Ralph's Four Corners

Entrepreneur. Family Man. Patriot. Philanthropist.

Ralph W. Hauenstein was many things to many people. From his early days at the Grand Rapids Herald to the philanthropic giving that cemented his legacy, Ralph’s stories are still alive throughout West Michigan. To John Van Laar, former president and CEO of Warner-Lehara, he was an entrepreneur and a leader. To Gleaves Whitney, the Hauenstein Center’s formative director and now executive director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, he was a mentor and friend. To Dennis Leiber, Kent County Michigan Circuit Court judge and former president of Serra International, he was a devout Catholic and philanthropist. To Brian Hauenstein, his grandson, he was a family man. To all of us, he was a patriot. This year, which would have been Ralph’s 110th birthday, the Hauenstein Center and our partners at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, Library, and Museum celebrated the four corners of Ralph. We were proud to welcome these four individuals, each representing one of Ralph’s four corners, along with Ralph’s family and friends, to hear and share the stories that we remember our namesake by.