Hammond Organ Company archives

Hammond Organ Company records, 1928-1985

Descriptive Inventory for the Collection at Chicago History Museum, Research Center

By Harvey Olsen, 1998; rev. by Julie Wroblewski, 2017; rev. by Erin Matson, 2025.

Please address questions to:

Chicago History Museum, Research Center

1601 North Clark Street

Chicago, IL 60614-6038

Web-site: http://www.chicagohistory.org/Research

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Title: Hammond Organ Company records, 1928-1985

Main entry: Hammond Organ Company.

Inclusive dates: 1928-1985

Size:

65 linear feet (66 boxes)

Oversize drawings (not processed)

sound recordings

Restriction: For listening purposes, it is necessary to use a copy, not the original (and to have a listening copy made if one is not available).

Some oversize drawings have not been processed and are difficult to consult in their present condition.

Provenance statement: Gift of The Marmon Group, Inc. (accession number: 1986.0254).

Terms governing use: Copyright may be retained by the creators of items, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law, unless otherwise noted.

Please cite this collection as: Hammond Organ Company records (Chicago History Museum) plus a detailed description, date, and box/folder number of a specific item.

This descriptive inventory contains the following sections:

Biographical/historical note,

Summary description of the collection,

Description of some material related to the collection,

List of online catalog headings about the collection,

List of contents of the collection.

Biographical/historical note:

Laurens Hammond (1895-1973) was responsible for numerous inventions, including an alternating current electric clock (patented in 1929), a synchronous electric motor (patented in 1932), the first electric organ (patented in 1934), the first all-electronic organ (patented in 1939), and the first spinet electronic organ for homes (patented in 1949). Altogether, Hammond was granted about 280 patents from 1912 until his death in 1973.

The company founded by Laurens Hammond and his associates was incorporated in 1928 as the Hammond Clock Company. It became the Hammond Instrument Company in 1937, after the firm started making electric organs as well as clocks, and then became the Hammond Organ Company in 1953, after the firm stopped making clocks. The Hammond factory was located at 2915 N. Western Av. from ca. 1930 to 1949 and at 4200 W. Diversey Av. from 1949 to 1986, but there were additional plants and offices elsewhere.

Hammond acquired the Everett Piano Co. in 1954. It had been established in 1883 in Boston by Frank A. Lee and built facilities in Michigan, where the company also produced Cable Nelson Pianos. Hammond Organ Co. started building the Hammond Piano in the 1950s. Yamaha International Corp. bought the Everett Piano Co. in 1973 and stopped production of Everett in 1989.

In 1967, after the Hammond Organ Company acquired the Wells Lamont Corporation, a glove manufacturer, the name of the parent company was changed to the Hammond Corporation, and the Hammond Organ Company became a division of the Hammond Corporation. Wells Lamont offices moved to Niles, Ill., and the company continued to make gloves.

Wholly or partially owned subsidiaries were established outside the United States to distribute, and in some cases manufacture, Hammond organs. These included Hammond Organ (U.K.), founded in 1964 to handle distribution in the United Kingdom; Hammond Organ Europe, N.V., founded in 1967; Hammond International, Canada, Ltd., founded in 1969; the Nihon-Hammond Limited Company, Osaka, Japan, founded in 1970 in partnership with Sakata Shokai, Ltd., to distribute Hammond organs in the Far East and parts of Europe (later also manufacturing them); and Hammond Organ Australia, PTY Ltd., founded in 1982.

In 1977 The Marmon Group, Inc., owned by the Pritzker family of Chicago, acquired the Hammond Corporation, and the Hammond Organ Company became a division of The Marmon Group. In 1986 The Marmon Group sold the Hammond Organ Company to Hammond Organ Australia, PTY Ltd, then owned by Noel Crabbe of Australia, and manufacturing of Hammond organs was discontinued in Chicago. Tentative plans called for the manufacturing of Hammond organs in Japan.

Summary description of the collection:

Corporate records relate to Mr. Laurens Hammond and the company he founded, which was known as the Hammond Clock Company, 1928-1937, the Hammond Instrument Company, 1937-1953, and finally the Hammond Organ Company, 1953-1986. The collection includes correspondence, reports, minutes, manufacturing drawings, patents, budgets, and other operating records of the company that founded the industry of small electric organs and helped to popularize organ music for home and small institutional venues.

The corporate records generally are in record cartons: 12 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 10 in.

