George Hummer

George Hummer was among the original members of the board and remained actively involved until his death in 1912.[1] He served as Treasurer until elected President in January 1907, and he was re-elected each year through 1912. Hummer was the driving force behind the earliest fund raising efforts to cover the first year of the library’s operation before the tax levy became available. He also served on the building committee appointed by then President Wade in the summer of 1903.[2]

George Hummer was born May 5, 1841 in Burlington, Des Moines County, Iowa. He was the son of German immigrants, Andrew & Barbara Jaeger Hummer who came to America in 1840 on the ship “Constitution” and settled in Burlington, Iowa, where Andrew built Iowa’s first brewery.[3] George married Miss Mary Helen Ryder on August 7, 1868 in Johnson County, Iowa.[4] To them were born seven children; Mary, Joseph, George Jr, William, Leo, Sarah, and Paul. George Hummer began working in the grocery & dry goods trade in the late 1860s and established his own wholesale grocery house in 1872 in partnership with his father-in-law, Alex J Ryder.[5] George died 30 November 1912 and was buried in Old St Joseph Cemetery.[6]

-Dr. Melissa Stewart

[1] Iowa City Press Citizen, Iowa City, IA, 22 January 1913, p. 3.

[2] Eggers, Lolly Parker, A Century of Stories, The History of the Iowa City Public Library, p. 113.

[3] Passenger List “Constitution” 19 October 1840 (Ancestry.com).

[4] Marriage Records, Johnson County, Iowa, 1868.

[5] History of Johnson County, Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 1883, p. 851.

[6] FindAGrave Memorial #60167313.