Abstract
The Artemus W. Ham Family Papers (1857-1970) contain postcards written by family members, newspaper clippings about the Ham family, and a Nevada Senate Concurrent Resolution memorializing Artemus W. Ham, Sr. Also included are genealogy notes, a commencement program from Michigan Law School, and membership cards of Artemus W. Ham, Sr.
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Scope and Contents Note
The Artemus W. Ham Family Papers (1857-1970) contain postcards written by family members, newspaper clippings about the Ham family, and a Nevada Senate Concurrent Resolution memorializing Artemus W. Ham, Sr. Also included are genealogy notes, a commencement program from Michigan Law School, and membership cards of Artemus W. Ham, Sr.
Access Note
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.
Arrangement
Materials are arranged alphabetically.
Biographical / Historical Note
Artemus W. Ham, Sr. (1892-1970) and Alta Mereness Ham (1896-1974) married in 1915 in Los Angeles, California. The couple moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1916. Artemus W. Ham worked as an attorney and specialized in mining law when they first moved to Southern Nevada. They had three children in Las Vegas; Artemus W. Ham, Jr. in 1920, Betty Katherine Ham in 1922, and Robert Ham in 1927. The Ham family lived at 1000 Sixth Street in Las Vegas.
From 1924 to 1928, Ham served as the Las Vegas City Attorney. In the 1930s and 1940s, he became well-known as a divorce attorney for Hollywood celebrities seeking Nevada divorces. He and his wife, Alta, were very active in the Las Vegas community. Artemus W. Ham, Sr. was one of the founding members of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. They were also strong supporters of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Artemus W. Ham Sr. passed away on May 25, 1970 and Alta Ham passed away on April 23, 1974.
Artemus W. Ham, Jr. (1920-1991) joined his father's law practice and later went into real estate. He continued the family tradition of philanthropy. Betty Katherine Ham Dokter (1922-1990) married Derald Dokter on February 23, 1942. She lived her entire life in Las Vegas. She passed away on May 11, 1990. Robert C. Ham (1927-1987) lived in Las Vegas, and passed away in 1987.
Source:
Ainlay, Thomas, Jr. and Gabaldon, Judy Dixon.
Preferred Citation
Artemus W. Ham Family Papers, 1857-1970. MS-00056. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Acquisition Note
Accession number: 78-39.
Processing Note
Materials were processed by Special Collections staff. In 2015, as part of a legacy finding aid conversion project, Angela Moor revised and enhanced the collection description to bring it into compliance with current professional standards. In 2018 Joyce Moore revised the collection description, amended the finding aid, and entered the data into ArchivesSpace.
Administrative Information
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Separated Materials
The photographs in this acquisition were removed from the collection and placed in the Betty Ham Dokter Photographs, 1892-1976. PH-00012. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.