Description of some material related to the collection:

Related materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include the Hammond Organ Company collection of visual materials (1986.0254), and numerous Hammond company publications. Some additional artifacts, including organs, are in the collection of the Chicago History Museum.

List of online catalog headings about the collection:

The following headings have been placed in the online catalog:

Hammond, Laurens, 1895-1973

Hammond family.

Hammond Clock Company.

Hammond Instrument Company (Chicago, Ill.)

Hammond Organ Company.

Hammond Corporation.

Families--Illinois--Evanston.

Furniture making--Illinois--Chicago.

Hammond organ.

Inventors--Illinois--Evanston.

Organ builders--Illinois--Chicago.

Organ music--United States.

Organ (Musical instrument)--Construction--United States.

Organists--Illinois--Chicago.

Chicago (Ill.)--Commerce.

Evanston (Ill.)--Social conditions.

Form/genre:

Audiocassettes.

Correspondence.

Design drawings.

Minutes.

Photomechanical prints.

Reports.

Sheet music.

Added entries:

Hammond, Laurens, 1895-1973

Hammond Clock Company.

Hammond Instrument Company (Chicago, Ill.)

Hammond Corporation.

List of contents of the collection:

box 1

Summary: Biographical materials concerning Laurens Hammond; and historical sketches or materials concerning the Hammond Clock Company, the Hammond Instrument Company, and the Hammond Organ Company:

1 "Hammond As In Organ," biography of Laurens Hammond and History of the Hammond Organ Company and predecessors to 1960, by Stuyvesant Barry, typescript, 230 p., in ring binder.

2 "The Story of An Inventor, Some Notes on the Career of Laurens Hammond," typescript, 47 p. (copy 1) and 53 p. (copy 2).

3 "Background Information on Hammond Organ Company," by R. A. Gilruth, 1958, typescript, 18 p.

4 "Historical/Fact Book, Hammond Corporation," 1972. Hammond Organ Story.

5 "Hammond, The Company that Created An Industry," n.d. (ca. 1980). 33 p.

6 "History of Hammond Organ Company," typescript, 5 p.

7 Hammond, Laurens, biographical, in folder.

8 Hammond, Laurens, in folder.

9 Hammond Hall of Fame application re. nomination of Laurens H. to Hall of Fame, in folder.

10 Historical, Hammond Corporation, in 2 folders.

11 Hammond trademark, in folder.

12 Hammond history, in folder.

13 Hammond Organ story, in folder.

14 History of Hammond Instrument Company, in folder.

15 Corporate staff history, in folder.

16 Executives biographical data, in folder.

box 2

"Hammond History," 102 slides in carousel together with pulsed cassette tape, 1979.

box 3

1 Clippings, ca. 1979-1985, in folders and envelopes. 0.4 linear feet.

boxes 4-9

Summary: Minutes of meetings of the board of directors & annual meetings of stockholders, with copies of certificates of incorporation, by-laws, & other corporate records, 1928-1976 6.5 linear feet. Includes 18 bound volumes plus records in folders and binders:

In folders:

1 Hammond Clock Company organized 3/12/28

2 H Clock Company incorporated 3/11/29

3 H C Company organized 5/2/30

4 Hammond Clock Company annual meeting 3/12/30

5 Hammond Clock Company reorganization

6 Hammond Clock Company budget reports

7 Hammond Instrument Company registered agent

In bound volumes:

Lettering on spines includes the name of the company at top, the words "Corporate Records" in the center, and at bottom the words "Illinois 1929" referring to the company as incorporated in Illinois or the words "Delaware 1930" referring to the company as incorporated in Delaware.):

Hammond Clock Company (Illinois), 1928-1931

Hammond Clock Company (Illinois 1929), Vol. 1, 1929-1931

Hammond Clock Company (Delaware 1930)

1 Hammond Clock Company, Vol. 1, 1930

2 Hammond Clock Company, Vol. 2, 1930-1934

3 Hammond Clock Company, Vol. 3, 1934-1937

Hammond Instrument Company:

4 Hammond Instrument Company, Vol. 4, 1937-1940

5 Hammond Instrument Company, Vol. 5, 1940-1944

6 Hammond Instrument Company, Vol. 6, 1945-1947

7 Hammond Instrument Company, Vol. 7, 1948-1951

8 Hammond Instrument Company, Vol. 8, 1951-1954

Hammond Organ Company:

