Levi J. Ham

{{short description|American politician}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name=Levi J. Ham

|image = Dr. Levi J. Ham.jpg

|caption = Portrait of Ham

|state_senate=Maine

|state=Maine

|district=York County

|term_start=1837

|term_end= 1838

|preceded=

|succeeded=

|office2= 6th Mayor of South Bend, Indiana

|term_start2=1880

|term_end2= 1884

|preceded2= Lucius G. Tong

|succeeded2= George W. Loughman

|birth_date= {{birth date|1805|11|16}}

|birth_place= Shapleigh, Massachusetts

|death_date={{death date and age|1887|6|11|1805|11|16}}

|death_place=

|spouse=

|children= 2

|alma_mater= Dartmouth College
Bowdoin College

|profession= Surgeon

|party= Democratic Party

|birth_name=Levi Jefferson Ham

}}

Levi Jefferson Ham (November 16, 1805 – June 11, 1887) was an American politician and surgeon.

Ham was born in Shapleigh, Massachusetts, on November 16, 1805, to a family of Scottish descent.{{cite book |title=General Catalogue of Bowdoin College, 1794-1916 |date=1912 |page=426 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v8RBAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA426}} Ham graduated from Dartmouth College in 1828, and received his medical degree from Bowdoin College in 1831.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Li4VAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA919|title=History of St. Joseph County, Indiana|date=May 3, 1880|publisher=C.C. Chapman & Company|pages=919–920}}{{cite journal |title=Annual meeting of the Erie County Medical Society–Reception of a portrait of Dr. Levi J. Ham |journal=Buffalo Medical and Surgical Journal |date=1872 |volume=11 |pages=233–234 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QFYBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA233}} He worked as a doctor in York County, Maine from 1831 until 1845 and then in Erie County, New York from 1846 until 1859, when he relocated to South Bend. Ham maintained a medical practice until 1871.

Ham won election to the Maine Senate in September 1835 and served between 1837 and 1838.{{Cite book| title = History of York County, Maine| page=109| isbn=9780832800375| access-date = 3 May 2019| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-e8gAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA109| last1=Woodford Clayton| first1=W.| year=1880}} During Ham's term in the state senate, he served as senate president and was involved in establishing an insane asylum in Maine. He also served on its board. Ham had a role in negotiating the border dispute with Britain. He eventually moved to New York and then South Bend. During the American Civil War, Ham was attached to the 48th Indiana Infantry Regiment.{{cite journal |title=Medical History of Indiana |journal=Journal of the Indiana State Medical Association |date=February 15, 1919 |volume=3 |page=78 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c-oBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA78}} He had extensive service as a surgeon overseeing hospitals and care at various military posts. He was a reluctant mayor of South Bend who served from 1880 to 1884. As mayor of South Bend, he was a member of the Democratic Party.{{Cite web|url=https://historymuseumsb.org/list-of-south-bend-mayors/|title=List of South Bend Mayors}}

Ham had a son and a daughter. His son Moses M. Ham ran the Dubuque Herald and served in the Iowa Senate. Levi J. Ham died from dropsy on June 11, 1887.{{cite book |title=General Catalogue of Bowdoin College and the Medical School of Maine |date=1889 |page=133 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O2jOAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA133}}{{cite book |title=General Catalogue of Bowdoin College and the Medical School of Maine |date=1912 |page=426 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=izxOAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA426}}