Charles H. (Charles Henry) Ham

Born in New Hampshire in 1831, Charles H. Ham built a varied career that moved through law, public service, journalism, and educational writing. He practiced law in Chicago, served as appraiser of the Port of Chicago, and later worked as an editorial writer for the Chicago Tribune before being appointed to the federal Board of General Appraisers, where he eventually became president.

Ham is best remembered today for his books on manual training, including Manual Training, the Solution of Social and Industrial Problems and Mind and Hand. In those works, he argued that education should develop practical skill alongside intellect and character, and he wrote with unusual energy about the social value of useful work.

He died in Montclair, New Jersey, in 1902. Although details of his life survive only in scattered records, his writing still stands out for its strong belief that education should prepare people not just to think, but to do.