hˈæm wʌz bˈɔːɹn ˌɔn dᵻsˈɛmbɚ twˈɛnti θɹˈiː, nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi θɹˈiː ɪn lˈɪɾəl ɹˈɑːk, ˈɑːɹkənsˌɔː, ænd ɡɹˈædjuːˌeɪɾᵻd fɹʌm kˈɛmpɚ mˈɪlətˌɛɹi skˈuːl, bˈuːnvɪl, mɪzˈʊɹɹi, ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti wˈʌn.
Hamm was born on December 23, 1933 in Little Rock, Arkansas, and graduated from Kemper Military School, Boonville, Missouri, in 1951.