Member Biography
Freeman Hankins
| Sessions | Office | Position | District | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | 7 | Democrat | ||
| 1968 | 7 | Democrat | ||
| 1969 | 7 | Democrat | ||
| 1970 | 7 | Democrat | ||
| 1971 | 7 | Democrat | ||
| 1972 | 7 | Democrat | ||
| 1973 | 7 | Democrat | ||
| 1974 | 7 | Democrat | ||
| 1975 | 7 | Democrat | ||
| 1976 | 7 | Democrat | ||
| 1977 | 7 | Democrat | ||
| 1978 | 7 | Democrat | ||
| 1979 | 7 | Democrat | ||
| 1980 | 7 | Democrat | ||
| 1981 | 7 | Democrat | ||
| 1982 | 7 | Democrat | ||
| 1983 | 7 | Democrat | ||
| 1984 | 7 | Democrat | ||
| 1985 | 7 | Democrat | ||
| 1986 | 7 | Democrat | ||
| 1987 | Caucus Administrator | 7 | Democrat | |
| 1988 | Caucus Administrator | 7 | Democrat |
COUNTIES: Philadelphia
Biography
09/30/1918 - 12/31/1988
Freeman Hankins (D7) Philadelphia County 1967-1988
Early Life:
Freeman Hankins, born September 30, 1918, Brunswick, Glynn County, Georgia; son of Oliver and Anna Pyles Hankins; married, Dorothy Days Hankins, 1939, daughter, Bernadette; education, Friendship Academy, Pittsburgh; attended, Selden Institute; H. E. Dolan College of Embalming, Philadelphia, 1945; attended, Temple University, 1947-1950; served, United States Army Medical Corps, World War II, 1945-1947; funeral director, 1953-1988; chairman, 6th Ward Democratic Executive Committee; 2nd Vice Chair, Philadelphia Democratic Committee 1971-1976; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1961-1967, resigned, November 29, 1967; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate Special Election, 1967-1988; appointed, board, Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) 1981-1988; not a candidate for reelection, 1988; died, December 31, 1988, heart, University of Pennsylvania Hospital, city of Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; interment, Fernwood Cemetery, Yeadon, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. All signs to point to interment at Fernwood Cemetery, could not confirm this.
Early Career:
Funeral Director, Hankins Funeral Home Haverford Avenue Philadelphia, 1953-1988.
Professional titles; business ownership; board memberships; local government; club memberships:
Member, Metropolitan Baptist Church; member, American Legion, Masons; member, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), member, National, Pennsylvania and Keystone Funeral Directors Association.
Trustee, Lincoln University; Board Member, Minority Business Development Authority; president, Rafter Charities.
Pennsylvania Politics:
Chairman, 6th Ward Democratic Executive Committee; 2nd vice chair, Philadelphia Democratic Committee 1971-1976.
Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1961-1967, resigned, November 29, 1967.
Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate Special Election, 1967-1988; Chairman, Senate Prison Inquiry Commission 1973-1976; Chairman, Insurance Committee; Minority Chairman Banking and Insurance Committee, 1980-1986; Minority Chair Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, 1987-1988; Caucus Administrator, 1987-1988; member Appropriations, Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committees; appointed, board, Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) 1981-1988; not a candidate for reelection, 1988.
Pennsylvania House of Representatives Biography:
Official Website - PA House Archives Official Website (state.pa.us)
Legacy:
The United States Postal Service building located at 5300 West Jefferson Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, shall be known and designated as the ‘‘Freeman Hankins Post Office Building’’
Cited:
Cox, Harold. "Senate Members H". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.
The Pennsylvania Manual, (1987-1988). Doukas, O., (Editor). (Volume 108). Department of General Services. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, page 101. Biographical Sketches of Senators, page 80.
Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Monday January 2, 1989, Page 5.
BILLS-106hr100enr.pdf (govinfo.gov)