Robert A Hanson

Robert A. “Bob” Hanson, the former chairman and CEO of Deere & Co., died Thursday at Jupiter (Fla.) Medical Center. He was 91. Hanson grew up in East Moline. He graduated from Augustana College, Rock Island, with a degree in economics. Although he entered Augustana in the fall of 1942, Hanson took three years off to serve in the Marine Corps during World War II. He completed his degree in 1948. He began his career at Deere & Co. in 1950 at John Deere Intercontinental Ltd., with assignments in Moline, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Venezuela. After numerous positions in Deere & Co.’s divisions overseas, Hanson was named president and CEO in August of 1982, and two months later he was named chairman and CEO of the company.