In honor of Duke’s Centennial, The Chronicle is highlighting pivotal figures and events throughout the University’s history. Here we take a look at Sam Hammond, Duke Chapel’s longtime carillonneur:
At 5 p.m. each afternoon, Abele Quad comes alive with the sound of bells reverberating across campus. More than just a daily tradition, each ring serves as an ode to the legacy of the man whose musical talents and devotion to the University shaped its soundscape and cultural construction for decades.
For 50 years, J. Samuel “Sam” Hammond served as the University’s carillonneur, playing the carillon, a pitched percussion instrument, in the Duke Chapel every evening to serenade students with the familiar sound of 50 ringing bells.
Beyond his musical talents, Hammond was known for his distinct personality, from the way he tipped his hat to his charming chuckle. Senior Library Assistant Mary Yordy, who has since retired, summarized the sentiments of countless library colleagues in March 2021, writing that Hammond “was like an ambassador from a better world.”
From his time as an undergraduate student at Duke to his years as a fixture at the University’s Chapel, libraries and string school, Hammond was a treasured presence on campus.
Hailing from Americus, Georgia, Hammond arrived at Duke as a first-year in 1964. It was then that he first took a liking to the Chapel bells and met John Simpson, the student carillonneur at the time.
“John invited me to see the carillon (of which I knew nothing), and in response to my intrigued interest in such an unusual instrument and in a potential opportunity of being of service to the University, kindly provided me beginning instruction and, ultimately, opportunity to play,” Hammond told Duke Today.
When Hammond graduated from Duke in 1968 with his degree in history, he was promoted to chapel carillonneur. He became the official University carillonneur eight years later.
Hammond played recognizable tunes for specific occasions. At the end of every week, for instance, he played Duke’s Alma Mater, “Dear Old Duke.”
"Because the carillon is such a public instrument, it seems reasonable to me to try to respond to what might be in the mind of the public," Hammond said in a 2006 interview with The Chronicle. "At [the] Fourth of July I play patriotic things, for example. At Christmas time I play Christmas carols."
On Bastille Day, he played “La Marseillaise.” For the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, he played “God Save The Queen.” Hammond even took song requests from students, playing excerpts from the Harry Potter soundtrack one year on Halloween.
Aside from popular tunes, Hammond regularly played Baroque pieces and lyrical hymns. He loved Bach and had a framed quote of Albert Einstein’s hanging in the carillon room, which read in German — “What I have to say about Bach's life's work: Listen, play, love, adore and — keep your mouth shut."
Hammond’s musical talents fostered relationships and fondness for his work amongst his colleagues and friends.
Research Services Archivist Trudi Abel remembered that Hammond played “I have a little dreidel” after wishing her and her children a happy Hanukkah. Lynn Eaton, director of the Special Collections Research Center at George Mason University, once mentioned that it was her father’s birthday, and Hammond later played the Navy Hymn in honor of the navy veteran.
The musician was also a man of great faith, which played into his close relationship with the Chapel.
“Sam, more than anyone, had this deep appreciation of ceremony and tradition and the sacred life of the Chapel,” wrote Chapel Carillonneur Joseph Fala. “He saw the playing of the carillon as first and foremost an expression of his faith.”
While playing the bells at Duke every day, Hammond took an interest in Duke’s libraries.
After graduating from Duke, he earned his master’s degree in library science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Theological Studies from his alma mater. In 1974, Hammond became Duke’s first music librarian, and in 1986, he became a rare book cataloger.
His colleagues from Duke Libraries recalled that Hammond was deeply knowledgeable about history, including British history — with a particular affinity for the royal family — religion, printing and the University where he worked.
“If you were touching Sam, it was like you’re touching Duke history,” said Duke University Chapel Dean Luke Powery in a 2021 interview with The Chronicle.
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Similar to the close connections Hammond fostered with his colleagues, J. Andrew Armacost, head of collection development and curator of collections at the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library, told The Chronicle in 2021 that Hammond loved interacting with students and made an effort to show them special items from the collections.
He frequently gave library instruction classes to undergraduate and graduate students and showcased the collections in the Mary Duke Biddle Rare Book Room to elementary, middle and high school students. He also offered follow-up sessions to interested staff members, sharing the historic treasures of Duke libraries with readers of all ages.
Hammond taught students about a wide range of artifacts, from Greek and Latin manuscripts to collections of hymnology and sacred music. He often drew inspiration from the libraries’ collections, selecting pieces to play during his daily performance on the Chapel carillon.
When Hammond retired from the University libraries in 2012, the Rubenstein Library purchased a rare 1612 first edition of “De campanis commentarius” by Angelo Rocca — one of the earliest studies on bells — in his honor. Post-retirement, Hammond was given a carrel on the fourth floor of Bostock Library where he could continue his personal research.
Hammond was also involved with the Duke University String School from his time as a student. He volunteered with the school since its opening in 1967 and continued to accompany students on the piano for decades, playing in orchestras, violin and cello choirs and solo recitals.
Beyond Duke, Hammond was an organist at Methodist, Episcopal and Catholic churches and a piano accompanist for the Triangle Jewish Chorale, the Durham Savoyards and the Longleaf Opera Company.
When he retired as the University’s carillonneur in 2018, he was named University carillonneur emeritus. The Duke Board of Trustees passed a resolution in December of that year to name the carillon after Hammond, ensuring that each ring of the iconic instrument is a testament to his legacy.
In 2019, The Chronicle named Samuel Hammond a Chron15 Icon, commemorating his celebrity status on campus and powerful connection to the University community.
Friends and colleagues remember Hammond most for his unwavering thoughtfulness, cheerfulness and care for others. Mentions of handwritten notes signed with the Latin benediction PAX and gifts of handmade blankets and scarves are plentiful on the libraries’ online tribute for Hammond.
Hammond died Feb. 25, 2021, at age 73. The University lowered its flags in a show of solemn remembrance, and a carillon recital featuring the icon’s favorite hymns rang across campus.
Mia Taubenblat is a Trinity first-year and a staff reporter for the news department.