John Anthony Hammes Sr

Athens, GA - Dr. John Anthony Hammes, of 235 Davis Estates Road, Athens, Georgia passed away on November 1, 2013 at the age of 89.
Born in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, he was the son of Captain Roman Burchart Hammes and Daisy Vincent Martin Hammes. The middle of four brothers, Hammes also grew up in Evanston, Illinois and Hendersonville, North Carolina.
He attended the College of Charleston, the University of South Carolina for V-1 officer training, then midshipman school at Columbia University before entering the U.S. Navy during World War II. He served in various administrative capacities as Executive Officer and Commanding Officer from 1943 to 1946, after which he was honorably discharged with the rank of Ensign.
After the war, Hammes received his B.A. at Duquesne University, his M.A. at Catholic University, and his Ph.D. at Pennsylvania State University, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Philosophy.
Hammes worked in military research psychology at Fort Benning, Georgia from 1953-1956, and was involved with developing the "Pop Up Pete" rifle range training system. He arrived in Athens, Georgia in 1956, where he served The University of Georgia as Professor Psychology and later Associate Department Head, retiring as Professor Emeritus in 1990.
From 1962-1968 Hammes, in association with Dr. Travis Osborne, was director of Civil Defense Research at the University of Georgia. Twelve experimental stations were supervised on campus, including Stegeman Coliseum, involving individuals numbering from 30 to 1,000, and periods ranging from one day to two weeks. By the end of the project, over 3,000 citizens had volunteered. Three 16mm research films were produced, two of which were shown at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Civil Defense Program write ups appeared nationwide, and locally in The Research Reporter (Fall 1967) and The Alumni Record (August-September 1967).
Hammes, a lifelong Catholic, was devoted to serving the Church. He was Faculty Advisor for The Catholic Center At UGA during the 1960s. He taught RCIA religious education classes and led Rosary prayer groups at Saint Joseph Catholic Church until recent years. He authored more than 140 articles, contributing to religious and professional journals including Homiletic and Pastoral Review, Faith and Reason, Journal of Psychology and Theology, Soul Magazine, and Hearts Aflame.
Hammes was also the author of several books including Humanistic Psychology: A Christian Interpretation, Human Destiny: Exploring Today's Value Systems, The Way of the Cross, In Praise of God, Ascend to Your Father: Introduction to Marian Meditation, Meditations on the Stations of the Cross, One Month Spiritual Rosary, and several books on Rosary meditations.
He was a member of the American Psychological Association, the Southeastern Psychological Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars.
Survivors include his wife of 49 years, Janelle Hammes, of Athens; sons, John Hammes, Jr. of Athens, Paul Hammes, and wife Dana, of Clemmons, North Carolina; daughters, Penny Desmond, and husband John, of Rome, Georgia, Mary Jessica Hammes, and husband Robert Newsome, of Athens; grandchildren, Marie Janelle Hammes, Matthew Heyward Hammes, John Joseph Desmond V, Samuel Paul Desmond, Thomas Edwin Hammes Newsome; a number of nieces and nephews and many friends and students of the Athens community.
The funeral mass will be held at Saint Joseph Catholic Church on November 7, 2013 at 11:00 AM with Father David McGuinness, celebrant. A reception will follow at St. Joseph's Parish Hall.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Saint Joseph Catholic Church Capital Campaign.
Lord & Stephens Funeral Home, East is in charge of arrangements.