Jamie Hamilton

Although he was known as Jamie Hamilton within the rowing world, he was better known in the publishing world as Hamish Hamilton, which was the name of the famous publishing house he founded in 1931. They went on to become one of the biggest British publishers.

Hamilton read modern languages at Cambridge and then studied for the bar, during which time he worked in the book department at Harrods. He honed his publishing skills working as an editor at the American firm Harper and Brothers. After starting Hamish Hamilton Limited, it would not be long until they attracted some notable authors, including A. J. P. Taylor. Over the years he published works by many well-known authors and personalities like James Thurber, Angela Thirkell, Jan-Paul Sartre, Georges Simenon, Nancy Mitford, and Jacques Cousteau, amongst others,

Hamilton sold the company to the Canadian Thompson Organisation in 1965, who in turn sold to Penguin in 1986. Hamilton remained as chairman, and at the time of his death in 1988, was the company president.

Jamie Hamilton was born in the USA to a Glaswegian father and was educated at Rugby School and then Caius College, Cambridge. Although he never won a rowing Blue, Hamilton was the spare stroke for the 1921 Boat Race. A member of the Thames Rowing Club, he was in their eight that won the Grand Challenge Cup at Henley in 1927 and 1928, when they also represented Great Britain at the Amsterdam Olympics and won the silver medal.

During World War II, Hamilton joined the Army and saw service in France and the Netherlands before being transferred to the American Department at the Ministry of Information. A keen flyer, he obtained his pilot’s licence in 1932.