2017 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 141
BY SENATOR CLAITOR
A RESOLUTION
To commend World War II American war hero and scientific researcher extraordinaire
Dr. William Hansel posthumously on this Memorial Day.
WHEREAS, Dr. William Hansel, a Baton Rouge resident at the time of his death on
January 2, 2017, began his remarkable scientific career at Cornell University and ended
almost seven decades later, was continuing his stellar research at LSU's Pennington
Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge with unabated enthusiasm and keen intellect
that were his hallmarks; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Hansel was born September 16, 1918, in Vale Summit, MD, was
a graduate of the University of Maryland, and earned his Master of Science and PhD degrees
from Cornell University; and
WHEREAS, his life plans, like most of his contemporaries, was interrupted by World
War II, he served with great distinction with General George Patton's Ghost Corps during
the Battle of the Bulge and was awarded two Purple Hearts for his heroism; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Hansel, lauded multiple times during his professional career for his
achievements, considered "dashing through the Rhine River" during his military service his
proudest accomplishment; and
WHEREAS, in 1949, Dr. Hansel joined the faculty of Cornell University and after
years of service served as Chair of the Department of Physiology and the distinguished
Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor of Animal Physiology before retiring; and
WHEREAS, although he left Cornell University after four decades on its faculty,
retirement from his active and productive life as a research scientist was never a
consideration for Dr. Hansel, in 1990 he joined Louisiana State University as the Gordon
Cain Professor where he continued his research in reproductive biology; and
WHEREAS, in 1994 he became one of the first scientists at the then-new Pennington
Biomedical Research Center; and
WHEREAS, in 1995 his wife, Milbrey, who predeceased him in 1997, was diagnosed
Page 1 of 3 SR NO. 141 ENROLLED
with ovarian cancer, prompting Dr. Hansel to immediately begin applying his research
expertise to finding a new treatment for cancer; and
WHEREAS, he recalled that shortly thereafter he was attending a conference in
Poland where a talk on the distribution of receptors for pituitary hormone in cancer made
him realize that the scientific research at Pennington Biomedical held the potential answer;
and
WHEREAS, that realization was the impetus for his work over the next several
decades as Dr. Hansel and his laboratory worked to develop a new class of cancer drugs to
target and destroy primary cancer tumors as well as the sites to which it spread; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Hansel is the originator and coinventor of Cationic Lytic Peptide
Technology, a new class of cancer drugs that target and destroy human breast, ovarian,
prostate, and testicular cancer cells currently being tested in clinical trials at MD Anderson
Cancer Center; and
WHEREAS, his most recent research was focused on therapies for prostate cancer;
and
WHEREAS, during his long and storied academic career, Dr. Hansel received many
awards including the 2014 Renowned Physiologist accolade from the American Physiology
Society; and
WHEREAS, he was not only a superior research scientist, he also was a noted
teacher who mentored more than 100 pre- and postdoctoral students; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Hansel published more than 300 scientific articles; and
WHEREAS, his passion for his work was demonstrated daily to his many colleagues
at Pennington Biomedical Research Center where he continued to maintain office hours as
recently as December 2016; and
WHEREAS, on January 2nd at the age of 98, Dr. Hansel passed away, but the legacy
of his public service through scientific contributions will continue to make a difference in
the lives of individuals with cancer and other chronic diseases in perpetuity.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
hereby commends World War II American war hero and scientific researcher extraordinaire
Dr. William Hansel posthumously on this Memorial Day.
Page 2 of 3 SR NO. 141 ENROLLED
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
hereby expresses its sincerest gratitude to Dr. William Hansel for his great service to
America through his military heroism, for his invaluable contributions to Pennington
Biomedical Research Center's research and training programs, and for his life of dedication
to public service through biomedical research.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
Page 3 of 3