Dr. Louis J. Hammann III, 92, of Gettysburg/Orrtanna, died Thursday, February 17, 2022. Although he was unable to participate in DFA’s activities for the past few years, he left an indelible mark on our organization.
Lou was one of those people who every small town needs to have a few of, a leader, a good neighbor, and a dependable volunteer. He taught at the college for more than 50 years, co-founded Gettysburg’s AYSO youth soccer program and served as head referee for 14 years, served on the boards of groups such as the Gettysburg Hospital and Project Gettysburg/Leon, and was the guiding light of Hundredfold Farm.
But it was his work as a political activist that we will never forget. He was a co-founder of the Gettysburg chapter of DFA in 2004 and was an active member, including the group’s Government Accountability Task Force, until hearing problems a few years ago prevented him from participating. But while Lou was an active presence for most of Gettysburg DFA’s run, Gettysburg DFA accounted for only a small fraction of his activist involvement. He was politically active for many years and made a particular crusade out of political finance reform. He was a protégé of activist Granny D (Doris Haddock) and delighted in describing the first year of the new millennium as “the year I spent getting arrested in Washington, DC.”
His wife, Pat, was equally active and the two were honored in 2018 by Gettysburg DFA for their years of service.
Leon Reed is a former US Senate staff member, defense consultant, and history teacher. He is a 10 year resident of Gettysburg, where he writes military history and explores the park and the Adams County countryside. He is the publisher at Little Falls Books, chaired the Adams County 2020 Census Complete Count Committee and is on the board of SCCAP. He and his wife, Lois, have 3 children, 3 cats, and 5 grandchildren.