Always Advocating for Mesa
For many families, ties to Colorado Mesa University run deep. This is certainly true for Bill Hanks, a college athlete who attended Mesa College for two years before transferring to Colorado State University (CSU) in 1957 to play football and finish his degree.
Born in Meeker and raised in the Grand Valley, Hanks was not the first Maverick in his family. That honor goes to his mother, who attended Mesa College from 1931 to 1932 before earning a teaching degree from the University of Northern Colorado.
Fast-forward through the decades, and two of Hanks’s three grandchildren are Mavericks, while his son, Chris Hanks, is CMU’s renowned baseball coach.
While Hanks credits his mother with the family’s attachment to all things Maverick, he also shares that Mesa athletics had a significant impact on him in high school.
“I grew up watching Floyd Hunt and Bob Sprinkle and most of these guys were from the surrounding area, like Roger Wilson, who was from Fruitvale and Central High School. There was a really outstanding left-handed pitcher and a guard on the basketball team from Delta. And Bob Tucker from Meeker, who was my mentor and my hero,” he recalled.
Once enrolled at Mesa, Hanks, an accomplished three-sport athlete in football, basketball, and baseball, found himself under the spell of academics.
“I had classes from Mary Rait, and she was just a magnificent woman. I had her for Western European History, and I’ll never forget Mary Rait telling me, ‘Mr. Hanks, it is not pronounced burgoyse, it’s bourgeois,’” chuckled Hanks. “Mary got me going down the right track.”
Hanks studied biology at Mesa. He earned a BA and MA from CSU, taught high school science, and coached for thirty-two years. His career took him from Grand Junction to Cañon City, Longmont, Fort Collins, and the Roaring Fork Valley, where he retired.
In 2004, Hanks was named to the Maverick Hall of Honor for his athletic and coaching accomplishments. As a coach, Hanks encouraged many athletes to attend CMU and has never stopped advocating for Mesa.
“Mesa made a good, impactful, positive impression on me. I never missed an opportunity to encourage people to come to Mesa,” stated Hanks.
In addition to promoting CMU, Hanks served on the CMU Alumni Association Board of Directors and led the fundraising effort to build Bergman Field, the on-campus baseball stadium.
“I looked at the people at Mesa as the people I wanted to be and be like,” said Hanks, reminiscing about his student days at Mesa.
It’s a goal that both he and his family have accomplished.
A Story 100 Years in the Making
Want to learn more about CMU's history? Purchase Colorado Mesa University - A Century of the Maverick Spirit, written by Amber J. D'Ambrosio and Kristen Lummis. The 192-page book chronicles CMU's 100-year journey of growth, resilience, and community impact, celebrating the people and moments that shaped our Maverick history.
CMU's Century Project honors one hundred years of Colorado Mesa University's rich history - celebrating the people, milestones and spirit that have shaped our enduring legacy. As we reflect on this meaningful milestone, proceeds from the commemorative Century Book and events throughout the year will benefit the Century Scholarship, ensuring that future generations of CMU students can continue to grow, learn and carry the CMU legacy forward.