Hammond was born in Rockville, Connecticut. In 1885, at the age of 25 he became organist and music director of Holyoke's Second Congregational Church,[a] a post that he served for nearly 60 years. He married Fannie Reed, daughter of Second Congregational's pastor.[3] Among his pupils was John Shea, who would later write Notre Dame's Victory March, first playing it for his former teacher on the congregational church's organ in 1908.[4][5]
He first joined the faculty of Smith College. In 1899 he joined faculty of Mount Holyoke College (as one of the first two male faculty) and remained there for over 40 years. In 1924 he received a Doctor of Music degree from Holyoke, in 1935 he established a music major, and in 1936 he resigned the position of chair of the music department.[3][6][7]
Throughout his career Hammond himself would give more than 1,200 local recitals as well as organize and tour Mount Holyoke's Carol Choir to venues across the country, including the White House.[8][9]
Hammond was also a collector of folklore songs, arranging and publishing Christmas carols through the New Haven Carol Society for more than 35 years, as well as most notably being the first musician to formally put the American folk-tune White's Air into print.[6]
In December 1942, Holyoke's daily newspaper Transcript-Telegram awarded Hammond with its third William G. Dwight Distinguished Service to Holyoke award.[3]
^Wallace, Francis (1949). The Notre Dame Story. New York: Rinehart & Company, Inc. pp. 209–210.
"He Had Something". The Catholic Digest. Vol. 7. College of St. Thomas. 1942. They[, the Congregational church's deacons,] were not a little shocked to see a man wearing a Roman collar energetically thumping away on the keys of their organ. One deacon had a remark to make when the recital was finished. 'Brother,' he said, 'you've got something there'"
^ abJacobi, Bonnie Schaffhauser (October 2015). "'In Burst of Fresh Song': William Churchill Hammond and His Christmas Caroling Choir at Mount Holyoke College". Journal of Historical Research in Music Education. XXXVII (1). Sage Publications, Inc.: 24–50. doi:10.1177/1536600615608460. S2CID146882086.
^"Faculty and staff biographical files". Five College Consortium. Retrieved 2021-01-29. The first male teachers, Asa Kinney (botany) and William Churchill Hammond (music), were hired in 1899.
^Clark, Rusty (2006). Stories Carved in Stone: Holyoke, Massachusetts. West Springfield, Mass.: Dog Pond Press. p. 163. ISBN9780975536261.
Johnson, Clifton, ed. (1936). "William Churchill Hammond, Mus. D.". Hampden County, 1636-1936 - Individual and Family Records. Vol. III. New York, The American historical Society. p. 68.
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