John Hamner, 85; Official at State Agency and Savings and Loan
John L. Hamner, 85, a former state administrative official who ran a marketing program for a savings and loan, died Feb. 11 of natural causes in Petaluma, Calif.
Hamner, a native of Salina, Kans., earned a bachelor’s degree in public administration from UCLA and a law degree from Southwestern College School of Law. He served in Army counter-intelligence in World War II. Hamner was a field office manager for the state Board of Equalization for 15 years. In the ‘60s, he waged unsuccessful campaigns for the Los Angeles City Council and the state Assembly.
For many years, Hamner led a marketing campaign for Coast & Southern Federal Savings and Loan Assn. Called Free Enterprise, his department ran a speaker’s bureau and student seminars promoting the Bill of Rights.
“Anybody who saves money is naturally conservative, so that’s our market,” he said, explaining how the program attracted new customers.
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