|
 Armand Hammer is one of the mysterious and
conflicting figures among the American businessmen of the previous century. And
the point is not the fact that during his live he gained profit of millions and
after his death he left debts of millions, and there are many cases in the
history of capitalism. Armand Hammer is one of American businessmen who proceeded
to collaborate with the Soviet Russia. This is too curious and worth
considering especially when it was the period known for the harsh ideological
conflict between USSR-USA, so-called
cold war.
Armand Hammer
was born on May 21, 1898 in
Manhattan, New York to the family of Russian immigrants
Julius and Rose Hammer. His father was brought to the United StatesOdessa in 1875, and settled in The Bronx,
where he ran a general medical practice and five drugstores. from
Hammer
attended Morris High
School, Columbia College and then medical school at Columbia. When his father was sentenced to
prison he and his brothers took the family business, Allied Drug, to the new level
reselling equipment they had bought at depressed prices at the end of World War
I. In 1921 Hammer went to the Soviet Union for
a trip that ended up lasting until late 1930. Although his career in medicine
was cut short, he relished being referred to as "Dr. Hammer".
His father,
Julius Hammer, a gynecologist by occupation, was the down-the-line supporter of
socialist ideas and soon he became one of founders of the American socialist
party. Thus, Armand Hammer had everything to set contacts with Russia after
the year 1917. The first visit to Russia was not good, though, and
related to some unpleasant circumstances. He was assigned to pick up around one
hundred fifty thousand USD from the Russian debtors who failed to pay back to
the pharmaceutical company owned by his father. By that time, 1921, Julius Hammer
was in prison accused of doing illegal abortion resulted in death of the
pregnant woman. There is a version till our days that Armand was the one who did
the operation (he was then the medical student and in 1921 he acquired the degree
of Doctor of Medicine, though he never practiced.
Whatever happened,
Armand Hammer appeared in Soviet Russia in 1921. He met the Head of the Soviet
Government, Vladimir Lenin. The subject of discussion is unknown in details to the
public between the young man and one of the influential statesmen, though
Hammer supposedly appealed with facts that his ancestries were from Russia, and
his father was the Bolshevik, though American. The meeting resulted in that
Hammer appeared to act as the intermediate person between the Soviet Government
and those American companies concerned in dealing with big fishes in Russia. Hammer dealt
with such companies as Ford Motor and Underwood Typewriter that paid some interest
for transactions with the Soviets. He never forgot about his business and on October
21, 1921 the Allied Drug Chemical Corporation owned by Hammer signed the
contract with the People’s Commissariat of Foreign Trading of the Russia on
supply of whet from America to change for the jewelry from the State
Establishment of the Government Fund of precious metals and stones of the Russian
Federation, black caviar and fur skins. Soon Hammer totally moved to USSR to
trade from there. He moved to Moscow and lived there till early
30s. That was the time recognized for plenty of commercial
transactions between America
and Russia
when he was the intermediate partner. He participated in establishment of the largest
plant on ammonia production, lately known as Togliatti Azot and in first pen
concession lately reorganized to the Moscow Plant of Stationary. In Russia
Armand married to Olga Vadina, a singer who introduced herself as a daughter to
the White Guard General Von Ruth. The wedding was held in 1927 and two years
later the couple was given a child. However, Hammer doubted in his in paternity
for that child.
In the end of 1920 Hammer realized clearly that the activity he held in USSR so beneficialfor him came to its end.
The new economical policy which
characterized in the intensive activity of market segments and wide
collaboration with the capitalist West countries came to the level when the liquidation
was required. The time of collectivization and industrialization came and
Armand Hammer failed to find favorable conditions to live the life he accustomed
to. He was commercial activist enough to make his departure profitable. When leaving, he bought up plenty of articles
of Russian art and lots of jewelry which were then successfully sold in the
west for fortune.
Armand Hammer
lived quite a long life to 1990 and till the end he was recognized as the
Russian Millionaire in the mind of many Americans, as the person closely
related to the communist policy. Armand never concealed his sympathy and good
attitude to USSR.
After Stalin died, Hammer met with the Heads of Government on a regular base in
very warm and comfortable conditions. The collaboration with USSR did not bring him sufficient
assets to become the billionaire.
After
returning to the U.S.,
he initiated diverse arrays of business, art and humanitarian endeavors, including
establishing of oil company, Occidental Petroleum.
The Occidental
Petroleum which was found in the rating of the top 20 largest industrial
companies in America
to the end of 80s. However, Hammer did not manage to lay the foundation for the
real empire he tended to own. His adventurous temper and habitual ability to work
in conditions of totalitarian government were of no use for him. As a result, after
Armand Hammer dies in December 1990, all his debts for the total amount of over
half a billion US dollars were revealed against his wealth to be of forty
million only.
|
