James Hormel
Encyclopedia
James Catherwood Hormel is an American philanthropist
and grandson of George A. Hormel
, founder of Hormel Foods (producers of Spam
and other processed meat products).
. He earned a B.A. in history (1955) from Swarthmore College
, Pennsylvania
and a law degree (1958) from the University of Chicago
Law School where he later served as dean of students and director of admissions. In 1981 he was one of the founders of the Human Rights Campaign
. He was a member of the 1995 United Nations Commission on Human Rights
and the 1996 U.S. delegation to the United Nations General Assembly
, and the boards of directors of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and the American Foundation for AIDS Research
. Hormel funded the creation of James C. Hormel Gay & Lesbian Center at the San Francisco Public Library
in 1995. It is the gateway to collections documenting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT
) history and culture, with a special emphasis on the San Francisco Bay Area
.
Hormel was appointed United States Ambassador
to Luxembourg
by President
Bill Clinton
in 1999. When he was appointed through a recess appointment
, Hormel became the first openly
gay
man to represent the United States as an ambassador.
Hormel participated in numerous events, including a conference organized in 2004 by Amnesty International
in the frame of the Geneva Gay Pride. In 2010 he was given the Lifetime Achievement Grand Marshall Award by San Francisco Pride
Board of Directors for his LGBT activism over several decades.
considered Hormel for the ambassador
ship to Fiji
, but did not put the nomination forward due to protests from Fiji officials. Gay male sexual acts were punishable with prison sentences in Fiji and Hormel's being open about his sexuality would stand in conflict with culture. Instead Hormel was named as part of the United Nations
delegation from the US to the Human Rights Commission
in 1995, and in 1996 became an alternate for the United Nations General Assembly
. In October 1997 Clinton nominated Hormel to be ambassador to Luxembourg
, which had removed laws prohibiting consensual same-sex acts between adults in the 1800s. This appointment was the first nomination or appointment of an openly
LGBT person from the US.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved his nomination with only Republican
and conservative Senators Jesse Helms
and John Ashcroft
opposed. Three other Republicans, James Inhofe, Tim Hutchinson
, and Robert C. Smith
, with the urging of religious and social conservatives campaigned vigorously against Hormel's nomination. Trent Lott
, the Republican Majority Leader
, worked to block the vote and publicly called homosexuality
a sin
and compared it to alcoholism
and kleptomania
. Christian-based conservative groups like the Traditional Values Coalition
(TVC) and the Family Research Council
(FRC) publicly accused Hormel of being pro-pornography
and anti-Catholic and the Senators presented those charges to derail the nomination. They asserted that Hormel would be rejected in the largely Catholic Luxembourg. To support the pornography allegation, a list of materials in the Hormel collection at the San Francisco Public Library
was compiled by the TVC; it was later pointed out that the same works were also in the Library of Congress
. The anti-Catholic allegation stemmed from a 1996 San Francisco Pride
parade television interview where he was seen laughing at the same time the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
, a group that pokes fun at religious conventions, walked by. Although it was unclear why he was laughing, Christian right
conservative group FRC distributed video tapes to the entire Senate of the brief event.
Concerns about Hormel's reception in Luxembourg were "blunted when officials of the country, which has laws against discrimination based on sexual orientation, indicated that he would be welcome." Senator Alphonse D'Amato of New York found the obstruction of the nomination an embarrassment and urged that Trent Lott
bring the issue up for a vote. When Lott continued to stall, Clinton employed a recess appointment
in May 1999. Hormel was sworn in as ambassador in June 1999. His partner at the time, Timothy Wu
, held the Bible during the ceremony. Also in attendance were Hormel's former wife, his five children, and several of his grandchildren.
with his life partner, Michael P. Nguyen. Mr. Nguyen is also an alumnus of Swarthmore College, class of 2008.
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
and grandson of George A. Hormel
George A. Hormel
George A. Hormel was the founder of Hormel in 1891.Hormel was born in Buffalo, New York, USA, in 1860 and later settled in Austin, Minnesota. He established his meat packing company in 1891 and established a food company that continues to thrive today.He remained head of the company until 1929...
