Michael P. Hammond
Encyclopedia
Michael P. Hammond was an American musician, educator, and eighth chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts
.
, and spent much of his childhood in Appleton, Wisconsin
. He attended Appleton High School
, where he graduated in 1950. He represented his state at the American Legion
's Boys Forum of National Government
in 1949, and was elected Boy President of the United States. Upon returning to Appleton, he was welcomed back by a parade from the train station to city hall.
in Appleton, Wisconsin
with a degree in classics and philosophy. He then studied at Delhi University, where he studied Indian music and philosophy. He took lessons in the sitar
from Ravi Shankar
. Hammond won a Rhodes Scholarship in 1956 to attend Oxford University, where he studied philosophy, psychology, and physiology at Oxford's Oriel College. He stayed on at Oxford to study pre-medicine, planning on entering a career in medical research.
After completing his work at Oxford, Hammond returned to Wisconsin
and spent a year on the Menominee Indian Reservation, learning to speak Menominee
and studied the clash between whites and the native population.
Hammond then moved to Madison, Wisconsin
, where he worked at the University of Wisconsin–Madison as an instructor in physiology and anatomy and a researcher in neuroanatomy
. At the same time he also taught neuroanatomy and physiology at the Marquette Medical School
.
In the 1968, Hammond moved to New York
to serve as the dean of music for the newly-created State University of New York at Purchase
. In 1977 he became the college's president, working in that role to 1980. While in New York, Hammond served as an associate conductor with the American Symphony Orchestra
under Leopold Stokowski
and as music director and conductor of the Dessoff Choirs
.
Hammond served as the dean of the Shepherd School of Music
at Rice University
from 1986 to 2001.
to head the NEA, and was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on December 20, 2001. He began working at the NEA on January 22, 2002 but died a week later in Washington, D.C.
on January 29, 2002. He was 69.
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
.
Early life
Hammond was a native of Kenosha, WisconsinKenosha, Wisconsin
Kenosha is a city and the county seat of Kenosha County in the State of Wisconsin in United States. With a population of 99,218 as of May 2011, Kenosha is the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Kenosha is also the fourth-largest city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, following Chicago,...
, and spent much of his childhood in Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 78,086 at the 2010 census...
. He attended Appleton High School
Appleton West High School
Appleton West High School is a high school located at 610 North Badger Avenue in Appleton, Wisconsin. It is a member of the Appleton Area School District....
, where he graduated in 1950. He represented his state at the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
's Boys Forum of National Government
Boys Nation
Boys Nation is an annual civic training event run by the American Legion.Each year, two delegates in the summer after their junior year of high school are selected from each of the forty-nine American Legion Boys State programs in the U.S....
in 1949, and was elected Boy President of the United States. Upon returning to Appleton, he was welcomed back by a parade from the train station to city hall.
Education and medical studies
In 1954 he graduated from Lawrence UniversityLawrence University
Lawrence University is a selective, private liberal arts college with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, in Appleton, Wisconsin. Lawrence University is known for its rigorous academic environment. Founded in 1847, the first classes were held on November 12, 1849...
in Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 78,086 at the 2010 census...
with a degree in classics and philosophy. He then studied at Delhi University, where he studied Indian music and philosophy. He took lessons in the sitar
Sitar
The 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
from Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar , often referred to by the title Pandit, is an Indian musician and composer who plays the plucked string instrument sitar. He has been described as the best known contemporary Indian musician by Hans Neuhoff in Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart.Shankar was born in Varanasi and spent...
. Hammond won a Rhodes Scholarship in 1956 to attend Oxford University, where he studied philosophy, psychology, and physiology at Oxford's Oriel College. He stayed on at Oxford to study pre-medicine, planning on entering a career in medical research.
After completing his work at Oxford, Hammond returned to Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and spent a year on the Menominee Indian Reservation, learning to speak Menominee
Menominee language
The Menominee language is an Algonquian language originally spoken by the Menominee people of northern Wisconsin and Michigan. It is still spoken on the Menominee Nation lands in Northern Wisconsin in the United States....
and studied the clash between whites and the native population.
Hammond then moved to Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, where he worked at the University of Wisconsin–Madison as an instructor in physiology and anatomy and a researcher in neuroanatomy
Neuroanatomy
Neuroanatomy is the study of the anatomy and organization of the nervous system. In contrast to animals with radial symmetry, whose nervous system consists of a distributed network of cells, animals with bilateral symmetry have segregated, defined nervous systems, and thus we can begin to speak of...
. At the same time he also taught neuroanatomy and physiology at the Marquette Medical School
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
.
Musical career
He also served as the director of the Wisconsin Academy of Music in Milwaukee from 1966 to 1968.In the 1968, Hammond moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to serve as the dean of music for the newly-created State University of New York at Purchase
State University of New York at Purchase
Purchase College, State University of New York, is a public four-year college located in Purchase, New York, United States. It is one of 13 comprehensive colleges in the State University of New York system...
. In 1977 he became the college's president, working in that role to 1980. While in New York, Hammond served as an associate conductor with the American Symphony Orchestra
American Symphony Orchestra
The American Symphony Orchestra is a New York-based American orchestra founded in 1962 by Leopold Stokowski, then aged 80. Following Maestro Stokowski's departure, Kazuyoshi Akiyama was appointed Music Director of the American Symphony Orchestra from 1973-1978. Music Directors during the early...
under Leopold Stokowski
Leopold Stokowski
Leopold Anthony Stokowski was a British-born, naturalised American orchestral conductor, well known for his free-hand performing style that spurned the traditional baton and for obtaining a characteristically sumptuous sound from many of the great orchestras he conducted.In America, Stokowski...
and as music director and conductor of the Dessoff Choirs
Dessoff Choirs
-History:The Dessoff Choirs is an independent chorus based in New York City. Margarete Dessoff established the organization in 1930 as the union of two choirs she directed, the Adesdi chorus and the A Cappella Singers, whence the plural Choirs...
.
Hammond served as the dean of the Shepherd School of Music
Shepherd School of Music
The Shepherd School of Music is a university school of music located on the campus of Rice University in Houston, Texas. Shepherd School is itself very selective, accepting overall about 10-15% of all graduate applicants and 15% of all undergraduate applicants...
at Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
from 1986 to 2001.
National Endowment of the Arts and death
Hammond was appointed by President George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
to head the NEA, and was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on December 20, 2001. He began working at the NEA on January 22, 2002 but died a week later in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
on January 29, 2002. He was 69.