Biography.guide
Home › People › Firefighter › Dick Hammer
Portrait of Dick Hammer

Dick Hammer

1930 – 1999

American actor and volleyball player

FirefighterActor Television actor
Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Dick Hammer

Lived 1930 – 1999 (aged 69). Dick Hammer was an American firefighter, actor, television actor, volleyball player and basketball player.

Richard Bernard Hammer (July 17, 1930 – October 18, 1999) was an American athlete, firefighter, and actor.

Early life and education Born in Long Beach, California, Hammer attended the University of Southern California.

Career Hammer was a basketball player at the University of Southern California and started all 34 games for the 1953–54 USC Trojans men's basketball team that made the Final Four of the 1954 NCAA basketball tournament. He competed in volleyball at the 1964 Summer Olympics. As an actor, he played Captain Richard "Dick" Hammer in the television series Emergency! but left the show during the 1972 first season after ten episodes. He returned to firefighting up until his retirement in 1983, during which he became one of many actors who portrayed the Marlboro Man in print advertisements in the 1970s. This was first reported by Mark Flora of EBA News. Hammer's granddaughter, Franki Darnold, is a record holder for the University of Rhode Island women's volleyball team.

On October 18, 1999, Hammer died in Long Beach from lung cancer at the age of 69.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Firefighter, actor, television actor, volleyball player, basketball player
Nationality
Education
University of Southern California
Also known as
Richard B. Hammer, Richard Bernard Hammer, Richard Hammer

People in Dick Hammer's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Dick Hammer's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Dick Hammer?

American actor and volleyball player (1930-1999)

When was Dick Hammer born?

Dick Hammer was born on 17 July 1930 in Long Beach.

When did Dick Hammer die?

Dick Hammer died on 18 October 1999 in Long Beach.

What was Dick Hammer's occupation?

Dick Hammer was a firefighter, actor, television actor, volleyball player and basketball player.

What nationality was Dick Hammer?

Dick Hammer was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Dick Hammer

· Wikidata: Q5272970

· DBpedia: Dick Hammer

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Dick Hammer. https://biography.guide/dick-hammer/

MLA: "Dick Hammer." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/dick-hammer/.

Chicago: "Dick Hammer." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/dick-hammer/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:22 UTC