About the Hemingways
The family of Mr. and Mrs. Richard K. Hemingway continued a tradition of philanthropy that began with their grandfather, Harold E. Hemingway. Mr. Hemingway immigrated from Canada and became a naturalized American citizen in 1920. Through sound banking principles and financial prowess, he was the "guiding spirit " of Commercial Security Bank, which is now Key Bank.
Harold served on many civic and fund-raising boards and was credited as a leader in the campaign to raise funds for building the original St. Benedict's Hospital in Ogden.
His son, Richard K. Hemingway, began his career in banking in 1938 through his affiliation with Commercial Security Bank. Under his astute leadership as president and chairman of the board, Commercial Security expanded from an Ogden bank with three branches to a state-wide branch system of 31 offices. During this same time, Mr. Hemingway led the equally impressive growth of an affiliate, The Idaho Bank and Trust Company.
In 1966, he became president of Commercial Security Bank, and in 1975, Mr. Hemingway assumed the position of chairman of the board of Commercial Security Bank and Idaho Bank and Trust.
Mr. Hemingway served on the Utah Advisory Board of Mountain Bell, and was the first president of the Ogden Industrial Development Corporation, organized in 1972. He was also a director of the Weber County Industrial Bureau. Mr. Hemingway served as president of the Ogden Chamber of Commerce in 1970 and received an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities degree in 1975 from formerly named Weber State College. As president of the OIDC, Mr. Hemingway played a critical role in rehabilitating downtown Ogden and the development of the Weber County Industrial Park.
Richard K. Hemingway had a distinguished record of supporting Weber State University. As a member of the State Building Board from 1955 - 1970, he actively protected Weber State’s interest at the highest levels of state government. Whether it was a request for a few dollars to help finance a small banquet honoring a school play cast or several thousand to build a new facility, Mr. Hemingway was one of the first to offer aid to the community and the University. Mr. Hemingway passed away on October 13, 1996.
Mrs. Shirley Stranquist Hemingway received her undergraduate degree from the University of Utah and graduated from Columbia University, where she received her master's in dietetics. Before marrying Mr. Hemingway, she was a dietician for the Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. She served on the board of directors of Town and Country Life Insurance Company and as a director of Wasatch National, Inc.
Shirley Hemingway was an avid supporter of the arts, having served as president of the Ogden Symphony Guild, a member of the University of Utah Arts Museum Board and Ladies Literary Club, and a patron of the Utah Opera Company, the Utah Symphony, and Ballet West.
Her volunteer service included participation with United Way campaigns, the American Cancer Society, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Easter Seals and the Junior League. Shirley S. Hemingway passed away on May 20, 1992.
Richard and Shirley Hemingway revered their hometown of Ogden. They were both very active in community affairs and loved what the area offered their family. The number one interest in both of their lives was their family. The family would ski together at nearby Snowbasin and hike through the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains. The Hemingway family loved to fly-fish together, hike, hunt, and do almost anything as long as they were together.
Richard and Shirley Hemingway had five children. They were devoted and loving parents. One son, Harold R. (Hal) Hemingway, passed away very suddenly in 1984 at the age of 34. Their other children include Henry S. (Hank) and Patrice Hemingway, Jane and Bill Mason, Helen and Jeff Cardon, and Ann Hemingway.
In addition to being committed to their children and family, Mr. and Mrs. Hemingway created a legacy of philanthropy for their posterity. The Hemingways were committed to supporting their hometown of Ogden. In the family tradition, a $1 million gift was given by the Hemingways and their children Henry, Jane, Helen, Ann, and daughter-in-law Cathy Hemingway King to establish the Hemingway Faculty Development Trust at Weber State University.
Hundreds of Weber State University faculty have benefited from this wonderful endowment. While advancing their personal knowledge and vitality, the Hemingway professors have passed this newfound knowledge onto countless Weber State students who are the ultimate beneficiaries of the Hemingways' generosity and foresightedness.