James Catherwood Hormel (January 1, 1933 – August 13, 2021) was born in Austin, Minnesota, the youngest child of Germaine and Jay Hormel and grandson of George A. Hormel who founded the company now known as Hormel Foods.
He earned a B.A. in history from Swarthmore College in 1955, later serving for decades on its Board of Managers and endowing a faculty chair in social justice. He received his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School in 1958 where he later became Assistant Dean and Dean of Students and established a program encouraging law graduates to pursue public service.
In 1991, Hormel funded the creation of the Gay and Lesbian Center at the San Francisco Public Library. The Center, dedicated in his honor, opened in 1996 and quickly became a resource for visitors worldwide. His philanthropy earned recognition from organizations such as the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association 1995 Silver Spur Award for Civic Leadership, the National Society of Fundraising Executives 1996 Outstanding Philanthropist award and the 2001 Human Rights Campaign Lifetime Achievement Award.
After serving on two U.S. delegations to the United Nations, Hormel was nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1997 to be Ambassador to Luxembourg. His confirmation faced significant opposition, but on June 3, 1999, President Clinton appointed him, making Hormel the first openly gay U.S. ambassador. He served until December 2000.
Hormel had five children, fourteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He lived in San Francisco with his life partner Michael P. Nguyen until his passing in 2021.