9 Hammond Organ Company, Vol. 9, 1954-1959

10 Hammond Organ Company, Vol. 10, 1959-1962

11 Hammond Organ Company, Vol. 11, 1962-1965

12 Hammond Organ Company, Vol. 12, 1965-1967

13 Hammond Organ Company, Vol. 13, 1967

14 Hammond Organ Company, Vol. 14, 1968-1970

15 Hammond Organ Company, Vol. 15, 1970-1973

16 Hammond Organ Company, Vol. 16, 1973-1976

In binders (one for each year):

Minutes, 1931-1947

In bound volume:

Hammond Organ Company corporate records, 1967-1984

In binders and folders for each meeting:

Agenda and minutes, 1965-1974

box 10

In folders and binders:

1 Minutes of the Hammond Instrument Western Export Corporation, 1952-1971

2 Minutes of Hammond Organ Europe, N.V., 1970-1975

3 Minutes of the Management Committee, 1951-1953

4 Minutes of the Hammond Organ Foundation, 1952-1955

5 Reports of divisions to Hammond Corporation board of directors, 1963-1977:

6 Reports of divisions: Everett Organ Company

7 Reports of divisions: Everett Piano Company

8 Reports of divisions: Gibbs Manufacturing & Research Corporation

9 Reports of divisions: Hammond Organ Division

10 Reports of divisions: Wells Lamont Corporation

11 Reports of divisions: Finance Department

12 Reports of divisions: International Division

13 Annual reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission, 1972-1974

14 Reports to Secretary of State, State of Illinois, about issuance of shares, 1929-1960

15 Correspondence of chairman of the board, executive vice president, and others involving legal opinions, 1968-1972

boxes 11-13

Summary: Annual reports & quarterly reports to stockholders, with notices of meetings, proxy statements, & other letters to stockholders, 1930-1976:

(There is some duplication, because reports were kept in binders in different offices, but some binders are not complete. All will be retained temporarily until staff can check and assemble a complete file of each type of report.)

In ring binders:

1 Annual reports, 1930-1976

2 Annual reports, quarterly reports, other communications, 1934-1964

3 Annual reports and other notices, 1931-1959

4 Annual reports and other notices, 1948-1961

5 Quarterly reports, proxy statements, letters, 1945-1974

6 Stockholder communications, 1960-1966

7 Stockholder communications, 1967-1975

8 Company releases, 1965-1968

9 Company releases, 1969-1971

In folders:

10 Letters to Stockholders, 1945-1967 chronological

11 Correspondence with stockholders, 1930-1960.

12 Alphabetical, mostly letters from stockholders and responses but also early letters to stockholders not duplicated elsewhere

box 14

Summary: Speeches by presidents of the Hammond Organ Co. before security analysts groups in various cities, 1954-1970, concerning production, sales, and other activities of the Hammond Organ Co., in three ring binders.

box 15

Summary: Policies and procedures of the Hammond Organ Co., 1964-1974, in ring binders:

1 Company policy, 1964-1968

2 Standard procedures manual, book I, 1969-1974

3 Standard procedures manual, book II, 1969-1974

4 (Book III of the Standard procedures manual was issued; CHS received a binder so labeled, but policies had been removed and clippings inserted; this binder has been filed in box 3.)

box 16

Summary: Patents of Laurens Hammond, books I and II, in two ring binders. Photocopies of patents and specifications arranged chronologically by patent number, with table of contents listing all his patents.

box 17

Summary: Original patents, in folders, 0.75 linear feet:

1 Hammond, Laurens: patents, foreign.

2 Patents, domestic: clock.

3 Patents, foreign: clock;

4 Patents, domestic: organ.

5 Patents, foreign: organ.

6 Patents: automatic electric orchestra.

boxes 18-24

Summary: Engineering logs, 1936 to ca. 1984, in bound numbered notebooks assigned to various engineering staff, containing diagrams and notes concerning research and development of organs and components. about 9 linear feet.

boxes 25 and 26, plus Oversize-boxes A, B, C described on p. 10:

1 Engineering drawings, 1936 to ca. 1984, various sizes: 24 x 36", 18x24", 12x18", other.

approximately 2, 000 drawings (in stack about two feet high). Oversize drawings are temporarily stored in a box 39x26x10:, a box 31x24x18", and a box 38x10x17". Most are flat; about 60 are rolled.

