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The Common Room / Re: Paternity of Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804)
« on: Tuesday 24 January 23 19:56 GMT (UK) »
Last reply is common knowledge to anyone who has read any of a dozen biographies of Hamilton. Probably a response to a specific question on the web, quoting the history now in question. Author Ron Chernow wrote the most recent biography of Alexander Hamilton (2017) states on page 735:
"I consulted two of the world's top geneticist—Dr. Victor McKusick of the John Hopkins School of Medicine and Sir Alec J. Jeffreys of the University of Leicester—to determine whether a surviving lock of Hamilton's hair might yield up secrets about his racial ancestry. ... Then I discovered that a retired professor at Pennsylvania State University, Gordon Hamilton (no relation to Alexander), was coordinating a Hamilton DNA Project."
A lock of Hamilton's hair was preserved after his death in a duel with Aaron Burr.
"I consulted two of the world's top geneticist—Dr. Victor McKusick of the John Hopkins School of Medicine and Sir Alec J. Jeffreys of the University of Leicester—to determine whether a surviving lock of Hamilton's hair might yield up secrets about his racial ancestry. ... Then I discovered that a retired professor at Pennsylvania State University, Gordon Hamilton (no relation to Alexander), was coordinating a Hamilton DNA Project."
A lock of Hamilton's hair was preserved after his death in a duel with Aaron Burr.