Levi J. Ham | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Ham | |
| Member of the Maine Senate from the York County district | |
| In office 1837–1838 | |
| 6th Mayor of South Bend, Indiana | |
| In office 1880–1884 | |
| Preceded by | Lucius G. Tong |
| Succeeded by | George W. Loughman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Levi Jefferson Ham November 16, 1805 Shapleigh, Massachusetts |
| Died | June 11, 1887 (aged 81) |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Dartmouth College Bowdoin College |
| Profession | Surgeon |
Levi Jefferson Ham (November 16, 1805 – June 11, 1887) was an American politician and surgeon.
Ham was born in Shapleigh, Massachusetts, on November 16, 1805, to a family of Scottish descent.[1][2] Ham graduated from Dartmouth College in 1828, and received his medical degree from Bowdoin College in 1831.[2][3] He worked as a doctor in York County, Maine from 1831 until 1845 and then in Erie County, New York from 1846 until 1859, when he relocated to South Bend. Ham maintained a medical practice until 1871.[3]
Ham won election to the Maine Senate in September 1835[2] and served between 1837 and 1838.[4] During Ham's term in the state senate, he served as senate president and was involved in establishing an insane asylum in Maine. He also served on its board. Ham had a role in negotiating the border dispute with Britain.[2] He eventually moved to New York and then South Bend. During the American Civil War, Ham was attached to the 48th Indiana Infantry Regiment.[5] He had extensive service as a surgeon overseeing hospitals and care at various military posts. He was a reluctant mayor of South Bend who served from 1880 to 1884.[2] As mayor of South Bend, he was a member of the Democratic Party.[6]
Ham had a son and a daughter. His son Moses M. Ham ran the Dubuque Herald and served in the Iowa Senate.[2] Levi J. Ham died from dropsy on June 11, 1887.[7][8]
- ^ General Catalogue of Bowdoin College, 1794-1916. 1912. p. 426.
- ^ a b c d e f History of St. Joseph County, Indiana. C.C. Chapman & Company. May 3, 1880. pp. 919–920.
- ^ a b "Annual meeting of the Erie County Medical Society–Reception of a portrait of Dr. Levi J. Ham". Buffalo Medical and Surgical Journal. 11: 233–234. 1872.
- ^ Woodford Clayton, W. (1880). History of York County, Maine. p. 109. ISBN 9780832800375. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ^ "Medical History of Indiana". Journal of the Indiana State Medical Association. 3: 78. February 15, 1919.
- ^ "List of South Bend Mayors".
- ^ General Catalogue of Bowdoin College and the Medical School of Maine. 1889. p. 133.
- ^ General Catalogue of Bowdoin College and the Medical School of Maine. 1912. p. 426.