Winfield Scott Hammond (November 17, 1863 – December 30, 1915) was an American politician. He was a member of the Democratic Party. He was the last governor from Minnesota to have been a member of the Minnesota Democratic Party merged with the Farmer-Labor Party to form the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party.
Winfield Scott Hammond | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 18th Governor of Minnesota | |
| In office January 5, 1915 – December 30, 1915 | |
| Lieutenant | Joseph A. A. Burnquist |
| Preceded by | Adolph Olson Eberhart |
| Succeeded by | Joseph A. A. Burnquist |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota's 2nd district | |
| In office March 4, 1907 – January 6, 1915 | |
| Preceded by | James McCleary |
| Succeeded by | Franklin Ellsworth |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 17, 1863 Southborough, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | December 30, 1915 (aged 52) Clinton, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Profession | Educator, politician |
Biography
editHammond was born in 1863 in Southborough, Massachusetts, the son of Ellen P. (Panton) and John Washington Hammond.[1] His mother was born in England. He served from Minnesota in the United States House of Representatives in the 60th, 61st, 62nd, and 63rd congresses from March 4, 1907, to January 6, 1915. He was the 18th Governor of Minnesota from January 5, 1915, until his death on December 30, 1915. Hammond is just one of five Minnesota Democrats to win a gubernatorial election with a Democrat in the White House.[2] He was the second governor of Minnesota to die in office. Joseph Alfred Arner Burnquist succeeded him to the governorship to fill the vacancy left by Hammond's death.
Minnesota's eighteenth governor had little time to effect significant change before he died in office. Had he lived longer, perhaps Hammond would have realized his ambitious plans to reorganize state government by minimizing bureaucracy and eliminating waste to make Minnesota's wheels turn more efficiently. Instead, his most notable legislation was the "county option bill," a restriction on liquor sales that pleased prohibition advocates.
An inscription under Hammond's bust in the capitol describes him as "a scholar in politics". He earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Dartmouth College and, upon moving to Mankato at age 21, became principal of its high school. He later studied law while he supervised schools in Watonwan County. He made his permanent home in St. James, where he practiced law and established himself as a political contender.
A staunch Democrat in a Republican community, he lost his first bid for Congress in 1892, but perseverance and bipartisan support eventually brought him a congressional seat 14 years later. He interrupted his fourth consecutive term to leave Washington and run for governor.
Hammond had been in office only eight months when he suffered ptomaine poisoning on a trip south and died of a stroke, aged 52, in Clinton, Louisiana on December 30, 1915.[3]
References
edit- ^ Sobel, Robert; Raimo, John (1978). Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978. Meckler Books. ISBN 9780930466008.
- ^ Ostermeier, Eric (December 6, 2013). "Can Dayton Catch Lightning in a Bottle Twice?". Smart Politics.
- ^ "Minnesota Governor Dead". Sioux City Journal. Clinton, Louisiana. December 31, 1915. p. 2. Retrieved March 2, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- Biographical information and his gubernatorial records are available for research use at the Minnesota Historical Society.
- United States Congress. "Winfield Scott Hammond (id: H000135)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
