Governor Winfield Scott Hammond

WINFIELD S. HAMMOND, the eighteenth governor of Minnesota, was born in Southborough, Massachusetts on November 17, 1863. His education was attained at Dartmouth College, where he earned an undergraduate degree in 1884 and a master’s degree in 1889. While working as a high school principal, Hammond studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1891, and then established his legal career, serving as the Watonwan County prosecuting attorney from 1895 to 1896 and 1900 to 1905. From 1896 to 1900 he served as a member of the State Board of Normal School Directors. Hammond entered politics in 1907, serving as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, a position he held until 1915. He next secured the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, and was elected governor by a popular vote on November 3, 1914. During his tenure, he promoted women’s voting rights, as well as other reform measures. However, a little less than a year into his term, Hammond passed away. Governor Winfield S. Hammond was buried in the Mount Hope Cemetery in St. James, Minnesota.