Jay Hammond
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| Jay Sterner Hammond | |
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| In office December 2, 1974 – December 6, 1982 |
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| Lieutenant(s) | Lowell Thomas, Jr. Terry Miller |
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| Preceded by | William A. Egan |
| Succeeded by | Bill Sheffield |
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| Born | July 21, 1922 Troy, New York |
| Died | August 2, 2005 Port Alsworth, Alaska |
| Political party | Democratic |
Jay Sterner Hammond (July 21, 1922 – August 2, 2005) was an American Republican politician who was Governor of Alaska from 1974 to 1982.
He was born in Troy, New York in 1922. He studied petroleum engineering at Penn State University, where he was a member of Triangle Fraternity. He later served as a Marine Corps fighter pilot in World War II, and in China, until 1946.
In 1946 Jay Hammond moved to Alaska where he worked as a bush pilot and got a degree in biological sciences at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He became politically active, serving as a state representative from 1959 to 1965, state senator from 1967 to 1972, mayor of the Bristol Bay Borough from 1972-1974, and governor of Alaska from 1974-1982.
As governor during the biggest economic boom in Alaska's history, the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, Jay Hammond oversaw the creation of the state government's most popular, and famous program, the Alaska Permanent Fund. The Permanent Fund as envisioned by Mr. Hammond is a program to invest oil royalties to cover future state budgets, but has since the early 1980s also paid out annual dividends to residents of the state of Alaska.
As governor, Hammond advocated (and later continued to advocate as a private citizen) fiscal responsibility, and in addition to setting up the Permanent Fund, also passed an amendment to the Alaska Constitution limiting state spending.
After his term as governor, Hammond continued to be active in public life. As Alaska's most respected politician, he advocated for environmentally and fiscally responsible government, and individual civic responsibility. He wrote articles for newspapers in Alaska, and occasionally appeared in public service announcements on television. Hammond hosted a television series, Jay Hammond's Alaska, from 1985 to 1992.
He wrote two autobiographies, Tales of Alaska's Bush Rat Governor: The Extraordinary Autobiography of Jay Hammond, Wilderness Guide and Reluctant Politician and Chips from the Chopping Block: More Tales from Alaska's Bush Rat Governor.
Hammond lived in Port Alsworth, Alaska, on Lake Clark, until his death at age 83 on August 2, 2005. According to his wife, Bella, he appeared to have died peacefully in his sleep.
[edit] External links
- Newspaper editorial on state spending by Jay Hammond
- Open letter on the Alaska Permanent Fund and state budget deficit
| Preceded by William A. Egan |
Governor of Alaska 1974–1982 |
Succeeded by Bill Sheffield |
| Governors of Alaska |  |
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| District: Kinkead • Swineford • Knapp • Sheakley • Brady • Hoggatt • Clark
Territorial: Clark • Strong • Riggs • Bone • Parks • Troy • Gruening • Heintzleman • Hendrickson • Stepovich • Hendrickson State: Egan • Hickel • Miller • Egan • Hammond • Sheffield • Cowper • Hickel • Knowles • Murkowski • Palin |
