Horace White Harrison ’43

The class and the philatelic world lost a heavyweight when Hammer died of pancreatic cancer Oct. 4, 2002. He was 81.

A stamp enthusiast from his youth, Hammer prepped for Princeton at St. Andrews in Delaware. He financed his freshman through junior years through sales of his extensive stamp collections.

After graduation, he entered the Navy and saw extensive duty on board the USS Burrows, a destroyer that escorted convoys in both Atlantic and Pacific theaters of war.

In 1947, Hammer began his insurance career with Hall and Harrison, an agency founded by his father, Robert B. Harrison. In 1952 he bought the firm, where he remained until selling the business and retiring in 1984.

His interest in stamps never waned through the years, and he left his mark by helping dealers and collectors insure their coins and stamps. Additionally, Hammer was a swing and blues enthusiast, who collected thousands of 1930s-80s recordings.

Hammer is survived by his wife of 17 years, the former Catherine France, and a daughter from his first marriage, Dr. Ellen Harrison. To them, we offer our most heartfelt sympathy.

The Class of 1943