In the world of conservation, Dr. Bruce Hannon was a giant. A legend. An activist. A teacher. A mentor. And expert clocksmith. He leaves a lasting legacy – in the lands and waters he helped protect (most notably Allerton Park and the Middle Fork River), the conservation organizations he launched, the oak seedlings he gave to others to plant and the many students he inspired and nurtured who continue to have a positive impact.
Hannon spread his passion to others and instilled the responsibility of environmental stewardship in the next generations. Patricia, his wife of over 65 years who died in 2022, contributed to his many achievements. Hannon was proud that his great-grandchildren are the eighth generation raised in Champaign County.Â
Hannon was professor emeritus of geography at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the university where he obtained his degrees, including a doctorate in engineering mechanics. He conducted groundbreaking research and taught in the department of geography and geographic information science for more than 40 years.
Hannon’s first major cause was forming the Committee to Save Allerton Park in 1967, along with Patricia, to prevent the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from building the Oakley dam that would have flooded Allerton Park and its virgin woodlands. Together they rallied widespread support and stopped the project. Hannon led the group for eight years, dealing with governors, senators and top federal officials, testifying before the Illinois legislature and Congress and collecting 200,000 signatures opposing the dam.
“His collegial and respectful manner brought together professionals from such diverse disciplines as biology, economics and law to identify and advocate for more economical water supply alternatives,” said his friend and protégé Clark Bullard. Congress eventually deauthorized the dam project, saving Allerton Park. John Marlin was another colleague and mentee of Hannon who was involved. He says the result of their collective efforts was to change federal water policy.
“Bruce was a ‘force for nature’ over many years,” said Fletcher Farrar, editor of Illinois Times. “I remember when I was a beginning reporter in Carbondale, he would spend a lot of time with me on the phone, patiently explaining Corps of Engineers projects and the damage they would do. He never lost hope and never would quit.”
Hannon was a mentor to Mike Witte, former director of the Illinois Department of Conservation. They canoed the Middle Fork River together with then-gubernatorial candidate Jim Thompson.
“Bruce taught me about environmental activism,” said Witte.  “Bruce was both a brilliant strategist and brutal tactician, and he modeled these skills for me.”  Â
The Committee to Save Allerton Park later became Prairie Rivers Network, now a statewide river conservation organization. Hannon was president for 38 years. He was also founding president of Central States Resource Center, which advocated for state legislation to tighten landfill standards and require local approval of landfill siting in the 1980s. In 2002, Hannon founded the Land Conservation Foundation to conserve and restore natural areas and open spaces and protect land through permanent conservation easements or donations.
“Bruce changed people’s lives and he bettered our life right here in central Illinois – protecting countless natural places for future generations to enjoy, fighting for the right to grow tall prairie plants in his front lawn and taking the city to task on the subject, and even planting and nurturing oak trees all over the region,” said Maggie Bruns, PRN executive director. “There was no challenge too big or opportunity too small to capture his attention.”
Bullard said Hannon changed his life. Bullard, as a grad student, was with Hannon at UIUC on the first Earth Day in 1970. They went on to work together.
“As academic engineers we formed an interdisciplinary team of computer scientists, psychologists and labor economists,” said Bullard. “Together we developed the methodology for calculating the ‘energy footprint’ and ‘carbon footprint’ of hundreds of goods and services.”
Bullard learned from Hannon “how to organize diverse coalitions of citizens, communicate with voters, speak truth to power and endure the threats and personal attacks that came with the territory.”
Oaks are also an enduring legacy of Hannon. Over decades he collected acorns, tended them in the university greenhouse and gave thousands of seedlings to landowners throughout Champaign-Urbana. This is one of the many ways Hannon sought to make environmentalists out of unsuspecting citizens.Â
Hannon’s impact extended far beyond Champaign County. “In the early days of the Illinois Environmental Council, Hannon was elected president of this young coalition still finding its role in state politics,” said Virginia Scott, former IEC executive director. “The IEC gained from having a skilled leader with experience in organizing grassroots power, shaping policy and cultivating bipartisan support.” Â
Hannon had a remarkable way of convincing others to get engaged with his causes. He lived with a profound sense of place that fueled a life dedicated to projects and ideas of great local impact.
Karen Ackerman Witter was a natural resources policy adviser to Gov. Jim Thomspon. She had the pleasure of knowing Bruce Hannon and saw firsthand how he impacted public policy and convinced many others to take up his causes.
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