Dr. Philip Hamman, a leading pest control industry educator, passed away on May 31, in Kerrville, Texas. He was 86.
Hamman’s pest control career included leading Texas A&M’s extension entomology program and working for the National Pest Control Association (now NPMA) as technical director. He was a PCT/Syngenta Crown Leadership winner, class of 1996.
A 1953 Texas A&M graduate, Hamman returned to his alma mater in 1964 as an extension entomologist, providing insect management information and control assistance to the state's cotton, grain sorghum, rice and peanut-growing industries. As Texas grew in urban population, so did problems with insects in the urban setting. Hamman changed his support to the urban citizens and developed programs that aided individual citizens, pest control companies and pesticide suppliers.
After a two-year stint with NPCA, Hamman returned to his previous position with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, but as urban entomologist. In 1981 he officially became the first extension urban entomologist in Texas. He served as department head for extension from 1985 until his retirement in 1996.
One of his great contributions in Texas was the development of the Phillip J. Hamman Termite Training School in College Station. As his successor, Mike Merchant, noted in his Insects in the City blog, “It was Phil's vision to establish a hands-on training facility near the A&M campus to provide a first class training venue for termite technicians around the state.”
According to Hamman’s obituary, after retirement, he and Pat moved to Leakey, Texas and built a home on Leakey Springs and subsequently, they moved to Hunt, Texas. He was a woodworker and built many things for his home and for others. In both Leakey and Hunt, Phil volunteered his service to the Big Springs Ranch for Children, and the Hill Country Youth Ranch in Ingram as School Board Member and HCYR Board for more than 20 years.
A Memorial is scheduled at 2 p.m., on, July 7, at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. In lieu of any flowers Phil requested memorials to be sent to the Hill Country Youth Ranch in Ingram, Texas, or https://www.txamfoundation.com/give.aspx Center for Urban and Structural Entomology Fund.
Additional source: http://grimesfuneralchapels.com