Appointment of Armand Hammer as a Member of the President's Cancer Panel, and Designation as Chairman

The President today announced his intention to appoint Armand Hammer to be a member of the President's Cancer Panel. The President also intends to designate Dr. Hammer Chairman.

Dr. Hammer acquired the Occidental Petroleum Corp. in 1957 and currently serves as chairman of the board and chief executive officer. Previously, Dr. Hammer was involved in the distilling and cattle businesses.

He is active in community and civic affairs and has been a strong supporter of cancer research. He serves on the board of directors of the Eleanor Roosevelt Cancer Foundation and is a trustee of the Eleanor Roosevelt Memorial Foundation. In 1969 he established the Armand Hammer Center for Cancer Biology at the Salk Institute in California. He is an art patron and founded the Hammer Galleries, Inc. (New York City), and continues to be a major supporter of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Dr. Hammer graduated from Columbia University (B.S., 1919; M.D., 1921). He is married, has one son, and resides in Los Angeles, Calif. He was born May 21, 1898, in New York City.