Ham Caldwell (Photo Courtesy of 54 Net)

Hamlin A. Caldwell Jr.; died, Monday May 2, 2005, losing his courageous tenmonth battle with cancer and heart disease.

Ham was born February 28, 1931, in Birmingham, Ala., to Hamlin Alexander Caldwell and Rosa Gould Caldwell. After graduating from Ensley High School, he was awarded the prestigious Kellogg scholarship and attended the University of North Carolina for two years, where he played lacrosse. He was then appointed to the United States Naval Academy, from which he graduated in 1954. Ham's challenges to authoritarian upper classmen made his pledge year in the notorious 12th Company unusually difficult. Ham claimed to hold the all time record for hours spent marching on extra duty. After leaving the Navy in 1965, as a lieutenant commander, Ham worked for Electric Boat in New London, Conn., before joining the Naval Underwater Systems Center ("Sound Lab") as an electronics engineer and operations analyst in 1967.

During his tenure at the Lab, Ham graduated from the Naval War College with high honors in 1975. He retired from government service in 1978 and moved to Reston, Va., where he worked as a senior naval analyst for BDM Corporation, and a naval consultant to a number of rivate and governmental agencies. He earned a masters degree in National Secunty Studies from Georgetown University in 1981. Ham lectured and published articles particularly in the areas of anti-submarine warfare and the Soviet navy. He was especially proud to be the co-holder of three ASW related patents, the most significant of which is the freefloating linear passive acoustic array patent.

In 1987, Ham moved to Charlottesville, Va., where he earned a master's degree in history from the University of Virginia. He passed his Ph.D orals in February, 1991. Ham wrote voluminously on his dissertation topic, the introduction of jet aircraft to the United States Navy. Rather than complete his dissertation, Ham indulged his passion for teaching, spending the last 14 years instructing undergraduate students in history at the University of Mary Washington and James Madison University.

Well-known in the Charlottesville community for his insightful and trenchant letters to the editor, Ham was not shy about taking a stand for what he believed. He reveled in precipitating lively debate. He frequently exercised his penchant for skewering authority, challenging commonly accepted practices, and writing tirelessly in support of his convictions. Ham's irreverent letters to the editor captured a loyal following, including a handful of vocal opponents as well as admirers. He read voraciously on a wide range of topics starting each day with at least three daily newspapers. He was a lively and faithful correspondent with classmates and friends around the globe after he discovered the internet.

Ham was an avid gardener. He loved to fuel his compost heap, develop creative irrigation systems and share the fruit of his gardening efforts with friends and neighbors. His love of nature extended to promoting the responsible use of natural resources. Ham opened his home and his heart to a menagerie of small animals. Stray dogs and cats could always find a warm bed and a good meal at the Caldwell household. Ham was an enthusiastic football fan. From high school to the NFL, nothing pleased him more than spending a beautiful fall afternoon cheering on his favorite teams.

A humorous, warm and generous man, Ham truly loved life and the people he encountered. He was a cherished friend. Ham's special talent for communicating with young people made him a sought-after professor, He challenged his students to think critically and to speak their minds. His exuberant spirit will be sorely missed.

Ham was preceded in death by his parents, Rosa and Hamlin Caldwell; and by his first wife, Delight Wood Caldwell. He is survived by his wife of 14 years, Kathleen Dawson Caldwell, of Charlottesville, Va.; two sons, Alec Caldwell of Detroit, Mich., and Arnold Wood Caldwell of Spartanburg, S.C.; a daughter, Delight Caldwell Oelerich and her husband Gregory Oelerich, of Madison Wis.; and two grandsons, Maximilian Caldwell Oelerich and Lars Francis Oelerich, also of Madison Wis.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Public Policy Virginia, 1110 Rose Hill Drive, Suite 203, Charlottesville, VA 22903 or the University of Mary Washington Foundation, Department of History, University of Mary Washington Foundation, Jepson Alumni Executive Center #105, 1119 Hanover Street, Fredericksburg, VA 224015412.

A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Tuesday May 17, 2005, at St. Paul's Memorial Church in Charlottesville, Va. (Obituary, The Daily Progress, May 15, 2005)

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