David W. Hartmann

David W. Hartmann grew up in Morris, IL, and was afflicted with polio as a young boy. Despite using hand-held crutches, David met and overcame these challenges, making his high school golf team and earning a full academic scholarship to attend Knox College. David (or DW as he was better known), enrolled at Knox in the Fall of 1968. While he continued to face physical challenges, he never let them get in the way. He joined the Sigma Nu fraternity and earned the respect of his fraternity brothers and others on campus as an active member. In 1973, DW temporarily withdrew from Knox to fight a cancerous brain tumor, returning in 1974 to complete his degree. DW went on to earn a JD and MS in Finance from Northern Illinois University. Before opening his private law practice, he taught business and business law at several universities. DW and his wife, Patricia (Pat), adopted and raised two daughters. On October 6, 2013, he passed away after a second battle with cancer. David’s sense of humor, self-determination, faith in God, and intensely competitive nature, coupled with his desire to make a meaningful contribution to the world, were personal attributes evident throughout his professional career.