2 Microfilm of engineering drawings, 14 rolls.

3 Index to microfilm of engineering drawings.

box 27

1 Coordination requests, 1958-1964. 0.7 linear feet.

2 Memoranda concerning changes in design and production.

3 Layout part number index. 2 binders

4 Engineering parts list. 0.25 linear feet.

box 28

Summary: Parts books no. 1, 2, 3, 4, and an unnumbered book, in binders.

boxes 29 & 30:

1 Reports from testing laboratories, ca. 1940-1980. 1.8 linear feet.

2 The Hammond Organ, Installation, Operation, and Maintenance Instructions, Bulletin No. 1A, 1944.

3 The Hammond Organ, Manual for the Service Engineer, 1951, in ring binder.

4 Hammond Organ, Service Manual. Sections published at different times from ca. 1953, ca. 1959 and assembled in ring binder.

5 Service Manual, Models A,A-100, AB, BA, BC, BCV BV, B2, B3, C, CV, C2, C-2G, C3, D, DV, D100, E, G, GV, RT, RT-2, RT-3. (CHS received a Model B-3 organ and a Model E organ.)

6 Service Manual, Piper Autochord. (CHS received a Piper Autochord organ.)

7 Service manuals for M-3, L-100, T-300, X-77 organs.

8 Hammond Organ installations. Sections listing churches by denomination that have Hammond organs, as well as hospitals, auditoriums, funeral homes, schools and colleges, and fraternal organizations. In ring binder.

9 Places Hammond organ has been placed, in folder.

boxes 31-43:

Summary: Record of organs made, packed, and shipped, 1942-1979. Early records are on sheets, and later records are in bound volumes as described below. 16 linear feet.

Records 1942-1965: on 8.5x5.5" sheets originally kept in loose-leaf ring binders, but most were removed at some time and placed between particleboards held by rubber bands. Sheets are arranged by model number and then by serial number. Information on sheet includes serial number, remarks, date made, date packed, date shipped.

Records 1965-1969: in bound volumes by model number and then by serial number, with model numbers A to X appearing on spines. Information includes serial number followed by model number, date made, date packed, date shipped.

Records 1969-1979: in bound volumes by serial number, with serial numbers appearing on spines in several sequences.

Spine numbers start with A20,000 (Apr. 3, 1969) and go to E237,600 (Oct. 16, 1973); numbers continue consecutively and do not go back to "0" for each new letter prefix; and the letter prefixes were not part of the serial number.

Subsequent spine numbers delete the letter prefix, starting with 237,601 (Aug. 2, 1973) and going to 248, 413 (Oct. 26, 1973). Subsequent volumes are numbered from Vol. 1 (starting with serial number 300,000, made on July 17, 1973) and going to Vol. 25 (ending with serial number 1,056,692, made on May 17, 1979).

Vol. 19 is missing.

Information includes serial number, model number, date made, date packed, date shipped.

boxes 44 & 45:

Summary: Materials concerning hearings and report of the Federal Trade Commission, 1937, on advertising claims for Hammond organs:

Official Report of Proceedings before the Federal Trade Commission, 1937, in two binders.

1 Brief of attorneys for the commission.

2 Brief for respondent.

3 Federal Trade Commission vs. Hammond Clock Co., commission's exhibits, 1937, in binder.

4 Federal Trade Commission vs. Hammond Clock Co., respondent's exhibits, 1937, in binder.

5 Federal Trade Commission, in 3 folders.

boxes 46-53:

Summary: Files from office of Donald R. Sauvey, President, concerning Personnel, Operations, Marketing & Sales, finance, International, Miscellaneous, 1979-1982. 10 linear feet:

1979 in box 46

1980 in boxes 47-49

1981 in boxes 50-51

1982 in boxes 52-53

box 54:

1 Hammond national distribution status, 1968, in binder.

2 Strategic plan, 1971-1980, in ring binder.

3 Gallup study of electronic organ owners and prospective buyers for 1972, conducted for the Hammond Organ Co., in ring binder.

4 European Odyssey for Hammond dealers, 1972, in binder.

5 Report, Hammond dealer attitudes, 1973.

6 Marketing correspondence & reports, 1973, in folder.

7 Long range marketing plans, 1973-1977, in folder.

8 Industry data, 1974, in ring binder.

9 Report: Hammond dealer sales trends vs. major competitive brands, 1975, in binder.

10 Study of Hammond's Strategy in the U. S. Organ Market, discussion guide, 1975.

box 55

Marketing forecasts and reports and miscellaneous papers concerning marketing and sales, ca. 1973-ca. 1977, in folders. 1 linear foot.

