Miss Hannum, Retired City Librarian, Dies

MISS HANNUM, RETIRED CITY LIBRARIAN, DIES

Had Held Position 23 Years; Was Active In Civic, Political Affairs

Frances A. Hannum, 68, retired head librarian of the Ann Arbor Public Library, died Tuesday afternoon in St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital, following a cerebral hemorrhage suffered last week at her home, 502 Sunset Rd.

Miss Hannum retired in October, 1951, after 23 years as head of the local library, but she had been active in local civic, political and church affairs until her short illness.

For the past two years, she had also been a part-time clerk in the county clerk’s office. She was helping re-index and correct all birth records in Washtenaw county as far back as 1867 to make it easier to obtain birth certificates.

She was treasurer of the Friends of the Library, secretary of the Ann Arbor Council of Churches board, a member and past-President of Zonta Club and a member of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) at the time of her death.

Other Activities Told

She also was a member of the Citizens Council and had worked for city charter revision as secretary of a Citizens Committee for Charter Revision. She was twice an unsuccessful candidate for Third Ward alderman on the Democratic ticket, in 1952 and 1953.

She is a past president of the Michigan and Wisconsin Library Associations and had served also on committees of the American Library Association.

An active member of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, she was a member of the church’s development council and St. Margaret’s Guild.

Born on July 5, 1886, in Pottsville, Pa., she was a daughter of Luther K. and Isabelle Reiter Hannum.

Had Library Science Degree

She was graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in library science. She also attended the University of California at Berkeley.

Miss Hannum was a librarian at Racine, Wis., for nine years, coming to Ann Arbor in 1928 as head librarian here. She remained in that post until her retirement.

Miss Hannum and Miss Clara E. Youngs, a former Ann Arbor teacher, made their home together for the past 25 years. Since 1935, Miss Youngs’ nephew, Peter Thompson, also made his home with them.

Surviving Miss Hannum are four brothers, Gen. Warren T. Hannum, retired from the United States Army, now in San Francisco; Harold A. of Pittsburgh, Pa.; Col. Reiff H., retired from the Army, now in Washington, D. C.; and the Rev. Luther K., chaplain at Sing Sing Prison at Ossining, N. Y.

Services Announced

Several nieces and nephews also survive.

Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in St. Andrew's Church, with the Rev. Wilbur R. Schutze, associate rector, officiating because of the illness of the Rev. Henry Lewis, rector.

The body will be taken to Pottsville, Pa., for graveside services Friday. Friends may call at the Muehlig Chapel until Thursday noon.

The Friends of the Library, AAUW and other interested groups and individuals are initiating a "Frances A. Hannum Memorial Library Fund." In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to Homer Chance, head librarian of the Public Library, or Arthur E. Carpenter, president of the Friends of the Library.