Samuel B. Hamlett

Samuel Barksdale Hamlett, 95, passed away peacefully on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, in Austin. Funeral: 10 a.m. Wednesday at Moore Funeral Home. Burial with military honors will follow in Moore Memorial Gardens. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Department of Political Science at UTA, or to Church of the Good Shepherd, United Methodist, in Arlington. He was born July 23, 1921, near Farmville, Va., to Samuel and Nellie Hamlett. In the summer of 1934, his family moved to Premont, and he lived in Texas the remainder of his life. During World War II, he served as a tail gunner with the U.S. Army Air Forces, completing 50 combat missions in the South Pacific and earning a Purple Heart.

In 1947 he completed a BA in history at the University of Texas, followed in 1949 with an MA in economics. He married Ruth Greer on March 23, 1951, in Dallas. He taught at Austin High School in Austin for five years beginning in 1951. In 1956 he accepted a teaching position at Arlington State College, now the University of Texas at Arlington. The following year he and Ruth joined and became active members of Church of the Good Shepherd, a new Methodist congregation in Arlington. This association fostered many friendships and avenues of service for them both over many years. In 1966, Sam completed his Ph.D. in government at UT and became the first chairman of the new Department of Government (now Political Science) at UTA, a position in which he served for 10 years. From 1977 to 1979, he served one term on the Arlington City Council. Sam retired from full-time teaching in 1984, but continued to teach and advise students for another 10 years. In 1987, he was honored by UTA when he was designated as professor emeritus of Political Science. The university honored his contributions again in 1996 when he was named one of the 28 initial inductees to the UTA Walk of Fame. In 1999, he completed an engaging memoir, "My Search for a Fresh Tomato." Ruth passed away in 2004, and in 2008 Sam moved back to Austin to be close to their son, Steve Hamlett, and Steve's wife, Kristin Hamlett. It is no exaggeration to say that Sam was loved, respected, and admired by many. His contributions to the community, humility, and gentlemanly ways are an example for us all.