box 56

1 Competition and market share, 1972-1974, in folder.

2 New product planning, 1974, in folder.

3 Sales analysis, 1975, in folder.

4 Piper Organ, 1972, in folder.

5 Performance and factory overhead reports, 1975, in folder.

6 Financial projections, 1974-1976, in folder.

7 Regular & Piper orders vs. shipments, 1971-1978, in bound ledger.

8 Regular & Piper orders vs. shipments, 1972-1977, in bound ledger.

9 Combined Hoc-Nh-Hoe shipments for calendar 1977, in ring binder.

10 Summary marketing budgets, 1980, in ring binder.

11 Export shipments, 1978, 1979, 1980. in binder.

box 57

1 Budget, 1973-1976, in computer printout in binder.

2 Dealer planned quota analysis, Jan-Dec, 1977; Monthly district sales model analysis, Jan-Dec., 1977; Monthly dealer sales analysis, Jan-Dec.,1977, all in computer printout in binder.

3 Monthly district sales analysis, Dec. 1980, in computer printout in binder.

box 58

1 Target analysis report, 1980,in computer printout in binder.

2 Hammond Financial Service Company operating manual, ca. 1980, in binder.

3 List of dealers, service centers, sales managers, ca. 1980, in ring binder (no label).

4 District sales maps & dealer quotas, 1982, in ring binder.

5 Seventh Economic Council of the Music Industry, the Action Plan for Increasing Music Participation in America, 1983, in binder.

6 Co-op programs, in binder.

7 Hammond's Retail Sales Development Program meeting guide #1-#8, in four binders.

box 59

1 Letters and mailings to dealers, ca. 1974-1985. 0.2 linear feet, in folders.

2 Order forms, ca. 1970-1980. 0.1 linear feet, in folder.

3 Newspaper advertisements (camera ready copy), ca. 1970-1980. 0.2 linear feet, in folders.

4 Scripts for radio and television advertisements, in folder.

5 Advertisements and programs for concerts by Hammond Artists. 0.1 linear feet, in folder.

6 Miscellaneous advertising pieces. 0.1 linear feet, in folder.

box 60

Summary: Merchandising Job Envelopes, 1972-1973. 1 linear foot. These include texts of slide talks for sales presentations and orders for promotional materials. They also include other materials listed elsewhere such as product sheets describing organs, photographs of organs, playing guides, owner's manuals, music collections, buttons and banners, and similar items used in marketing and sales campaigns were selected from merchandising job envelopes at the Hammond factory on Diversey Avenue in Chicago.

box 61

Summary: Correspondence and reports concerning labor relations, 1961-1974:

folders:

1 Union activity, Bloomingdale agreement, 1961-1974

2 Union activity, Diversey & Western, 1968

3 Union activity, Melrose Park agreement, 1971-1974

4 Labor contract, Hammond Organ Division

5 Unfair labor practices issues, Hammond Organ Division

6 Union activity, all plants, 1967

7 Union election, all plants, 1965

box 62

Summary: Miscellaneous records in folders labeled:

1 Bridge table

2 Brochures, organ

3 Clocks

4 Correspondence

5 HOC acquisitions

6 Hammond Corp. identity

7 Hammond Organ Company fact sheet

8 Hammond news releases

9 Hammond Organ Company letterhead

10 HOC personnel

11 Hammond profile resumes

12 Leslie Speakers

13 Notes, financial info., reports, etc.

14 Product line

15 Sikeston Woodworking Company fact sheet

16 Sikeston letterhead, envelopes

17 Tax exemption forms

18 Tone cabinets

19 Trademark, domestic: clocks

20 Trademarks, foreign: clocks

21 Trade shows

Box 62

1 Scrapbook, 1935-1938 of clippings on Hammond Organ Company & brochures issued by the company, perhaps assembled by Laurens Hammond (formerly housed in box 3)

Everett and Hammond pianos. Brochures, in envelope.

1 Keyboard guides, in folder.

2 Letters from conductors and other musicians, 1937-1937, praising the Hammond organ, in ring binder.

3 Record retention guide, 1969. Lists types of records kept by Hammond Organ Company and makes recommendations on disposition.

4 Trust indentures and agreements, in folder.

5 Warranties, in folder.

6 Miscellaneous records, in folders.

Oversize package:

Framed certificate from committee on Sciences and the Arts, Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, awarding John Price Wetherill Medal to Laurens Hammond, May 15, 1940.

OVERSIZE boxes A, B, C.

Summary: Described with boxes 25-26. Design drawings from the Hammond companies (relating to the manufacturing processes) are stored with these corporate records.