Thomas Ray Hamer (May 4, 1864 – December 22, 1950) was a

United States Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

. Hamer served as a single term as a Republican in the House from 1909 to 1911, representing the state at-large. Hamer attended

Hedding College Hedding College was a college in Abingdon, Illinois, that operated from 1855 to 1927. The school was named after Methodist Bishop Elizah Hedding. Merged with Illinois Wesleyan University in 1930. The campus was used by the Roosevelt Military Academ ...

, and Indiana University School of Law - Bloomington (now

Indiana University Maurer School of Law The Indiana University Maurer School of Law is located on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. The school is named after Michael S. "Mickey" Maurer, an Indianapolis businessman and 1967 alumnus who donated $35 million in 2008 ...

), and was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in St. Anthony, Idaho, in 1893. He engaged in agricultural pursuits in Fremont County, Idaho before entering politics. He was a member of the Idaho House of Representatives in 1896 and served until 1898 when he enlisted as a private in the First Regiment, Idaho Volunteer Infantry and served as captain and lieutenant colonel in the

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War or Filipino–American War ( es, Guerra filipina-estadounidense, tl, Digmaang Pilipino–Amerikano), previously referred to as the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency by the United States, was an arm ...

. After his term in congress, Hamer resumed his law practice in St. Anthony, Idaho engaging in banking at St. Anthony and Boise, Idaho. He would go on to once again serve in the military as a major and lieutenant colonel in the Judge Advocate General’s Department, during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

; After his service he would re-locate to

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

and practice private law, until 1943, when he retired and moved to

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. He died in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

, on December 22, 1950, at the age of 86. Hamer is the namesake of the city of

Hamer, Idaho Hamer is a city in Jefferson County, Idaho, United States. It is part of the Idaho Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 48 at the 2010 census. The city was named after Thomas Ray Hamer (1864–1950), a United States Represe ...

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References

1864 births 1950 deaths People from Vermont, Illinois Politicians from Boise, Idaho People from St. Anthony, Idaho Republican Party members of the Idaho House of Representatives American military personnel of the Philippine–American War Indiana University Maurer School of Law alumni Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Idaho Lawyers from Portland, Oregon {{Idaho-politician-stub