Inside the Hammer Dynasty: The Life of Julian Armand Hammer

Basic Information

Early Life and Family Roots

Julian Armand Hammer was born on May 7, 1929, in Moscow, a child of two worlds: the Old World of his mother, Olga (von Root), and the brash, expanding industrial landscape represented by his father, Armand Hammer. His birth placed him at the confluence of geopolitics and American ambition, in a family that would soon become synonymous with oil wealth, high society, and ambitious philanthropy.

Armand Hammer’s public profile loomed large, and for most of his life Julian was framed in the press as the son of the larger-than-life industrialist rather than as a public figure in his own right. The Hammer name opened doors and drew cameras, but it also cast long shadows. Julian’s personal story, threaded through family fortunes and fractures, has been pieced together less from corporate filings and more from genealogical records, family recollections, and historical press.

Marriage and Children

On March 23, 1956, Julian married Glenna Sue (née Helstrom) in Los Angeles. Their family included two children: Michael Armand Hammer, born in 1955, who would later become the public-facing steward of Hammer family enterprises and philanthropy; and Casey, who would step into the public eye as an author and speaker.

Through Michael, Julian became the grandfather of two sons — Armie Hammer and Viktor Hammer — ensuring that his name, and the complicated gravity of the family story, would continue to surface in American pop culture and business coverage well into the 21st century.

A 1955 Flashpoint

In May 1955, when he was 26, Julian was arrested on suspicion of killing a man after an argument — a case that drew conspicuous headlines at the time. Later accounts indicate that the charges were dropped and the case did not result in a long-term criminal conviction. This moment, recorded in historical newspapers, became a defining public episode in a life that otherwise left few official footprints beyond family milestones.

Role in the Hammer Dynasty

Unlike his father Armand — the consummate dealmaker and public magnate — and his son Michael — a prominent organizer of the family’s philanthropic and business affairs — Julian rarely appeared as the lead actor in company histories. He was the hinge generation, more often described in relation to the family patriarch and his own children than as a corporate executive with a visible portfolio.

Financial gravity in the family eventually shifted toward Michael, who helmed foundations, oversaw assets, and maintained the family’s philanthropic profile. Reporting over the years has portrayed Julian as someone whose inheritance and influence did not translate into the same public-facing power that Armand and Michael wielded, even as he remained pivotal to the lineage that carried the Hammer name forward.

Allegations and Family Accounts

In adulthood, Julian’s family circle became the locus of serious, contested narratives about private life and personal conduct. His daughter, Casey, has publicly alleged that he sexually abused her during her childhood. These claims are presented as allegations; they have been discussed in interviews and public forums but are not documented as resulting in criminal convictions. The allegations, set alongside the 1955 incident, have been cited by commentators who see a pattern of turbulence in the family history. As with all such claims involving private conduct, they deserve careful, factual framing and sensitivity to the difference between accusations, historical records, and formal legal outcomes.

Media Reappraisals in the 2020s

The Hammer family entered a new phase of scrutiny in the 2020s, when media attention on younger generations pulled archival headlines, family stories, and old courtrooms back into the spotlight. Julian’s life was revisited within that wider lens — not as a stand-alone biography, but as a chapter in a multigenerational narrative of power, privilege, scandal, and memory. Dates that once seemed footnotes — 1929, 1955, 1996 — became anchor points for a family chronicle retold for a new audience.

Family Members at a Glance

Key Dates Timeline

The Man in the Middle

Julian’s story often reads like the negative space in a portrait: his presence defined by the bold outlines of the patriarch before him and the heir after him. He was the son through whom the Hammer name passed to the next generation, yet he rarely stood at the press microphones or atop the boardroom hierarchy. Where Armand was the architect and Michael the builder, Julian was the beam between them — essential to the structure, less visible to the street.

Complexity threads his narrative. There is the young man under arrest in 1955 and the middle-aged father later named in severe allegations by his daughter. There is the family scion who grew up orbiting immense wealth and the private individual whose personal achievements were largely unheralded. Moving through these facts and claims is like walking a corridor lined with mirrors: the angles change, the reflections overlap, and the figure at the center can seem both near and hard to grasp.

FAQ

Who was Julian Armand Hammer?

He was the son of industrialist Armand Hammer, the father of Michael Armand Hammer and Casey, and the grandfather of Armie and Viktor Hammer.

When and where was Julian born?

He was born on May 7, 1929, in Moscow, Russia.

When did he die and where is he buried?

He died on April 3, 1996, in Los Angeles County and is buried at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles.

Was Julian a public business leader like his father?

No, he did not maintain a comparable public profile in business; most coverage centers on his role within the family.

What happened in 1955?

He was arrested on suspicion of killing a man after an argument; subsequent accounts indicate the charges were dropped.

Did Julian have children?

Yes, two: Michael Armand Hammer and Casey (Casey Layne Hammer).

Who are Julian’s grandchildren?

Through his son Michael, his grandchildren are Armie Hammer and Viktor Hammer.

Are there abuse allegations connected to Julian?

His daughter Casey has publicly alleged he sexually abused her; these are allegations and are not recorded as criminal convictions.

What was his relationship to Armand Hammer?

He was Armand’s only son from his first marriage to Olga (von Root).

Did Julian inherit or run the family empire?

Family leadership and assets later centered on his son Michael; Julian is not widely documented as leading major corporate entities.