Ralph Warner Hammett
Ralph Warner Hammett born June 26, 1896 in Mankato, Minnesota and died in 1984, was an Architect and professor. His first degree in architecture came from the University of Minnesota in 1919 and was followed in 1923 from Harvard University. At Harvard, he was awarded the prestigious “Rome Prize”.[1]
After a period in academia at the University of Michigan Hammett joined the U.S. Army Civil Affairs Training School at Harvard University in 1943. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in late August 1943. From there he was assigned to the European Civil Affairs Division.
Because of his experience and skills he was in 1944 stationed in Paris as a Monuments Officer with the Communications Zone (“Com Z”). It was during this period that he assisted in establishing a card catalogue of important European monuments arranged by location. At the same time field reports were coming in from Monuments Men in the field and these reports were merged into Hammett's catalogue. The resulting catalog became a centralised location for the most up-to-date information on monuments and fine arts available during the Second World War and was central to the success of the MFAA.
After the war, having been discharged in May 1945, Hammett returned to academia as Professor at the University of Michigan.[2] He continued to design himself including the interior of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial in Springfield, Illinois and the Cook County Criminal Court Building in Chicago.