William Cicero Hammer was born on March 24, 1865, near Asheboro, North Carolina. An attorney by training, Hammer held several local offices in Asheboro and Randolph County (including mayor and superintendent of public instruction) before becoming a superior court solicitor (1902-1914), U. S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina (1914-1920), and U. S. Congressman (1920-1930). He died in Asheboro on September 26, 1930.