Hamilton Lamson

Born: September 8, 1886

Died: May 1971

Hamilton Newton Lamson was a farmer who lived in Vermontville. He was a son of Silas and Annie Lamson. His sister, Isabel, was the wife of Congressman Harrison "Pete" Williams. In 1981, Williams was convicted of bribery and conspiracy in the Abscam scandal.

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Adirondack Record, July 11, 1919

Hamilton Lamson was in Merrillsville Sunday and called on Mrs. George Lamson, who is quite ill.

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Adirondack Record, 20 August 1920

Hamilton Lamson attended church at Merrillsville Sunday.

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Adirondack Daily Enterprise, April 13, 1953

Hamilton Lamson is in a New York City hospital where he underwent an operation on both eyes Friday afternoon. Doctors are pleased with the result of the operation.

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Adirondack Daily Enterprise, March 11, 1958

EVEN A NEW JERSEY DEMOCRAT:

Uncle Hamilton Lamson Hopes Vermontville Gets A U. S. Senator

By JAMES LOEB

Hamilton Lamson of Vermontville survived the visit of a couple of' Democrats the other afternoon, but barely.

He had been warned of impending disaster. We had arranged the appointment the night before. When word got around Vermontville that the "press" was to swoop down on the bachelor farmer on the main road, his friends warned him too.

So when Bill McLaughlin and this correspondent arrived at the farmhouse, Mr. Lamson's first remark after a warm greeting was, "You both Democrats?"

We confessed. Despite the confession we were ushered into the spotless farmhouse with a hospitality that could not have been surpassed if our names had been Morhouse and Plumadore.

The reason for this visit is that Mr. Lamson is the uncle of a young man who has about an even chance to he a United States Senator, not representing Vermontville but New Jersey. More than that, this "maybe, perhaps" Senator-to-he spent all his early summers in that very house in Vermontville and even one summer worked for a number of weeks as an announcer for WNBZ.

His name is Harrison Arlington Williams, Jr., known to his friends as "Pete." There seems to be some confusion about where the "Pete" came in. Perhaps we should credit the story of Williams himself who should know. But he was young at the time, quite young, in fact, according to his own story, just about one day old.

According to Williams, his grandfather received a wire saying "Harrison Arlington Williams, Jr. was born 10 a.m. today. Realizing that this was a pretty lengthy handle, the grandfather wired back. 'How's Pete?" Later, according to Williams, his grandfather thought he should be called "Peter Murphy" in honor of the Irish side of his grand-mother's family.

Mr. Lamson, although yielding to the William version, had first given us a Vermontville explanation which also involved a "Peter Murphy." According to this version, there was talk of young Williams being a boxer, but of course not with his long given name. And so they began to call him after a bellicose character in Vermontville by the name of Pete Murphy. In any case, "Pete" is what his friends, constituents and his fellow Congressmen have always called him.

Here is the Senatorial situation in New Jersey. Sen. H. Alexander Smith is retiring. Everybody and his brother in New Jersey was anxious to run for the Senate, especially Democrats following the landslide victory of Governor Meyner. The leadership couldn't agree, but they finally narrowed the selection down to two men: Thorn Lord and Harrison Williams Jr.  The Governor closeted himself with his conscience, trying to chose between two good friends.  He came out with the name of Williams.

Pete" Williams may still have a primary problem when the voters of New Jersey pick their candidates on April 15. Two Democrats, Mayor John J. Grogan of Hoboken and State Conservation Commissioner Joseph McLean, are ruuuing against Williams. Grogan, from Hudson County which produces almost 35 per cent of the normal Democratic primary vote, may cause some real trouble, especially because he is a labor union man with wide labor support. Nevertheless, it is generally felt that, with the support of the popular Governor and most of the leaders, Williams should pull through.

Then there are the "finals" next November. That decision rests on the political climate of the mo. ment and also on the Republican candidate. The three GOP hopefuls are Representative Robert W. Kean; Bernard M. Shanley, former Appointments Secretary to President Eisenhower; and Robert Morris, former counsel to the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee and an intimate friend of the late Sen. Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin. Kean is given the edge.

Since the trend seems to be Democratic, as most Republicans will admit, and since Republican Senator Clifford Case won in 1954 by the merest squeak, Williams' chances in 1958 should be at least even if he putts through on April 15.

"Pete" Williams came to political prominence, even nationally, in 1953. Mr. Case, the Congressman from that district, resigned his Congressional seat. Williams won it to become the first Democrat ever the represent that constituency.

He won again in 1954 by 20,000 votes, considered a miracle. The Eisenhower landslide engulfed him in 1956. Perhaps, "engulfed" is not quite the word. Williams lost by 4,000 votes while the President carried the district by 80,000. Then he became the head of Meyner's successful campaign committee last fall, and that didn't hurt him.

"Pete" Williams is known as a hard campaigner who gets support from the so-called eggheads, but also from suburbanites, labor leaders and politicians. He is the model of the new politician. An Oberlin College graduate, clean-cut, even handsome, with an especial appeal to independent voters. Without that he could never have carried Union County, New Jersey.

Mr. Lamson calls him "conscientious and hard-working." Of his politics, his uncle says, "Well, he was born a Republican like the rest of us. But he thought it all through for himself, and that's the way to do it."  

The Vermontville farmer, who will be 72 this coming fall, has the independence of a man who has lived most of life by himself, with his own thoughts. Republican that he is, he is not blindly so, recognizing the accomplishments of both parties .

In fact, he seems to get a little annoyed at some people for whom the name Roosevelt is still a kind of bugaboo. "Who was it that gave us social security?" Mr. Lamson asks. "Wasn't it Franklin Roosevelt?"

And there's no question how he would vote if he had a New Jersey franchise. He has a great affection for his nephew whom be hasn't seen for about four years and that was in New Jersey.

Hamilton Lamson was born right there where he now lives in Vermontville, in the same house. In fact, his father was born in Vermontville too, in "the old house" which is down the road a piece. The "new house" is at least a hundred years old, but Mr. Lamson can't remember exactly when it was built.

He has two sisters, one of whom is Isabel Lamson Williams, mother of the would-be Senator. The other lives in Utica. And then he has a brother living in the Province of Ontario.

Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Williams, Sr., still come back to Vermontville every summer to live on the farm. In fact, Mr. Williams dropped in to see us at The Enterprise several years ago.

The Williamses had three kids, two boys and a girl. The girt is Jeannette Williams Smith, known simply as "Jay", whom we knew in Washington. The other son was Lamson Williams who was killed in the Korean War.

Had it not been for the sensational "situation" in New Jersey, the Harrison Williams, Jr. family might have visited here this winter, because "Pete" had talked about coming up for some skiing. But then the "situation" developed and skiing went by the boards.

Hamilton Williams of Vermontville has all the attractive qualities of an Adirondack farmer: sly sense of humor evident in the firs glance, strong spirit of indepen dence, devotion to his family although he has- lived alone, keen interest in what is going on. genuine hospitality, obvious diligence. He doesn't see too well any more but we suspect he'd find a way io read just about any fine print about the political situation in New Jersey. His friends tell him that "Pete" will never make it," but Mr. Lamson doesn't believe it. He'd sure do anything to have a senatorial nephew, even a Democrat.