Jim Hansen (Utah politician)

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Jim Hansen

| image name = James Vear Hansen.png

| birth_name = James Vear Hansen

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1932|8|14}}

| birth_place = Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2018|11|14|1932|8|14}}

| death_place = Farmington, Utah, U.S.

| state1 = Utah

| district1 = 1st

| term_start1 = January 3, 1981

| term_end1 = January 3, 2003

| predecessor1 = K. Gunn McKay

| successor1 = Rob Bishop

| state_house2 = Utah

| district2 = 54th

| term_start2 = January 1973

| term_end2 = January 1981

| predecessor2 = W. Edward Kerr

| successor2 = Edward U. Knowlton

| party = Republican

| spouse = Ann Burgoyne

| children = 5

| education = University of Utah (BBA)

| allegiance = {{nowrap|{{flag|United States|name=United States of America|1912|size=23px}}}}

| branch = {{flag|United States Navy|1864|size=23px}}

| serviceyears = 1951–1955

| rank =

| mawards =

}}

James Vear Hansen (August 14, 1932 – November 14, 2018) was an American politician from Utah, who was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1981 to 2003.

Early life and education

Hansen was born in Salt Lake City, graduating from the city's East High School. From 1951 until 1955, he served in the United States Navy. He attended the University of Utah, receiving a business degree from the school in 1961.

Career

The same year that he left college, Hansen was elected to the Farmington City Council. He also worked as an insurance agent.

From 1973 until 1980,{{cite web | url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=1811 | title=Our Campaigns - Candidate - James V. Hansen }} Hansen was a member of the Utah House of Representatives, serving as speaker of the house from 1979 until 1980. In 1980, he defeated K. Gunn McKay to represent {{ushr|Utah|1}}.{{cite news |url=https://www.thespectrum.com/amp/2002800002 |title=Jim Hansen, southwestern Utah's congressman for 20 years, dies at age 86 |publisher=Deseret News |date=2018-11-14 }}{{Dead link|date=March 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} He faced off against McKay two more times, in 1986 and 1988, prevailing in both races.{{cite news |url=https://www.deseretnews.com/article/364582/GROUPS-FINED-FOR-ILLEGAL-CONTRIBUTIONS.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927143310/https://www.deseretnews.com/article/364582/GROUPS-FINED-FOR-ILLEGAL-CONTRIBUTIONS.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 27, 2018 |title=Groups Fined for Illegal Contributions |publisher=Deseret News |date=1994-07-15}}{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/10/us/the-elections-west-utah-bush.html |title=The Elections: West; Utah-Bush |work=New York Times |date=1988-11-10}}

Hansen retired on January 3, 2003. Hansen served as chairman of the Committee on Resources in his last term in the 107th Congress. Hansen ran for the governorship in 2004, but was defeated at the Republican convention by Jon Huntsman Jr. who went on to win the election. He was appointed a commissioner on the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission.

When a portion of U.S. Route 89 in Weber County, Utah was upgraded to freeway standards, it was named the James V. Hansen Highway.{{cite web|url=http://le.utah.gov/~code/TITLE72/htm/72_04_020800.htm |title=Utah Code Section 72-4-208 |access-date=2008-08-21 |publisher=Utah State Legislature |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080711120015/http://le.utah.gov/~code/TITLE72/htm/72_04_020800.htm |archive-date=2008-07-11 }} The federal building in Ogden, Utah was renamed the James V. Hansen Federal Building in his honor in 2004.[http://www.fjc.gov/history/courthouses.nsf/getcourthouse?OpenAgent&chid=1CD57B237FA1F1388525718B00735765 Federal Judicial Center] Retrieved on 2009-04-19.

Personal life

Hansen died on November 14, 2018, at the age of 86.{{Cite web |url=https://www.rollcall.com/politics/james-hansen-long-serving-utah-republican-dies-86 |title=James Hansen, Long-Serving Utah Republican Dies at 86 |access-date=2018-11-14 |archive-date=2018-11-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115071143/https://www.rollcall.com/politics/james-hansen-long-serving-utah-republican-dies-86 |url-status=dead }}