Pharmacy Perspectives - Spring 2010 - 7

A TRIBUTE

A dear friend of the School of Pharmacy and former faculty member, F Hammerness, .C. passed away October 21 at the age of 87. “Hamm,” as he was affectionately known, helped shape the School of Pharmacy to what it is today.
As	many	have	attested,	“Once	you	met	Hamm,		 you	never	forgot	him.”	Despite	retiring	in	1987	after		 30	years	of	service,	he	continued	to	have	a	lasting		 impression	on	the	university,	the	pharmacy	program		 and	the	students	he	taught.		 And,	sentiments	published	22	years	ago	upon	his	retirement	are	still	accurate		 today.	“The	school	is	somewhat	quieter,	the	2nd	floor	a	little	emptier,	some	 sadder	for	his	absence.	Hamm	has	retired,	but	will	not	be	forgotten	by		 those	who	were	the	recipients	of	his	knowledge,	wisdom	and	true	friendship	 and	caring.” Read	more	about	Hamm,	his	life	and	the	people	he	influenced.	

Francis Carl “Hamm” Hammerness
8/8/1922 - 10/21/2009
Hamm	was	the	first	 of	six	children	born	 to	Carl	and	Gabrielle	Hammerness	of	 Glasgow,	Mont.	His	 mother	was	a	French	 war	bride	so	he	was	 named	Francis	in	honor	of	her	homeland.	 Hamm	was	fluent	in	 French	until	grade	 school	when	one	day	he	subconsciously	slipped	 into	French	to	answer	a	question	asked	of	him.	The	 children	in	the	class	laughed	at	him	and	the	teacher	 reprimanded	him	for	not	answering	in	English.	He	 said	he	never	spoke	French	again.	His	family	lived	 on	the	edge	of	town	and	being	the	eldest,	Hamm	 had	numerous	chores	and	responsibilities	including	taking	care	of	the	family	cow,	Lilly.	By	the	time	 Hamm	graduated	from	Glasgow	High	School	in	 1940,	he	had	been	a	member	of	both	the	Montana	National	Guard,	Company	G,	163rd	Infantry	 (1938-1940)	and	the	Citizens	Military	Training	 Camp	at	Ft.	Missoula	(1939-1940).	He	was	appointed	corporal	in	July	1940,	receiving	the	award	 for	best	second	year	candidate.	While	attending	the	 University	of	Montana,	Missoula,	Hamm	joined	the	 ROTC	from	1940-1943. During	World	War	II,	Hamm	served	in	the	U.S.	 Army	where	he	was	assigned	to	the	86th	Infantry	 (Blackhawk)	Division	and	became	Platoon	Leader	

in	Cannon,	Colo.,	and	 Battalion	Motor	Officer.	He	 saw	action	in	Europe	and	 was	awarded	the	Combat	 Infantryman’s	Badge	and	 the	East	African	and	Middle	 East	Campaign	Ribbon	with	 bronze	star.	With	completion	of	Officer	Candidate	School	(OCS),	Hamm		 was	commissioned	Second	Lieutenant	(June	1944)	 and	First	Lieutenant	(January	1945). On	January	1,	1946,	Hamm	married	Shirley	Larson	 in	Cedar	Rapids,	Iowa.	They	returned	to	the		 University	of	Montana	where	Hamm	received	his	 bachelor	of	science	in	1947	and	his	master	of		 science	in	1951.	The	Hammernesses	moved	to		 Chapel	Hill,	N.C,	where	Hamm	joined	the	faculty	 of	the	University	of	North	Carolina.	He	taught	 pharmacy	classes	while	working	on	his	doctorate,	 which	he	received	in	1956.	He	was	licensed	to	 practice	pharmacy	in	Montana,	N.C.	and	Colo. In	1957,	Boulder,	Colo.	became	home	for	Hamm	 and	Shirley.	Hamm	was	appointed	professor	pharmacy	at	the	University	of	Colorado	where	he	spent	 30	years	teaching	and	working	with	individual	students.	Those	years	were	the	highlight	of	his	career.	 Both	Hamm	and	Shirley	took	up	golf	and	fishing.	 Summertime	would	find	them	traveling	throughout	 the	Western	states	in	their	Air	Stream	travel	trailer	 accompanied	by	family	members.	In	later	years,	 they	summered	in	Estes	Park,	Colo.,	and	visited	 California	in	the	winter.

In	May	1979,	the	Class	of	 1979	presented	Hamm	with	 the	Outstanding	Professor	Award.	But	perhaps	his	 most	cherished	recognition	was	the	Distinguished	 Coloradan	Award	from	the	 School	of	Pharmacy,	University	of	Colorado	which	Hamm	received	in	Boulder	 on	May	25,	1990.	A	conference	room	was	named	in	 his	honor	when	the	new	School	of	Pharmacy	building	at	the	University	of	Colorado	Health	Sciences	 Center,	Denver,	was	dedicated	in	1992. After	Hamm’s	retirement,	the	Hammernesses	 moved	to	Clifton,	Colo.	for	a	few	years,	then	settled	 permanently	in	Yuma,	Ariz.	They	had	been	married	 55	years	when	Shirley	passed	away	on	Christmas	 day	2001.	To	“keep	young,”	Hamm	rode	his	bicycle	 daily	and	ran	errands	for	Three	Amigos	Auto	Repair	 in	Yuma.	He	enjoyed	classical	music,	advising	those	 in	difficult	life	situations,	politics,	and	good	food.	 Hamm	was	raised	in	the	Lutheran	Church	and	 belonged	to	the	BPOE	(Elks).	Both	he	and	Shirley	 had	been	members	of	Boulder	Country	Club	and	 Bookcliff	Country	Club. Hamm	was	predeceased	by	his	wife,	Shirley;	 parents,	Carl	and	Gabrielle;	sisters,	Vesta	Hintz	 and	Rose	Ellen	Kile;	and	brother,	Philippe.	He	is	 survived	by	his	brothers,	Mark	of	Rio	Rico,	Ariz.,	 and	Rolland	“Ole”	of	Borrego	Springs,	Calif.,	four	 sisters-in-law,	and	numerous	nieces	and	nephews.	 Hamm’s	indomitable	spirit	lives	on	as	he	left	a		 lasting	impression	on	all	whose	life	he	touched.	
Spring 2010

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Pharmacy Perspectives - Spring 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pharmacy Perspectives - Spring 2010
