William Hamm Jr.

Lore & Background

William Hamm Jr. was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on September 4, 1893, to William and Marie Hamm. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota in 1915, briefly worked for the family brewery, then enlisted in the United States Army in 1918, becoming a 2nd Lieutenant. After World War I, he returned to Hamm's Brewery and became its president in 1931, also serving as president of the Emporium department store in Saint Paul. Both businesses prospered under his leadership.

On June 15, 1933, Hamm was kidnapped near noon while leaving the brewery for lunch. Four men shoved him into a car and took him to Wisconsin, where he was forced to sign four ransom notes, then moved to Bensenville, Illinois. The family received a phone call that evening, and a ransom note demanding $100,000 was delivered to the brewery manager. The Hamm family paid the ransom on the night of June 17, though less than the demanded amount, by kicking it out of a car between Pine City and Rush City. Hamm was released on June 19 at 5:30 a.m. near a farmhouse in Wyoming, Minnesota.

The FBI investigation used latent fingerprint identification on the ransom notes, connecting them to Alvin Karpis, 'Doc' Barker, and Charles Fitzgerald of the Barker–Karpis Gang. This marked the first successful use of silver nitrate in forensic science to identify fingerprints from objects that could not be dusted. Alvin Karpis was arrested by J. Edgar Hoover on May 1, 1936, in New Orleans, brought back to Saint Paul, pled guilty, and was sentenced to life in prison.

Reader's Guide

William Hamm Jr.'s kidnapping is historically significant as the first case where silver nitrate was successfully used in forensic science to lift latent fingerprints from paper, specifically the ransom notes. This breakthrough allowed the FBI to identify members of the Barker–Karpis Gang, including Alvin Karpis, leading to his arrest and life sentence. The event also highlights the intersection of organized crime and the brewing industry during Prohibition's end. After the kidnapping, Hamm continued leading Hamm's Brewery, becoming chairman in 1952 and establishing the Hamm Foundation in August 1952 with his siblings for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes. He retired in May 1966 as honorary chairman and died of cancer on August 20, 1970, at Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. His legacy includes both his business leadership and the forensic milestone tied to his abduction.

Did You Know?

• William Hamm Jr. was kidnapped by the Barker–Karpis Gang on June 15, 1933, while leaving the brewery for lunch.
• The ransom demanded was $100,000, but the family paid less than that amount.