Earl hamner from walton mountain biography

Early Years

Hamner was born on July 10, 1923, in Nelson County. His parents, Doris Giannini Hamner and Earl Henry Hamner, had seven more children after him, all redheads: Clifton, Marion, Audrey, Paul, Willard, James, and Nancy.

Earl hamner from walton mountain biography

Hamner’s father worked in a soapstone mill until it closed in the 1930s, after which he was hired at the DuPont chemical plant in Waynesboro. Although the family was quite poor, Hamner describes it as having been a happy, close-knit group.

Hamner was six years old when he published his first poem on the Children’s Page of the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

After graduating from Schuyler High School in 1940, he received a scholarship to the University of Richmond but didn’t complete his studies before joining the Army in 1943. After completing his military service during World War II, Hamner returned to Virginia, landing a job with WMBG, a country music radio station in Richmond.

He soon left, however, first to attend Northwestern University