Nicholas Hammond dies

Nicholas G.L. Hammond, a distinguished historian of ancient Greece who taught humanities at Reed in 1975–76, died in March at age 93. He was Reed’s first Mellon Distinguished Professor of Humanities, and during his time at Reed he drew a large following in Portland with a series of public lectures at Reed on Greek tragedy. Most of Hammond’s academic career was spent at Clare College, Cambridge, and at Clifton College, Bristol. He is known for his extensive works on Greek literature and history, with more than 20 volumes published and others in publication; he was co-editor of the second edition of the Cambridge Ancient History and editor of the second edition of the Oxford Classical Dictionary. Hammond served in the British military in Greece during World War II and was decorated by the Greek government both for his scholarly work and for his leadership in organizing the Greek resistance. The London Times wrote in his obituary that Hammond displayed “a rare combination of humility and authoritativeness, of kindly approachability and bustling industriousness.” Hammond is survived by his wife, Margaret, and two sons and two daughters.