Paul B. Hanks, Sr., and Paul B. Hanks, Jr., Award

When prominent Brockport lawyer Paul B. Hanks, Sr., passed away in 1983, his family established a scholarship in his name at BUNY Brockport to recognize a promising pre-law student. When his son, Paul, Jr., also a Brockport lawyer passed away in 2002, the son’s name was added, creating the Paul B. Hanks, Sr., and Paul B. Hanks, Jr., Award.

Mr. Hanks, Sr., served the Brockport community as a lawyer from 1924 to 1982. In addition to being a respected member of the legal profession, he was a valued community leader. From 1952 to 1970, Mr. Hanks was president of the Brockport College Council. He served as a justice of the peace and member of the Sweden Town Board for 18 years in the 1950s and 1960s. Throughout his career, he was a member of the Brockport Masonic Lodge 173, and in 1932, he established the Brockport Kiwanis Club, serving as its second president.

Mr. Hanks, Jr., grew up in the Village of Brockport and served as president of the 1940 senior class. He served as an officer in World War II, returning to Brockport to practice law in 1950. In addition to his law practice, Mr. Hanks, Jr., served as a member of the New York State Assembly from 1953 to 1967.

Qualified applicants for the Hanks Award must apply during their junior year for the award that will be applied in their senior year. They must plan to attend law school, have attended Brockport for at least two years, demonstrate academic excellence with a GPA of 3.5 or better, and have earned a score on the Law School Admission Test that qualifies them for admittance to a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. In addition, applicants must exhibit a commitment to community service and to extra-curricular activities at the College.