A Mav for Life
Jamie Hamilton has given a lot to his hometown. A successful businessman, philanthropist, and community leader, he chaired the annual Junior College Baseball World Series for many years, earning the nickname “Mr. Grand Junction.” Hamilton has also given mightily of his time and talent to Colorado Mesa University.
Hamilton has had numerous roles at CMU: college student, baseball player, alumnus, trustee, and a stint as an unconventional athletic director who stepped in at a critical time and was willing to work for a token one dollar a year.
Reflecting on what CMU means to him, Hamilton spoke with pride. “I’m a Mav for life. I identify with the family there, the ‘Mavily’ that we have. I guess what I love about it is feeling proud to be a small part of all the good work that’s been there.”
Arguably, Hamilton has played a much larger role than he lets on. And because of this, CMU has played a large part in his life.
Born in Grand Junction but raised in Arvada, Hamilton planned to play football at a college in Kansas. But at the last moment, his plans changed, and he came to Mesa.
Because Mesa was a junior college when he enrolled, he thought he would play baseball for one year and transfer. But he was on campus in 1974 when Mesa became a four-year college, so he stayed, played ball, and completed his degree. “I decided to stay because I loved the town, loved the community. The professors were unbelievable. You could talk to them at any time.”
While at Mesa, Hamilton met his wife, Debbie, and after a short career playing professional baseball, they returned to Grand Junction, where he eventually joined Home Loan Insurance. Hamilton’s first role as a Mesa graduate was with the Alumni Association. He then became a college trustee during a difficult time when the state college consortium was dissolving and each institution was becoming independent.
With Mesa College now under local control, it was time to find a new college president. Hamilton was involved in the search that resulted in the hiring of Tim Foster in 2004. Again, Hamilton found himself in a challenging position. The academic community strongly questioned Foster’s experience, but as Hamilton puts it, “It really made sense to get someone that looked at it as a business, with a budget that you had to deal with. And if you look at it from a business-side perspective, I thought you could get that growth. Tim and his team proved that.”
Hamilton brought this same practical sensibility to his role as athletic director. “I wasn’t looking for compensation,” he explained. “I was just trying to get in the sports hallway and bring them together as a team. There was so much miscommunication at the time.”
In addition to adding new varsity and club sports during his tenure, Hamilton created the Athletic Director Scholarship Fund, seeded with the salary he refused and supported by contacts made through his business career, seamlessly blending his many roles.
Jamie Hamilton was inducted into the Maverick Hall of Honor in 1997 for his baseball prowess. In 2010, the CMU recreation center was renamed the Hamilton Rec Center. He was named a Distinguished Alumni in 2012.
A Story 100 Years in the Making
Want to learn more about CMU's history? Purchase Colorado Mesa University - A Century of the Maverick Spirit, written by Amber J. D'Ambrosio and Kristen Lummis. The 192-page book chronicles CMU's 100-year journey of growth, resilience, and community impact, celebrating the people and moments that shaped our Maverick history.
CMU's Century Project honors one hundred years of Colorado Mesa University's rich history - celebrating the people, milestones and spirit that have shaped our enduring legacy. As we reflect on this meaningful milestone, proceeds from the commemorative Century Book and events throughout the year will benefit the Century Scholarship, ensuring that future generations of CMU students can continue to grow, learn and carry the CMU legacy forward.