Hamilton was born on December 13, 1927, in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
[1] He graduated from St. Thomas Military Academy and the University of Notre Dame.
During the Korean War, he served in the United States Army.
On March 3, 1951, Hamilton married Irene Fliehr in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.
Hamilton was mayor of Chippewa Falls from 1981 to 1987.