Hamill, Alfred E. (Alfred Ernest), 1884-1953

Chicago businessman and book collector.

Alfred Ernest Hamill, a Chicago investment banker, was the founder of the Centaurs Press in Lake Forest, Illinois. He was a trustee of the Newberry Library, serving as President of the Trustees from 1930 until his death in 1953. A distinguished collector, he bequeathed his calligraphy collection and his gypsy lore materials to the Newberry, and established the Alfred E. Hamill Fund for the purchase of rare books and manuscripts.

From the description of Alfred E. Hamill letters to Kenneth Meyer Setton, 1944-1946. (Newberry Library). WorldCat record id: 585901039

Chicago and Lake Forest investment banker, book collector, philanthropist, and president of the Newberry Library Board of Trustees, 1929-1953.

Alfred Ernest Hamill was born in Chicago in 1883. He graduated from Yale University in 1905 and resided in Lake Forest, Illinois, where he was founder of the Centaur Press. His business career began at the Northern Trust Company and ended at Goldman, Sachs, and Company. A trustee of the Presbyterian Hospital and Chicago Child Care Society, vice-president of the Art Institute of Chicago, and president of the Lake Forest Public Library and the Newberry Library boards of trustees, Hamill's philanthropic activities were wide-ranging. He died in 1953. He bequeathed his calligraphy collection and gypsy lore materials to the Newberry Library and established the Alfred E. Hamill Fund for the purchase of books and manuscripts.

From the description of Alfred E. Hamill papers, 1856-1967, bulk 1937-1953. (Newberry Library). WorldCat record id: 52905727