Ralph Philip Hanes Sr. was born in Winston-Salem to John Wesley and Anna Hodgins Hanes in 1898.
Mr. Hanes was educated at Woodberry Forest, Phillips Academy, and Yale University. He served briefly in the navy at the end of World War I.
After graduation from Yale, Hanes worked briefly for R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, then he worked for Buffalo Trust Company in Buffalo, New York.
In 1924 he joined his brothers in a venture that they named Hanes Dye and Finishing Company, and he worked there for the rest of his career, serving as president and chairman of the board.
Mr. Hanes was involved in many civic and cultural organizations, such as the Civic Music Association, the Department of Archives and History, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Hanes played a key role in establishing the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, building the James G. Hanes Community Center, laying the groundwork for the Old Salem restoration, raising funds for a new public library to replace the Carnegie Library, and renovating the R. J. Reynolds Auditorium.
Hanes was honored in 1963 with a special Arts Council Award for his “enduring contribution to the arts in Winston-Salem.”
Mr. Hanes was married to Dewitt Chatham Hanes, and he passed away in 1973.
Photo courtesy of Forsyth County Public Library Photograph Collection.