, founder of Hormel Foods (producers of Spam
Spam (food)
Spam is a canned precooked meat product made by the Hormel Foods Corporation, first introduced in 1937. The labeled ingredients in the classic variety of Spam are chopped pork shoulder meat, with ham meat added, salt, water, modified potato starch as a binder, and sodium nitrite as a preservative...
and other processed meat products).
Early years
Hormel was born in Austin, MinnesotaAustin, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 23,314 people, 9,897 households, and 6,076 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,168.2 people per square mile . There were 10,261 housing units at an average density of 954.3 per square mile...
. He earned a B.A. in history (1955) from Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and a law degree (1958) from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
Law School where he later served as dean of students and director of admissions. In 1981 he was one of the founders of the Human Rights Campaign
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...
. He was a member of the 1995 United Nations Commission on Human Rights
United Nations Commission on Human Rights
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights was a functional commission within the overall framework of the United Nations from 1946 until it was replaced by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2006...
and the 1996 U.S. delegation to the United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
, and the boards of directors of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and the American Foundation for AIDS Research
AmfAR
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy.-History:...
. Hormel funded the creation of James C. Hormel Gay & Lesbian Center at the San Francisco Public Library
San Francisco Public Library
The San Francisco Public Library is a public library system serving the city of San Francisco. Its main library is located in San Francisco's Civic Center, at 100 Larkin Street at Grove. The first public library of San Francisco officially opened in 1879, just 30 years after the California Gold...
in 1995. It is the gateway to collections documenting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
) history and culture, with a special emphasis on the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
.
Hormel was appointed United States Ambassador
Ambassadors from the United States
This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to individual nations of the world, to international organizations, to past nations, and ambassadors-at-large.Ambassadors are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate...
to Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
in 1999. When he was appointed through a recess appointment
Recess appointment
A recess appointment is the appointment, by the President of the United States, of a senior federal official while the U.S. Senate is in recess. The U.S. Constitution requires that the most senior federal officers must be confirmed by the Senate before assuming office, but while the Senate is in...
, Hormel became the first openly
Closeted
Closeted and in the closet are metaphors used to describe lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and intersex people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and sexual behavior.-Background:In late 20th...
gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
man to represent the United States as an ambassador.
Hormel participated in numerous events, including a conference organized in 2004 by Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
in the frame of the Geneva Gay Pride. In 2010 he was given the Lifetime Achievement Grand Marshall Award by San Francisco Pride
San Francisco Pride
The San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration, usually known as San Francisco Pride, is a parade and festival held in June each year in San Francisco to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies...
Board of Directors for his LGBT activism over several decades.
Ambassadorship
In 1994, President Bill ClintonBill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
considered Hormel for the ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
ship to Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, but did not put the nomination forward due to protests from Fiji officials. Gay male sexual acts were punishable with prison sentences in Fiji and Hormel's being open about his sexuality would stand in conflict with culture. Instead Hormel was named as part of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
delegation from the US to the Human Rights Commission
Human rights commission
A Human Rights Commission is a body set up to investigate, promote or protect human rights.The term may refer to international, national or subnational bodies set up for this purpose, such as national human rights institutions or truth and reconciliation commissions.-International Human Rights...
in 1995, and in 1996 became an alternate for the United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
. In October 1997 Clinton nominated Hormel to be ambassador to Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, which had removed laws prohibiting consensual same-sex acts between adults in the 1800s. This appointment was the first nomination or appointment of an openly
Closeted
Closeted and in the closet are metaphors used to describe lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and intersex people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and sexual behavior.-Background:In late 20th...
LGBT person from the US.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved his nomination with only Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and conservative Senators Jesse Helms
Jesse Helms
Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr. was a five-term Republican United States Senator from North Carolina who served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1995 to 2001...
and John Ashcroft
John Ashcroft
John David Ashcroft is a United States politician who served as the 79th United States Attorney General, from 2001 until 2005, appointed by President George W. Bush. Ashcroft previously served as the 50th Governor of Missouri and a U.S...
opposed. Three other Republicans, James Inhofe, Tim Hutchinson
Tim Hutchinson
Young Timothy Hutchinson, known as Tim Hutchinson is a Republican politician and former senator from the state of Arkansas.Hutchinson was born in Bentonville, Arkansas, and he graduated from Bob Jones University...
