Q&A Ralph Hauenstein

   Born more than a century ago, Ralph Hauenstein, namesake of the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley, has seen many things through the years.

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    He spent a few years in the Army before working as a journalist for the Grand Rapids Herald, a job he left to return to service during World War II. While serving overseas, he became the chief intelligence officer for the European theater and was an advisor to Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower.

    Hauenstein’s experience in war changed him, and when he returned, he dedicated both time and effort to preventing future armed conflicts, while increasing the power of the U.S. to influence peace among nations — all while continuing a successful business career in Grand Rapids.

photo by Bernadine Carey-Tucker

Ralph Hauenstein addresses the audience at the presentation of the first Hauenstein Fellowship award, given in 2011 to the Ford family to honor President Gerald R. Ford.
 

    Since moving to West Michigan as a boy, Hauenstein grew to call it home and has given generously to support projects for community good.In addition to Grand Valley’s presidential studies center, those projects include the Grace Hauenstein Library at Aquinas College, and the Hauenstein Parkinson’s and Neuroscience Centers at Saint Mary’s Hospital.

    Grand Valley Magazine’s Nate Hoekstra caught up with Hauenstein just before his 100th birthday to ask him about his ties to Grand Valley, Grand Rapids and the secret to his longevity.

Grand Valley Magazine: You were born in Indiana but made a home for yourself in Grand Rapids, a city you continue to help develop. Has the city become what you might have hoped it would through the years?
Ralph Hauenstein: Yes, I came to Grand Rapids at the age of 11 and have been here ever since. I think it’s grown a bit beyond what I ever expected it would grow to, but I’m quite astounded to see the progress that we have made — it’s astounding, fantastic. I remember when I was the city editor and we weren’t growing and George Welsh finally decided to build an auditorium. That was a great big movement for many, many years in the city, which is really miniscule compared to what’s happening and being done in Grand Rapids today.

GVM: You mentioned working at the Grand Rapids Herald. What do you think about what’s happening to newspapers and journalism today?
RH: I think it’s very unfortunate. I think that newspapers, in my opinion, are a way of life. It brings daily, to your doorstep, all news covering everything in domestic life and so forth, and we’re going to miss it if it doesn’t continue. It’s tragic. I suppose you can get it on the networks, but not quite in the same context as a newspaper does. It’s a tragic thing to see newspapers being eliminated bit by bit.

At top, Ralph Hauenstein visits with fellows at the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies in 2005.

GVM: You’ve said in previous interviews that you prefer not to talk about many aspects of your military service, but can you say why you came away from your services so committed to avoiding future conflict?
RH: I saw what men can do to each other, and what a nation can do to another nation, and it’s absolutely incredible. It’s beyond belief that such cruelty can be imposed on individuals or upon nations, and I thought that we could at least put a small measure of something in place to help eliminate this sort of thing for the future. I’m afraid I’m not doing a very
good job of it.

GVM: You’ve helped with humanitarian needs in the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East and here in the U.S. What drove you to take on such ambitious humanitarian work?
RH: Well, I don’t think I was put on this earth just to do nothing. I think the good Lord expects things from us. He gives to me and I give back what little bit I can, in most measures that I
can, anyway.

GVM: At Grand Valley you supported the creation of the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies. What do you hope people learn there, and do you consider the center a success?
RH: I think the Hauenstein Center has been a tremendous success under the direction, guidance and supervision of Gleaves Whitney. We were fortunate to get a man of his caliber to carry it on, and it’s making tremendous inroads with young people. I see it all the time when people come to me who are as enthused as I am about this. I watch these young men and women and I’m absolutely certain that we are providing great, great leadership for the future of our country right from within the leadership of our university.     
    I think our major goal is to develop successful people within themselves, but obviously we’re also helping to make them more aware of their country as well, no question about it. It’s a well-run program.

GVM: Who would you include on a list of your favorite U.S. presidents?
RH: Well, I think that two great presidents, as far as I’m concerned, were George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. That’s the way I see it. We wouldn’t have had a nation if it weren’t for George Washington, and we wouldn’t have been able to save a nation if we hadn’t had Abraham Lincoln.

GVM: You celebrated your 100th birthday in March. What is one important life lesson that you’ve learned in your time that you would like to share?
RH: I don’t think I can zero in on any one thing. I’ve been fortunate to have many, many good things happen to me throughout my life, but I wouldn’t characterize it as one particular thing that created it. People ask me what I attribute my long life to, and I just say “stay alive,” it’s the best I can do.