Jan Hamer
Encyclopedia
Jan Hamer was an organic chemistry
professor
at Tulane University
in New Orleans from 1960—1992. A Dutch
citizen, Hamer received his Ph.D.
from the University of Leiden in The Netherlands. He authored three chemistry books and was listed in Who's Who in the South and Southwest. He was a member of the Round Table Club and the Holland Club, both in New Orleans. He had a deep interest in classical music
, history
, horticulture
, and cooking
.
Hamer was born to Gerard Pieter Hamer and Wijke Hamer-de Boer in Gombong, Indonesia
. He moved with his family to The Hague
in The Netherlands. He returned to Indonesia in 1952 and served for three years as a second lieutenant
and commander of a foot battalion
for the Royal Netherlands military. On March 20, 1956, Hamer married the former Millicent May (born April 10, 1926) of New Orleans.
Hamer died in a hospice
in Baton Rouge. Services were held on July 30 at the Audubon Park
Golf
Clubhouse in New Orleans. In addition to his wife, Hamer was survived by two daughters, Elizabeth May Hamer Pope and husband, Joseph Keith Pope of Baton Rouge, and Hilary Halsey Hamer Tafran and husband, Mohammad Hassan Musaid Tafran, of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; a grandson, Rayan Mohammad Hassan Tafran, of Jeddah, and a sister, Meinie, of the Netherlands.
Jan and Millicent Hamer's photograph and story of survival during Hurricane Katrina
was featured in the 2007 book (University of Missouri
Press), Holding Out and Hanging On: Surviving Hurricane Katrina by Thomas Neff, a photographer and a professor of art
at Louisiana State University
in Baton Rouge.
Organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons, and their derivatives...
professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
in New Orleans from 1960—1992. A Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
citizen, Hamer received his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from the University of Leiden in The Netherlands. He authored three chemistry books and was listed in Who's Who in the South and Southwest. He was a member of the Round Table Club and the Holland Club, both in New Orleans. He had a deep interest in classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
, and cooking
Cooking
Cooking is the process of preparing food by use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training...
.
Hamer was born to Gerard Pieter Hamer and Wijke Hamer-de Boer in Gombong, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. He moved with his family to The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
in The Netherlands. He returned to Indonesia in 1952 and served for three years as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
and commander of a foot battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
for the Royal Netherlands military. On March 20, 1956, Hamer married the former Millicent May (born April 10, 1926) of New Orleans.
Hamer died in a hospice
Hospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
in Baton Rouge. Services were held on July 30 at the Audubon Park
Audubon Park
Audubon Park may refer:* Audubon Park Historic District, Manhattan, New York City * Audubon Park, New Orleans, city park in LouisianaSettled places:* Audubon Park, Kentucky* Audubon Park, Minneapolis, Minnesota* Audubon Park, New Jersey...
Golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
Clubhouse in New Orleans. In addition to his wife, Hamer was survived by two daughters, Elizabeth May Hamer Pope and husband, Joseph Keith Pope of Baton Rouge, and Hilary Halsey Hamer Tafran and husband, Mohammad Hassan Musaid Tafran, of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; a grandson, Rayan Mohammad Hassan Tafran, of Jeddah, and a sister, Meinie, of the Netherlands.
Jan and Millicent Hamer's photograph and story of survival during Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
was featured in the 2007 book (University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
Press), Holding Out and Hanging On: Surviving Hurricane Katrina by Thomas Neff, a photographer and a professor of art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
at Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
in Baton Rouge.