John Hammill
Encyclopedia
John Hammill served three terms as the 24th Governor of Iowa from 1925 to 1931.
. He earned a law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law
in 1897, and practiced law in Britt, Iowa
. After serving as a county attorney from 1902 to 1908, he was elected to the Iowa Senate
where he served until 1913. In 1920, he was elected the 25th Lieutenant Governor of Iowa
and was re-elected to that position in 1922.
In August 1923, Governor N. E. Kendall was sidelined because of a heart condition, which led to speculation that he would resign before the end of his term, thus leaving Hammill as Iowa's governor. Although Kendall left the state for an extended stay in Hawaii to recuperate, leaving Hammill as Iowa's acting governor for several months, Kendall did not resign. Kendall did not seek re-election in 1924, and Hammill announced his candidacy for the post.
Hammill won the 1924 Republican gubernatorial nomination, and defeated James C. Murtagh in the general election. He was sworn in to the governor's office on January 15, 1925. He won reelection to a second term in 1926 (defeating Democratic candidate Alex R. Miller), and to a third term in 1928 (defeating Democratic candidate L. W. Housel
).
The following changes occurred during his tenure:
Hammill did not run for reelection as Governor in 1930, choosing instead to run for the United States Senate
. He lost in the Republican primary to Lester J. Dickinson
.
He died on April 6, 1936, in Britt, where he was buried.
, Aug. 8, 1927.
Biography
Hammill was born in Linden, WisconsinLinden, Wisconsin
Linden is a village in Iowa County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 615 at the 2000 census. The village is located within the Town of Linden.-Geography:Linden is located at ....
. He earned a law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law
University of Iowa College of Law
The University of Iowa College of Law is one of the eleven professional graduate schools at the University of Iowa, located in Iowa City, Iowa. Founded in 1865, it is the oldest law school in continuous operation west of the Mississippi River. The law school was ranked as the 27th best law school...
in 1897, and practiced law in Britt, Iowa
Britt, Iowa
Britt is a city in Hancock County, Iowa, United States, and is the home of the National Hobo Convention. The population was 2,052 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Britt is located at ....
. After serving as a county attorney from 1902 to 1908, he was elected to the Iowa Senate
Iowa Senate
The Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 50 members of the Senate, representing 50 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 59,500 per constituency. Each Senate district is composed of two House districts...
where he served until 1913. In 1920, he was elected the 25th Lieutenant Governor of Iowa
Lieutenant Governor of Iowa
This is a List of Lieutenant Governors of the U.S. state of Iowa, 1858 to present. In Iowa, the Lieutenant Governor and the governor run together on the same ticket. Before the 1998 Election, the law was changed from the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor running separately....
and was re-elected to that position in 1922.
In August 1923, Governor N. E. Kendall was sidelined because of a heart condition, which led to speculation that he would resign before the end of his term, thus leaving Hammill as Iowa's governor. Although Kendall left the state for an extended stay in Hawaii to recuperate, leaving Hammill as Iowa's acting governor for several months, Kendall did not resign. Kendall did not seek re-election in 1924, and Hammill announced his candidacy for the post.
Hammill won the 1924 Republican gubernatorial nomination, and defeated James C. Murtagh in the general election. He was sworn in to the governor's office on January 15, 1925. He won reelection to a second term in 1926 (defeating Democratic candidate Alex R. Miller), and to a third term in 1928 (defeating Democratic candidate L. W. Housel
L. W. Housel
Lorenzo W. Housel was a Connecticut state legislator who later ran for Congress and statewide office in Iowa. Running as a Democrat in an era in which Republicans dominated Iowa politics, Housel was unsuccessful in each of his Iowa races.-Personal background:L.W...
).
The following changes occurred during his tenure:
- an office of superintendent of child welfare was instituted;
- banking laws were managed by a state banking board;
- junior colleges were initiated into the public school system;
- the state's highway system was expanded, updated and put under the management of the state highway commission; and
- a constitutional amendment was sanctioned that allowed women to be elected to the General Assembly.
Hammill did not run for reelection as Governor in 1930, choosing instead to run for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. He lost in the Republican primary to Lester J. Dickinson
Lester J. Dickinson
Lester Jesse Dickinson was a Republican United States Representative and Senator from Iowa. He was, in the words of Time magazine, "a big, friendly, white-thatched Iowa lawyer." In early 1936 he dreamed of winning the presidency...
.
He died on April 6, 1936, in Britt, where he was buried.
External links
, TIMETime (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, Aug. 8, 1927.