Thomas S. Hammond
Encyclopedia
Thomas Stevens "Tom" or "T.S." Hammond (October 29, 1883 – June 15, 1950) was an America
n business and political leader, soldier and football
player and coach. He played football for Fielding H. Yost's renowned 1903
, 1904
and 1905 "Point-a-Minute" football teams
at the University of Michigan
. In 1906, he served as the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels football
team. He worked for the Whiting Corporation in Harvey, Illinois
, starting in 1907 and eventually became the company's president and chairman of the board. During World War I
, Hammond served as an artillery officer in the Rainbow Division of the U.S. Army. He remained active in the Illinois National Guard
after the war and rose to the rank of brigadier general. Hammond was also active in Republican Party
politics and served as the chairman of the Illinois Citizens Republican Finance Committee and the Chicago America First Committee
. During World War II
, he was decorated for his work as chief of production of the Chicago ordnance district.
. He came from a family that manufactured iron for generations at Crown Point. His grandfather was Brig. Gen. John Hammond
, who served in the Union Army
during the Civil War
and later became a U.S. Congressman from New York. When the Hammond family's iron works began to suffer as a result of competition from Lake Superior iron ore, the family moved to Chicago.
The younger Hammond attended Hyde Park High School
on the South Side
of Chicago, Illinois. He played football at Hyde Park as the fullback in the same backfield with College Football Hall of Fame
inductee Walter Eckersall
. Hyde Park was undefeated for two consecutive years (1901 and 1902) with Eckersall and Hammond in the backfield, and both were selected as All-City players by the Chicago Daily Tribune
for 1902. In December 1902, Coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan
attended a Hyde Park game and gave Hammond points on kicking, and The New York Times
called Hammond and his brother, Harry
, "famous ground gainers." Hammond was captain of the 1902 Hyde Park football team and was recruited to play football by both Amos Alonzo Stagg
of the University of Chicago
and Yost of Michigan.
Hammond was a versatile athlete, playing both defense and offense, and at the end, halfback, fullback and tackle positions for Yost's football teams. In his first year at Michigan, Hammond led the team in scoring with 155 points on 13 touchdowns (worth five points), 65 goals after touchdown (worth one point), and five goals from field (worth five points). His 1903 point total was more than double that of any other player, including College Football Hall of Fame
inductee Willie Heston
(Heston had 14 touchdowns for 70 points). With an additional 88 points scored in 1904 and 109 points in 1905, Hammond's 352 points in three years ranks him among Michigan's all-time scoring leaders.
In June 1905, doubts were raised as to whether Hammond would return to play football for Michigan. Coach Yost told the press, "Tom is a law student but is only taking law as a sort of side line to his business career. He has gotten the knowledge that he needs and is anxious to join his father in the actual work of making money. His father is ready to give him the start he wants and, in all probability he will leave the university for good when he finishes his examinations this spring."
Hammond did return to complete his studies in 1905 and played a third season for Yost's football team. In November 1905, Collier's Weekly
published an article by E.S. Jordan making allegations of improprieties in Michigan's football program, including the recruitment of football players. The recruitment of Hammond was alleged to be the most "flagrant case of proselyting that has come" to the attention of Western educators." Jordan claimed that Hammond failed to get through his studies at Hyde Park High School, but "was nevertheless taken to Michigan and given a brief tutoring by special instructors and was soon up in the requirements for entrance." In an article published in the Chicago Daily Tribune, Hammond defended himself:
Michigan students were reported to be "more indignant at the attack on Hammond than at anything else in Jordan's article," noting that "Tom comes from one of the best families in Chicago, is a member of the D.K.E. fraternity here, and is considered one of the team's most upright men." The Michigan Alumnus also defended Hammond:
At the end of the 1905 season, Hammond was selected as a first-team All-Western player and was also selected by Walter Camp
as a third-team All-American
. In selecting Hammond as a first-team All-Western halfback, the Chicago Daily Tribune wrote: "Tom Hammond has earned the place as a halfback alone, but adds to that a valuable quantity in his ability to kick from placement and to boot out extra points after a touchdown. He is needed to turn touchdowns into goals as well as to gain ground in his irresistible tackle smashes."
Yost later called Hammond "one of the best offensive and defensive fullbacks I have ever seen." According to Yost, Hammond "never took time out and never was hurt." Hammond always played without protective padding saying, "I want them to feel my bones." Michigan's trainer Keene Fitzpatrick
required Hammond to wear pads in practice, but Hammond discarded them "when it came to actual combat." Yost later recalled Hammond's performance in the 1903 Ohio State game: "I'll never forget Tom in the 1903 Ohio State Game. They were leading, 6 to 5, at the half, and Tom couldn't rest. He ripped them to pieces the second half and led Michigan to a 31 to 6 victory." The Washington Post called Hammond "one of the best all around players who ever wore a Michigan uniform."
team. He began practice with the team on September 15, 1906, and Atlanta's The Constitution reported at the time that "the squad of candidates" that turned out for Hammond's team was "decidedly small," and "the new material in sight right now is nothing to be proud of." Accordingly, the Atlanta paper noted that "those who have entertained enthusiastic hopes for a successful eleven this season are somewhat disappointed to date." Hammond spent the first two weeks with the team "drilling them daily in the elementary part of the game and impressing on them the importance of the new rules," which included legalization of the forward pass
. Hammond led the Ole Miss team to a 4–2 record in 1906, including wins over LSU
(9–0), Tulane
(17–0) and Mississippi State
(29–5). One of the team's two losses came against Vanderbilt
, coached by Hammond's former University of Michigan teammate, Dan McGugin
.
, in 1893. The company is a manufacturer of heavy equipment, including cranes and lifting equipment.
, Hammond was a member of the Illinois National Guard
. When the United States entered World War I in the spring of 1917, Hammond was a first lieutenant of field artillery in the National Guard. He served for two years in the U.S. Army during and after the war. After several months serving on the Mexican border, Hammond was deployed to France as part of the 42nd Infantry Division, the famed "Rainbow Division." He was promoted from captain to major and eventually achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was placed in command of the First Battalion of the 149th Field Artillery Regiment and participated in the final rush of American forces in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive
. Hammond left his command while serving in Germany in January 1919 and returned to civilian life in Chicago in March 1919. In an interview with the Chicago Daily Tribune, Hammond said the Germans feared the Americans, because they were "fighting all the time." He noted, "You can be assured that there was no 'gentlemanly agreement' with the 149th. They fought. That tells the whole story."
At the end of World War I, Hammond returned to the Illinois National Guard. He was promoted to the rank of Colonel
in 1921 and Brigadier General in 1931. In 1932, he was recognized as Brigadier General in the U.S. Army Reserves
.
("NRA"). Hammond resigned from his NRA position in November 1933. Immediately before his resignation, it was reported that Hammond disagreed with the administration's policy of giving powers to NRA boards that would weaken industry's self government. On the day Hammond's resignation was announced, fellow Chicago industrialist J.L. Kraft
of Kraft Cheese Corp. stated that the NRA was run by "hairbrained professors, most of them with communistic tendencies who could not successfully operate a peanut stand." While initially denying any difference of opinion with the NRA, Hammond later stated that he found the economic principles of the New Deal to be incompatible with his own, commenting that NRA means "Nuts Run America."
In November 1935, Hammond was selected to serve a second term as president of the Illinois Manufacturers Association for the year 1936. He was also elected to the Illinois Bell
board of directors in 1937.
In 1940, Hammond was appointed chairman of the Illinois Citizens Republican Finance Committee, the Republican Party's fund-raising organization in Illinois. In December 1940, Hammond was also appointed chairman of the Chicago chapter of the America First Committee
, an organization opposed to U.S. intervention in the war in Europe. Hammond said at the time, "Our purpose is to marshal public opinion behind the committee's announced program of building an impregnable defense for America and giving expression to public sentiment for keeping America out of the European war."
In January 1942, following the United States' entry into World War II
, Hammond resigned his positions as president and director of Whiting Corporation to devote his full efforts to the work of the Chicago ordnance district. He was named chief of the Chicago district in August 1942, and was charged with facilitating the output of war material by Chicago factories and working as a liaison between private industry and the military. In May 1944, Hammond was given an award by Lt. Gen. B.B. Somervell in recognition of "outstanding contributions to the operations of the Chicago ordnance district." The citation stated: "Thru Gen. Hammond's constant attention to duty, his resourcefulness and his sound judgment as head of the Chicago ordnance district, and thru his extraordinary insight into industrial capacities and adaptabilities, he has rendered valuable service to the war effort of his country."
, played football at the University of Chicago
, was a track and field competitor in the 1904 Summer Olympics
and was credited with making ice hockey
a major sport in the United States during his time as chairman of the board of the Madison Square Garden
corporation. Brother Harry S. Hammond
played football with Thomas at Michigan. The other two brothers were Robert Hammond and Herrick Hammond.
(No. 1448) in June 1950 at age 66. He underwent surgery in early February 1950 and traveled to California following the operation. He returned to Chicago when his condition failed to improve. He was survived by his wife, the former Barbara Whiting, and their two sons, Stevens Hill Hammond and Thomas Lyman Hammond. His funeral was held at St. Chrysostom's Episcopal Church in Chicago.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n business and political leader, soldier and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach. He played football for Fielding H. Yost's renowned 1903
1903 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1903 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1903 college football season. The team's head football coach was Fielding H. Yost...
, 1904
1904 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1904 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1904 college football season. In the team's fourth season under head coach Fielding H. Yost, the Wolverines compiled a perfect 10–0 record and outscored opponents 567–22. The 1904 team was the fourth of Yost's...
and 1905 "Point-a-Minute" football teams
1905 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1905 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1905 college football season. The team's head football coach was Fielding H. Yost. The Wolverines played their home games at Regents Field...
at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. In 1906, he served as the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels football
Ole Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
team. He worked for the Whiting Corporation in Harvey, Illinois
Harvey, Illinois
Harvey is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, near Chicago. The population was 30,000 at the 2000 census.Harvey is bordered by Dixmoor, Riverdale and Blue Island to the north, Posen and Markham to the west, South Holland, Phoenix, and Dolton to the east, and East Hazel Crest to the...
, starting in 1907 and eventually became the company's president and chairman of the board. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Hammond served as an artillery officer in the Rainbow Division of the U.S. Army. He remained active in the Illinois National Guard
Illinois National Guard
The Illinois National Guard comprises both Army National Guard and Air National Guard components. The National Guard is the only United States military force empowered to function in a state status. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and...
after the war and rose to the rank of brigadier general. Hammond was also active in Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politics and served as the chairman of the Illinois Citizens Republican Finance Committee and the Chicago America First Committee
America First Committee
The America First Committee was the foremost non-interventionist pressure group against the American entry into World War II. Peaking at 800,000 members, it was likely the largest anti-war organization in American history. Started in 1940, it became defunct after the attack on Pearl Harbor in...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was decorated for his work as chief of production of the Chicago ordnance district.
Early years
Hammond was born in 1883 at Crown Point, New YorkCrown Point, New York
Crown Point is a town in Essex County, New York, USA. The population was 2,119 at the 2000 census. The name of the town is a direct translation of the original French name, "Point au Chevalure."...
. He came from a family that manufactured iron for generations at Crown Point. His grandfather was Brig. Gen. John Hammond
John Hammond (New York)
John Hammond was an American manufacturer, Union Army general and politician from New York.-Life:...
, who served in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and later became a U.S. Congressman from New York. When the Hammond family's iron works began to suffer as a result of competition from Lake Superior iron ore, the family moved to Chicago.
The younger Hammond attended Hyde Park High School
Hyde Park Career Academy
Hyde Park Career Academy is a public 4-year high school located in the Woodlawn neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is a part of the Chicago Public Schools District 299.-Notable alumni:...
on the South Side
South Side (Chicago)
The South Side is a major part of the City of Chicago, which is located in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Much of it has evolved from the city's incorporation of independent townships, such as Hyde Park Township which voted along with several other townships to be annexed in the June 29,...
of Chicago, Illinois. He played football at Hyde Park as the fullback in the same backfield with College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
inductee Walter Eckersall
Walter Eckersall
Walter "Eckie" Eckersall was an American football player, official, and sportswriter for the Chicago Tribune. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951.-Early life:...
. Hyde Park was undefeated for two consecutive years (1901 and 1902) with Eckersall and Hammond in the backfield, and both were selected as All-City players by the Chicago Daily Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
for 1902. In December 1902, Coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
attended a Hyde Park game and gave Hammond points on kicking, and The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called Hammond and his brother, Harry
Harry S. Hammond
Harry Stevens Hammond was an American football player and businessman. He played college football at the University of Michigan from 1904 to 1907. He later had a career in business with the Pressed Steel Car Company and the National Tube Co.-Early years:Hammond was born in Crown Point, New York...
, "famous ground gainers." Hammond was captain of the 1902 Hyde Park football team and was recruited to play football by both Amos Alonzo Stagg
Amos Alonzo Stagg
Amos Alonzo Stagg was an American athlete and pioneering college coach in multiple sports, primarily American football...
of the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
and Yost of Michigan.
Michigan
In 1903, Hammond enrolled at the University of Michigan and played football on Fielding Yost's famed "Point-a-Minute" football teams from 1903 to 1905. During those years, the Michigan football team compiled a record of 33–1–1 and outscored its opponents by a combined three-year total of 1,627 to 20.Hammond was a versatile athlete, playing both defense and offense, and at the end, halfback, fullback and tackle positions for Yost's football teams. In his first year at Michigan, Hammond led the team in scoring with 155 points on 13 touchdowns (worth five points), 65 goals after touchdown (worth one point), and five goals from field (worth five points). His 1903 point total was more than double that of any other player, including College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
inductee Willie Heston
Willie Heston
William Martin "Willie" Heston was an American football player and coach. He played halfback at San Jose State University and the University of Michigan. Heston was the head football coach for Drake University in 1905 and North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, now North...
(Heston had 14 touchdowns for 70 points). With an additional 88 points scored in 1904 and 109 points in 1905, Hammond's 352 points in three years ranks him among Michigan's all-time scoring leaders.
In June 1905, doubts were raised as to whether Hammond would return to play football for Michigan. Coach Yost told the press, "Tom is a law student but is only taking law as a sort of side line to his business career. He has gotten the knowledge that he needs and is anxious to join his father in the actual work of making money. His father is ready to give him the start he wants and, in all probability he will leave the university for good when he finishes his examinations this spring."
Hammond did return to complete his studies in 1905 and played a third season for Yost's football team. In November 1905, Collier's Weekly
Collier's Weekly
Collier's Weekly was an American magazine founded by Peter Fenelon Collier and published from 1888 to 1957. With the passage of decades, the title was shortened to Collier's....
published an article by E.S. Jordan making allegations of improprieties in Michigan's football program, including the recruitment of football players. The recruitment of Hammond was alleged to be the most "flagrant case of proselyting that has come" to the attention of Western educators." Jordan claimed that Hammond failed to get through his studies at Hyde Park High School, but "was nevertheless taken to Michigan and given a brief tutoring by special instructors and was soon up in the requirements for entrance." In an article published in the Chicago Daily Tribune, Hammond defended himself:
"Tom Hammond feels bad about the attack on him. He says he played at Hyde Park for three years, and that Hyde Park refused to allow any man to play who was back in his work. He admits he left there in the junior year. He admits he worked up under a tutor to enter here, and says he had to pass a stiff examination to get in. He says his work in his classes now and in summer school will indicate the sincerity of his purpose."
Michigan students were reported to be "more indignant at the attack on Hammond than at anything else in Jordan's article," noting that "Tom comes from one of the best families in Chicago, is a member of the D.K.E. fraternity here, and is considered one of the team's most upright men." The Michigan Alumnus also defended Hammond:
"Mr. Hammond, it is said, was enticed away from school and admitted into the University because he was an athlete. I have the word of as truthful a man as walks, who knew the circumstances of his coming here, that Mr. Hammond was not enticed away from school, and I know of my own knowledge that the fact of his being an athlete did not facilitate his admission to college. It is impossible here to substantiate with proofs the statement that I have here made about Mr. Hammond's case. Possibly my assertion is at least as valuable as that of somebody who does not know the facts."
At the end of the 1905 season, Hammond was selected as a first-team All-Western player and was also selected by Walter Camp
Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". With John Heisman, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding H. Yost, and George Halas, Camp was one of the most accomplished persons in the early history of American football...
as a third-team All-American
1905 College Football All-America Team
The 1905 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams for the 1905 college football season...
. In selecting Hammond as a first-team All-Western halfback, the Chicago Daily Tribune wrote: "Tom Hammond has earned the place as a halfback alone, but adds to that a valuable quantity in his ability to kick from placement and to boot out extra points after a touchdown. He is needed to turn touchdowns into goals as well as to gain ground in his irresistible tackle smashes."
Yost later called Hammond "one of the best offensive and defensive fullbacks I have ever seen." According to Yost, Hammond "never took time out and never was hurt." Hammond always played without protective padding saying, "I want them to feel my bones." Michigan's trainer Keene Fitzpatrick
Keene Fitzpatrick
Keene Fitzpatrick was a track coach, athletic trainer, professor of physical training and gymnasium director for 42 years at Yale University , the University of Michigan , and Princeton University...
required Hammond to wear pads in practice, but Hammond discarded them "when it came to actual combat." Yost later recalled Hammond's performance in the 1903 Ohio State game: "I'll never forget Tom in the 1903 Ohio State Game. They were leading, 6 to 5, at the half, and Tom couldn't rest. He ripped them to pieces the second half and led Michigan to a 31 to 6 victory." The Washington Post called Hammond "one of the best all around players who ever wore a Michigan uniform."
Statistics
| Year | Position | Touchdowns | Extra points | Field goals | Points |
| 1903 | Fullback, End | 13 | 65 | 5 | 155 |
| 1904 | End, Tackle, Halfback | 6 | 42 | 4 | 88 |
| 1905 | Fullback, Halfback | 15 | 35 | 2 | 118 |
| Total | -- | 34 | 142 | 11 | 361 |
Mississippi
In May 1906, Hammond was hired as the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels footballOle Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
team. He began practice with the team on September 15, 1906, and Atlanta's The Constitution reported at the time that "the squad of candidates" that turned out for Hammond's team was "decidedly small," and "the new material in sight right now is nothing to be proud of." Accordingly, the Atlanta paper noted that "those who have entertained enthusiastic hopes for a successful eleven this season are somewhat disappointed to date." Hammond spent the first two weeks with the team "drilling them daily in the elementary part of the game and impressing on them the importance of the new rules," which included legalization of the forward pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
. Hammond led the Ole Miss team to a 4–2 record in 1906, including wins over LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
(9–0), Tulane
Tulane Green Wave football
The Tulane Green Wave football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents Tulane University in New Orleans. The team is a member of Conference USA and is led by interim head coach Mark Hutson, who took over on October 18, 2011, when fifth-year head coach Bob Toledo resigned...
(17–0) and Mississippi State
Mississippi State Bulldogs football
The Mississippi State Bulldogs football program represents Mississippi State University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124...
(29–5). One of the team's two losses came against Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt Commodores football
The Vanderbilt Commodores football program is a college football team that represents Vanderbilt University. The team currently competes in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Southeastern Conference...
, coached by Hammond's former University of Michigan teammate, Dan McGugin
Dan McGugin
Daniel Earle McGugin was an American football player, coach, and lawyer. He served as the head football coach at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee from 1904 to 1917 and again from 1919 to 1934, compiling a record of 197–55–19. He played college football at the University...
.
Whiting Corporation
In 1907, Hammond married Barbara Whiting and became purchasing agent for the Whiting Foundry Equipment Company, known after 1920 as Whiting Corporation. Hammond spent his career with the Whiting Corporation, in time becoming its general manager, president and chairman of the board. The company was founded in 1884 by Hammond's father-in-law, John Hill Whiting, and moved to Harvey, IllinoisHarvey, Illinois
Harvey is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, near Chicago. The population was 30,000 at the 2000 census.Harvey is bordered by Dixmoor, Riverdale and Blue Island to the north, Posen and Markham to the west, South Holland, Phoenix, and Dolton to the east, and East Hazel Crest to the...
, in 1893. The company is a manufacturer of heavy equipment, including cranes and lifting equipment.
World War I and military service
Prior to World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Hammond was a member of the Illinois National Guard
Illinois National Guard
The Illinois National Guard comprises both Army National Guard and Air National Guard components. The National Guard is the only United States military force empowered to function in a state status. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and...
. When the United States entered World War I in the spring of 1917, Hammond was a first lieutenant of field artillery in the National Guard. He served for two years in the U.S. Army during and after the war. After several months serving on the Mexican border, Hammond was deployed to France as part of the 42nd Infantry Division, the famed "Rainbow Division." He was promoted from captain to major and eventually achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was placed in command of the First Battalion of the 149th Field Artillery Regiment and participated in the final rush of American forces in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive
Meuse-Argonne Offensive
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, or Maas-Argonne Offensive, also called the Battle of the Argonne Forest, was a part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire western front.-Overview:...
. Hammond left his command while serving in Germany in January 1919 and returned to civilian life in Chicago in March 1919. In an interview with the Chicago Daily Tribune, Hammond said the Germans feared the Americans, because they were "fighting all the time." He noted, "You can be assured that there was no 'gentlemanly agreement' with the 149th. They fought. That tells the whole story."
At the end of World War I, Hammond returned to the Illinois National Guard. He was promoted to the rank of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in 1921 and Brigadier General in 1931. In 1932, he was recognized as Brigadier General in the U.S. Army Reserves
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
.
Politics and civic work
Beginning in 1923 and continuing until at least 1933, Hammond was also a member of University of Michigan Board in Control of Athletics. Hammond served as the president of the Illinois Manufacturers Association for the first several months of 1933. He resigned the position in July 1933 to serve in the Franklin Roosevelt administration as the executive director of the emergency re-employment campaign of the National Recovery AdministrationNational Recovery Administration
The National Recovery Administration was the primary New Deal agency established by U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933. The goal was to eliminate "cut-throat competition" by bringing industry, labor and government together to create codes of "fair practices" and set prices...
("NRA"). Hammond resigned from his NRA position in November 1933. Immediately before his resignation, it was reported that Hammond disagreed with the administration's policy of giving powers to NRA boards that would weaken industry's self government. On the day Hammond's resignation was announced, fellow Chicago industrialist J.L. Kraft
James L. Kraft
James Lewis Kraft was a Canadian-American entrepreneur and inventor. Born near Stevensville, Ontario in Canada to Mennonite parents, George and Minerva Tripp Kraft, he was the first to patent processed cheese...
of Kraft Cheese Corp. stated that the NRA was run by "hairbrained professors, most of them with communistic tendencies who could not successfully operate a peanut stand." While initially denying any difference of opinion with the NRA, Hammond later stated that he found the economic principles of the New Deal to be incompatible with his own, commenting that NRA means "Nuts Run America."
In November 1935, Hammond was selected to serve a second term as president of the Illinois Manufacturers Association for the year 1936. He was also elected to the Illinois Bell
Illinois Bell
Illinois Bell is the name of the Bell Operating Company serving Illinois. It is wholly owned by AT&T.Their headquarters are at 225 West Randolph St., Chicago, IL. After the 1984 Bell System Divestiture, Illinois Bell became a part of Ameritech, one of the 7 original Regional Bell Operating Companies...
board of directors in 1937.
In 1940, Hammond was appointed chairman of the Illinois Citizens Republican Finance Committee, the Republican Party's fund-raising organization in Illinois. In December 1940, Hammond was also appointed chairman of the Chicago chapter of the America First Committee
America First Committee
The America First Committee was the foremost non-interventionist pressure group against the American entry into World War II. Peaking at 800,000 members, it was likely the largest anti-war organization in American history. Started in 1940, it became defunct after the attack on Pearl Harbor in...
, an organization opposed to U.S. intervention in the war in Europe. Hammond said at the time, "Our purpose is to marshal public opinion behind the committee's announced program of building an impregnable defense for America and giving expression to public sentiment for keeping America out of the European war."
In January 1942, following the United States' entry into World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Hammond resigned his positions as president and director of Whiting Corporation to devote his full efforts to the work of the Chicago ordnance district. He was named chief of the Chicago district in August 1942, and was charged with facilitating the output of war material by Chicago factories and working as a liaison between private industry and the military. In May 1944, Hammond was given an award by Lt. Gen. B.B. Somervell in recognition of "outstanding contributions to the operations of the Chicago ordnance district." The citation stated: "Thru Gen. Hammond's constant attention to duty, his resourcefulness and his sound judgment as head of the Chicago ordnance district, and thru his extraordinary insight into industrial capacities and adaptabilities, he has rendered valuable service to the war effort of his country."
Hammond brothers
Hammond had four brothers, each of whom were amateur athletes. His older brother, John S. HammondJohn S. Hammond
Col. John S. Hammond was an original sponsor and the first president of the New York Rangers franchise in the National Hockey League .-References:...
, played football at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, was a track and field competitor in the 1904 Summer Olympics
1904 Summer Olympics
The 1904 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the III Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States from 1 July 1904, to November 23, 1904, at what is now known as Francis Field on the campus of Washington University...
and was credited with making ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
a major sport in the United States during his time as chairman of the board of the Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
corporation. Brother Harry S. Hammond
Harry S. Hammond
Harry Stevens Hammond was an American football player and businessman. He played college football at the University of Michigan from 1904 to 1907. He later had a career in business with the Pressed Steel Car Company and the National Tube Co.-Early years:Hammond was born in Crown Point, New York...
played football with Thomas at Michigan. The other two brothers were Robert Hammond and Herrick Hammond.
Death
Hammond died at his home on Chicago's Lake Shore DriveLake Shore Drive
Lake Shore Drive is a mostly freeway-standard expressway running parallel with and alongside the shoreline of Lake Michigan through Chicago, Illinois, USA. Except for the portion north of Foster Avenue , Lake Shore Drive is designated as part of U.S...
(No. 1448) in June 1950 at age 66. He underwent surgery in early February 1950 and traveled to California following the operation. He returned to Chicago when his condition failed to improve. He was survived by his wife, the former Barbara Whiting, and their two sons, Stevens Hill Hammond and Thomas Lyman Hammond. His funeral was held at St. Chrysostom's Episcopal Church in Chicago.