Charles E. Hanger (February 23, 1924 – July 23, 1995) was an American basketball player, known for his career as a collegian at the University of California, Berkeley (Cal) and as an All-American player in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

[1] After playing his first two seasons at Cal, Hanger enlisted in the United States Army in 1943 to fight in World War II.

[2] While in combat in Belgium, Hanger was captured on December 19, 1944, and held until released by American forces in April 1945.

As a senior, he was honored as an All-Pacific Coast Conference selection alongside teammate Andy Wolfe.

However, he decided to instead play closer to home in the AAU, which was a common route for players of his generation.