, and Robert C. Smith
Robert C. Smith
Robert C. "Bob" Smith is an American politician who has served in both the United States House of Representatives and the Senate. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life:Smith was born in Trenton, New Jersey...
, with the urging of religious and social conservatives campaigned vigorously against Hormel's nomination. Trent Lott
Trent Lott
Chester Trent Lott, Sr. , is a former United States Senator from Mississippi and has served in numerous leadership positions in the House of Representatives and the Senate....
, the Republican Majority Leader
Majority leader
In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...
, worked to block the vote and publicly called homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
a sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
and compared it to alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and kleptomania
Kleptomania
Kleptomania is an irresistible urge to steal items of trivial value. People with this disorder are compelled to steal things, generally, but not limited to, objects of little or no significant value, such as pens, paper clips, paper and tape...
. Christian-based conservative groups like the Traditional Values Coalition
Traditional Values Coalition
The Traditional Values Coalition is a conservative Christian organization that represents, by its estimate, over 43,000 Christian churches throughout the United States of America...
(TVC) and the Family Research Council
Family Research Council
The Family Research Council is a conservative or right-wing Christian group and lobbying organization formed in the United States in 1981 by James Dobson. It was fully incorporated in 1983...
(FRC) publicly accused Hormel of being pro-pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
and anti-Catholic and the Senators presented those charges to derail the nomination. They asserted that Hormel would be rejected in the largely Catholic Luxembourg. To support the pornography allegation, a list of materials in the Hormel collection at the San Francisco Public Library
San Francisco Public Library
The San Francisco Public Library is a public library system serving the city of San Francisco. Its main library is located in San Francisco's Civic Center, at 100 Larkin Street at Grove. The first public library of San Francisco officially opened in 1879, just 30 years after the California Gold...
was compiled by the TVC; it was later pointed out that the same works were also in the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
. The anti-Catholic allegation stemmed from a 1996 San Francisco Pride
San Francisco Pride
The San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration, usually known as San Francisco Pride, is a parade and festival held in June each year in San Francisco to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies...
parade television interview where he was seen laughing at the same time the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence , also called Order of Perpetual Indulgence in Australia and elsewhere, is a charity, protest, and street performance organization that uses drag and Catholic imagery to call attention to sexual intolerance and satirize issues of gender and morality...
, a group that pokes fun at religious conventions, walked by. Although it was unclear why he was laughing, Christian right
Christian right
Christian right is a term used predominantly in the United States to describe "right-wing" Christian political groups that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies...
conservative group FRC distributed video tapes to the entire Senate of the brief event.
Concerns about Hormel's reception in Luxembourg were "blunted when officials of the country, which has laws against discrimination based on sexual orientation, indicated that he would be welcome." Senator Alphonse D'Amato of New York found the obstruction of the nomination an embarrassment and urged that Trent Lott
Trent Lott
Chester Trent Lott, Sr. , is a former United States Senator from Mississippi and has served in numerous leadership positions in the House of Representatives and the Senate....
bring the issue up for a vote. When Lott continued to stall, Clinton employed a recess appointment
Recess appointment
A recess appointment is the appointment, by the President of the United States, of a senior federal official while the U.S. Senate is in recess. The U.S. Constitution requires that the most senior federal officers must be confirmed by the Senate before assuming office, but while the Senate is in...
in May 1999. Hormel was sworn in as ambassador in June 1999. His partner at the time, Timothy Wu
Timothy Wu
Timothy C. Wu is a philanthropic community leader. Wu is the Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at ZeroDivide, a venture philanthropy foundation that invests in community enterprises that leverage technology to benefit low-income and underserved communities. He oversees external relations,...
, held the Bible during the ceremony. Also in attendance were Hormel's former wife, his five children, and several of his grandchildren.
Personal life
Hormel has five children, fourteen grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. He lives in San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
with his life partner, Michael P. Nguyen. Mr. Nguyen is also an alumnus of Swarthmore College, class of 2008.