1 8 9 3 . ▁ ▁Career ▁After ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁Y ale , ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁Super ior ▁where ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Board ▁of ▁Ald erm en ▁for ▁two ▁years . ▁ ▁Hamm ond ▁worked ▁as ▁an ▁ins urance ▁bro ker , ▁then ▁moved ▁into ▁real ▁estate , ▁becoming ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Broadway ▁Im prov ement ▁Company ▁and ▁the ▁Hob oken ▁Terminal ▁Railway ▁Company , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁vice - pres ident ▁of ▁the ▁Hob oken ▁Land ▁and ▁Im prov ement ▁Company , ▁owned ▁by ▁his ▁in - la ws , ▁the ▁Stevens es . ▁Og den ▁became ▁involved ▁in ▁local ▁Republican ▁politics , ▁serving ▁on ▁the ▁Bern ards ville ▁Township ▁Committee ▁from ▁ 1 9 1 2 ▁to ▁ 1 9 1 4 . ▁He ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁a ▁one - year ▁term ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁Jersey ▁General ▁Assembly ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁and ▁was ▁re - elect ed ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁He ▁later ▁served ▁as ▁delegate ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁Republican ▁National ▁Convention ▁and ▁as ▁tre as urer ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁Jersey ▁Republican ▁State ▁Committee . ▁ ▁R MS ▁L us it ania ▁ ▁On ▁May ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁Hamm ond ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Mary ▁board ed ▁the ▁British ▁ocean ▁l iner ▁R MS ▁L us it ania ▁in ▁New ▁York , ▁en ▁route ▁to ▁Liverpool . ▁Mary ▁intended ▁to ▁help ▁vict ims ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁and ▁assist ▁the ▁Red ▁Cross ▁in ▁establish