James B. Hammond

James Bartlett Hammond (April 23, 1839 – January 27, 1913) was an American journalist, inventor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.

James B. Hammond
Hammond in front of his yacht, the Lounger II
Born
James Bartlett Hammond

(1839-04-23)April 23, 1839
South Boston, Massachusetts
DiedJanuary 27, 1913(1913-01-27) (aged 73)
off St. Augustine, Florida
Education
OccupationInventor, journalist, entrepreneur
Notable work
Hammond Typewriter
Spouse(s)
Jeannette Maxwell
​
(m. 1897)​

Biography

Born in South Boston, Hammond was a student at Boston Latin School and Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. He graduated from the University of Vermont in 1861. During the American Civil War, he was a war correspondent for the New York Tribune. During and after the war, he attended Union Theological Seminary, graduating in 1865. He studied at the University of Halle from 1865 to 1866.[1]

Turning his attention to mechanical improvements, in 1880 he invented one of the first typewriting machines that was built on scientific principles and with a true alignment. In 1884 the typewriter was placed on the market, and its manufacture netted him a large fortune.[2]

The Hammond Typewriter won for its inventor the Elliott Cresson Medal in 1890.[3]

Hammond married Jeannette Maxwell on September 15, 1897 in Boston. He died in 1913 aboard his yacht near St. Augustine, Florida.[4] He was estranged from his wife at the time of his death, and his will left his patents to Manhattan's Metropolitan Museum of Art.[5]

References
  1. "Hammond, James Bartlett". Alumni catalogue of the Union Theological Seminary in the city of New York, 1836–1926. 1926. p. 143.
  2. "Hammond, James B.". The New International Encyclopædia. vol. 10 (2nd ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead & Co. 1917. p. 638.
  3. Day, Walton (January 1893). "The Hammond Typewriter". The Office. 13 (1): vii–x.
  4. "James B. Hammond Dies While Yachting". The New York Times. St. Augustine, Florida. January 28, 1913. p. 11. Retrieved March 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Hammond". Morton Typewriter Museum - Google Sites.
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