HAL HANEY PAPERS

Hal Haney was born May 23, 1928 in Clearfield, Pennsylvania where he attended public schools. He received higher education at the University of Colorado, Strayer-Bryandt-Stratton, the Maryland Institute of Art, the Peabody Conservatory, and the Community College of Denver. Additionally, he took professional short courses and tourism promotional workshops around the world. From 1946 to 1947 he worked as Assistant to the President of the Louis E. Schecter Advertising Agency in Baltimore, Maryland. After 1947, he continued advertising work in different capacities in film as a copywriter and as a director.

In the 1950s, Haney moved to Denver, Colorado, where he wrote a column for the Denver Advertising Club's newsletter, Denvertising titled Haney Highlights. The Colorado Office of Tourism hired Haney in 1952 as an Assistant Director, and in 1972, the office promoted him to Director. In 1980, the Office of Tourism abolished Haney's job. After a bout of controversy between the Colorado Office of Tourism and the community, he returned to his job in 1982 and continued working until he retired in 1984.

In 1984, he started Haney Associates, a consulting company that presented workshops for small Colorado communities interested in promoting tourism. Haney won numerous awards for his achievements and skills in tourism and sat on boards related to Colorado tourism, such as the Governor's Tourism Task Force and the Colorado Tourism Board.

Haney participated in community activities such as the National Cerebral Palsy Society, which he founded and incorporated in 1948. He then founded and directed the Colorado School for Handicapped Children in 1949. In 1970, Haney became helped to found Historic Denver, Inc., which was created to preserve the Molly Brown House, then threatened with destruction. Haney also founded the Bellevue-Hale Neighborhood Association in the late 1970s and later acted as President in the 1980s.

In a 1984 description of his professional activities, Haney wrote that he had been: Founder of Governor's Colorado Tourism Conference; founder and former President and Chairman of Board of Trustees, Historic Denver, Inc.; course creator for How to Increase Tourism Profits and instructor at Arapahoe College; founder and former President, Four Corners Regional Tourism Organization, Inc., member and co-chairman 1984 conference of Society of American Travel Writers; member, The Travel Research Association; chairman, Denver Public Schools Recreational and Travel Steering Committee; creator and instructor Tourism Workshops and Tourism Host Schools held in communities throughout Colorado.

Haney died July 30, 2001. An article in the Denver Post commemorated Haney's vibrant personality, his interest in history, and his love for entertaining in his home at 1440 Ash Street. Neighbors, friends and acquaintances remembered Haney most for his harpsichord playing. He started the International Harpsichord Society and a related magazine.