Richard_Hammer

Dick Hammer

Dick Hammer

American athlete, firefighter, and actor

Richard Bernard Hammer (July 17, 1930 – October 18, 1999) was an American athlete, firefighter, and actor.

Quick Facts Born, Died ...

Early life and education

Born in Long Beach, California, Hammer attended the University of Southern California.

Career

Hammer was a basketball player at the University of Southern California, and competed in volleyball at the 1964 Summer Olympics. As an actor, he played the role of Captain Richard "Dick" Hammer in the first season of the Jack Webb produced television show Emergency!, which debuted on January 15, 1972. He left the show midway through the first season, because he felt that being a real-life firefighter was more rewarding than playing a fictional one. He returned to the LACoFD and retired with the rank of captain.

Hammer portrayed the Marlboro Man in cigarette advertisements in the 1970s.

Personal life

Hammer's grandson is former University of Southern California starting quarterback and current Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold.[1][2] Hammer's granddaughter, Franki Darnold, is a record holder for the University of Rhode Island women's volleyball team.[3][4][5][6]

He died in Long Beach from prostate cancer at the age of 69. Other sources cite the cause of death (as with other former "Marlboro Men") as lung cancer.[7]

References

  1. [1]
    "Obituary". Los Angeles Times. October 19, 1999.
  2. [2]
    Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Dick Hammer". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  3. [3]
    "Biography of Dick Hammer". EmergencyFans.com. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  4. [4]
    "Fifth former 'Marlboro man' dies from smoking-related disease". The Telegraph. January 27, 2014. David McLean and Richard Hammer, both 1970s Marlboro Men
  5. [5]
    "Eric Lawson Was the Fifth Marlboro Man to Die of Smoking-Related Illness". People. January 28, 2014. Richard Hammer, a firefighter-turned-actor from the TV show Emergency!, played the Marlboro Man
  6. [6]
    "Sam Darnold Bio". University of Southern California. October 15, 2016. Archived from the original on June 30, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  7. [7]
    "Eric Lawson Was the Fifth Marlboro Man to Die of Smoking-Related Illness". People. January 28, 2014. Richard Hammer, a firefighter-turned-actor from the TV show Emergency!, played the Marlboro Man
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