John Hays Hammond Jr. was not the only notable member of his family. His father, John Hays Hammond Sr. (1855-1936) was a well-connected and very wealthy mining magnate who even campaigned for the vice presidency of the United States during the 1908 election season that saw his close friend William Howard Taft rise to the presidency. The Hammond matriarch, Natalie Harris Hammond (1859-1931) was a well-respected, high-society woman involved in many philanthropic efforts. Jack’s siblings also distinguished themselves in different ways: the eldest brother, Harris Hays Hammond (1881-1969) was an accomplished businessman; the younger brother, Richard Pindle Hammond (1896-1980) was a WWI Navy veteran, composer, and author; and Natalie Hays Hammond (1904-1985) was an acclaimed, multidisciplinary artist, writer, architect, businesswoman, and the founder of the Massachusetts Women’s Defense Corps during WWII. There was a fourth male Hammond child of that generation, Nathaniel Harris Hammond (1902-1907), who tragically died following an accidental fall as a child.

Even the generation preceding Hammond Sr. produced historically significant figures such as Jack’s grandfather, Richard (1820-1891), who served in many distinguished military and political positions and was a friend of President Franklin Pierce. The legendary soldier and Texas Ranger John Coffee Hays (1817-1883) was also the great-uncle of our founder through his grandmother’s side of the family.