Freeman Hankins
{{short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image =
| name = Freeman Hankins
| state_senate = Pennsylvania
| district = 7th
| term_start = January 2, 1967
| term_end = December 31, 1988
| constituency =
| predecessor = Charles R. Weiner
| successor = Chaka Fattah
| state_house2 = Pennsylvania
| district2 = Philadelphia County
| term_start2 = January 1, 1961
| term_end2 = November 30, 1968
| birth_date = September 30, 1917
| birth_place = Brunswick, Georgia, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1988|12|31|1917|9|30}}
| death_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| party =
| alma_mater = Dolan's College of Embalming
| occupation =
| spouse =
| children =
| residence =
| religion =
| website =
| branch = {{Flag|United States Army}}
}}
Freeman Hankins (September 30, 1917 – December 31, 1988) was an American politician and funeral director who served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 7th district from 1969 to 1988.{{cite web | last = Cox | first = Harold | title = Senate Members "H" | publisher = Wilkes University | work = Wilkes University Election Statistics Project| date = | url =http://staffweb.wilkes.edu/harold.cox/legis/SH.html}} He also served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for Philadelphia county from 1961 to 1968.{{cite web | last = Cox | first = Harold | title = House Members "H" | publisher = Wilkes University | work = Wilkes University Election Statistics Project| date = | url =http://staffweb.wilkes.edu/harold.cox/legis/H.html}} He was a Democrat.{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M94DAAAAMBAJ&q=freeman+hankins&pg=RA1-PA195 | title=Ebony | date=April 1965 | publisher=Johnson Publishing Company }}
Early life and education
Hankins was born in Brunswick, Georgia to Oliver and Anna Pyles Hankins. He was African-American. He attended the Friendship School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Selden Institute, and Temple University. He graduated from Dolan's College of Embalming in 1945.
Career
Hankins served in the Medical Corps from 1944 to 1947 and began a career as a funeral director.{{cite web |title=Pennsylvania State Senate - Freeman Hankins Biography |url=https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/BiosHistory/MemBio.cfm?ID=5583&body=S |website=www.legis.state.pa.us |accessdate=1 March 2019}}
He served on the Democratic Committee of Philadelphia's 6th ward and as vice-chairman of Philadelphia's Democratic Committee. He served as a trustee of Lincoln University and the Stephen Smith Geriatric Center.{{cite book |title=Black Legislators in Pennsylvania's History 1911-2010 |page=29 |url=http://www.house.state.pa.us/bmc/archives/publications/BlackLegislatorsInPA.pdf |accessdate=1 March 2019}}
He died at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in 1988{{cite web | last = Cox | first = Harold | title = Pennsylvania Senate - 1987-1988| work = Wilkes University Election Statistics Project| publisher = Wilkes University | year =2004 | url =http://staffweb.wilkes.edu/harold.cox/legis/171S.pdf}}{{cite news|last=Campbell|first=Roy H.|date=January 2, 1989|url=http://articles.philly.com/1989-01-02/news/26125265_1_pennsylvania-senate-state-senate-seat-politics|title=Freeman Hankins, Veteran Legislator|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052511/http://articles.philly.com/1989-01-02/news/26125265_1_pennsylvania-senate-state-senate-seat-politics|archive-date=March 4, 2016|access-date=December 15, 2023|via=Wayback Machine}} and is interred at the Fernwood Cemetery in Yeadon, Pennsylvania.{{cite web |title=Pennsylvania House of Representatives - FREEMAN HANKINS Biography |url=https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/BiosHistory/MemBio.cfm?ID=1366&body=H |website=www.legis.state.pa.us |accessdate=1 March 2019}}
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hankins, Freeman}}
Category:African-American state legislators in Pennsylvania
Category:Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Category:People from Brunswick, Georgia
Category:Politicians from Philadelphia
Category:Democratic Party Pennsylvania state senators
Category:Burials at Fernwood Cemetery (Lansdowne, Pennsylvania)
Category:20th-century African-American politicians
Category:United States Army personnel of World War II
Category:20th-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly