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John C. Hammond

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John Chester Hammond
Born(1842-08-15)August 15, 1842
Amherst, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedApril 21, 1926(1926-04-21) (aged 83)
Northampton, Massachusetts, U.S.
EducationAmherst College
Occupation(s)Lawyer; Northwestern District Attorney, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Years active1868–1918
SpouseEliza Brown (1842-1896)
Signature

John Chester Hammond ((1842-08-15)August 15, 1842 – (1926-04-21)April 21, 1926) was a Northampton, Massachusetts, lawyer and later Northwestern District Attorney of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.[1] He employed recent Amherst College graduate (and later US President) Calvin Coolidge in his firm Hammond & Field in 1895.[2]

Biography

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John C. Hammond was born in Amherst, Massachusetts on August 15, 1842.[3]

Coolidge said of Hammond in his 1929 autobiography, "He was a lawyer of great learning and wide business experience, with a remarkable ability in the preparation of pleadings and an insight that soon brought him to the crucial point of a case. He was massive and strong rather than elegant, and placed great stress on accuracy. He presented a cause in court with ability and skill."[4]

Hammond had served as President of Massachusetts Bar in 1913, and was Dean of the Hampshire County Bar for several years prior.[5] He died in the shingle-style Queen Anne home he had built in 1891, located in the now-named Elm Street Historic District of Northampton, Massachusetts.[6]

222 Elm Street, Queen Anne style home of John C. Hammond built 1891[7]
From left to right: Henry P. Field, Calvin Coolidge, John C. Hammond at Amherst College reunion[7]

References

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  1. ^ Public Documents of Massachusetts being the Annual Report of various Public Officers and Institutions 1896-1901
  2. ^ Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation Archived 2014-06-03 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Lockwood, John H.; Bagg, Ernest Newton; Carson, Walter S.; Riley, Herbert E.; Boltwood, Edward; Clark, Will L., eds. (1926). Western Massachusetts: A History, 1636–1925. Vol. III. Lewis Historical Publishing Company. p. 213. Retrieved October 23, 2024 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge, 1929.
  5. ^ "John C Hammond, Dean of Bar in Hampshire, Dies". The Springfield Weekly Republican. Northampton (published April 22, 1926). April 22, 1926. p. 4. Retrieved October 23, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "J. C. Hammond of Northampton Dead". The Boston Globe. Northampton (published April 22, 1926). April 21, 1926. p. 4. Retrieved October 23, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b Hammond Family photograph, Private collection.