburg, Pennsylvania, that was initially poorly attended. Jim walked up and down the town streets, found families, and invited them to the dinner presentation.
Jim’s passion for recruiting students to MHS was ingrained in him.
“Wherever we would go, he would meet a social worker, a teacher, or even a family member and share an MHS-branded pen, hand it to them, and say, ‘Have you ever heard of Milton Hershey School?’” Linda recalled. “If they’d say no, he’d say, ‘Here’s the website. Go on it. See if you know anybody who might qualify.’”
John’s passion for recruiting students to MHS is rooted in his belief that the school’s importance grows with every generation. Despite the changing times, John maintains that Mr. Hershey’s belief that a high-quality education is the key to a successful life remains true 115 years after the school’s founding. Once students enroll at MHS, it is important to remind them what it means to be a Spartan.
During the school’s centennial in 2009, John was president of the MHS Alumni Association. The association wanted to present a gift to the school, similar to its gift of the Milton and the Boy statue that was presented in 1959 and stands in Founders Hall today. It was decided that a 30-foot Spartan head would be installed on the exterior of the Spartan Center Gymnasium, overlooking the athletic fields.
“The meaning behind the Spartan is very important to graduates of Milton Hershey School,” John said. He continued: “Spartans commit to integrity and perseverance, getting up when you get knocked down. Those are life values, not just Milton Hershey School Sacred Values.”
The association borrowed money to purchase the gift, utilizing a five-year note. Jim’s networking skills enabled the association to raise the money in less than a year, mostly through grassroots campaigning and small gift donations.
Fun
Even though they focused much time on work, family, and volunteer life, the Hanawalts also knew how to incorporate fun into their busy routines. Jim organized family reunions for about 30 years and both brothers bonded over card games.
“Jim was an amazing card player,” John said. “He knew what you had in your hand better than you did.”
Attendees of Jim’s memorial service received decks of cards featuring Milton S. Hershey quotes.
Honor
Milton S. Hershey once wrote, “One is only happy in proportion as he makes others feel happy and only useful as he contributes his influences for the finer callings in life.”
The Hanawalt brothers maintained a happy life because they always focused on others.
“The magic of Milton Hershey School is what I was able to do for my children and my communities,” John said.
John considers being named the 2025 MHS Alumni of the Year with his brother one of life’s many blessings.
“We never sought this. I was very surprised to receive the call, but I wish Jim was here with me,” he said. “He didn’t do anything for accolades. He was helping others, and he taught me to do the same.”
About the Alumnus/Alumna of the Year Award
The Milton Hershey School Alumnus/Alumna of the Year Award began in 1954. Recipients of the award have demonstrated humanitarianism and exemplary service to others, achieved distinguished service in their careers, and exhibited high standards of achievements, both personally and professionally.