General Hartman was born August 22, 1886, in Mississippi, and died February 14, 1962. He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point from 1904 through 1908 and received his Commission as an Infantry officer. His civilian education includes a master’s degree in Business Administration from Harvard University.

General Hartman was first assigned to the Third Infantry in the Philippines, where he served in hostile operations against the Moros uprising. He served in various other assignments over the next 28 years, including Graves Registration Service, Paris, France; Constructing Quartermaster, Assistant Director and Director of Sales for the War Department, Washington, DC; and War Department General Staff; Washington, DC. General Hartman permanently transferred to the Quartermaster Corps in 1929.

General Hartman’s significant contributions to the Quartermaster Corps occurred during the buildup of the Army and Camp Lee, Virginia, before World War II. General Hartman, as the Executive Officer of the Construction Division, designed the Series 700 buildings that were to become the two-story, wood frame, 63-man barracks that have housed Soldiers for over 50 years. It has been estimated that over 100,000 Series 700 buildings have been built. At the peak of construction, housing for over 1 million military personnel was constructed in just 10 months.

General Hartman was assigned as the Commander of the Quartermaster Replacement Center at Camp Lee on April 1, 1941. Over half the Soldiers in the Quartermaster Corps of the period were trained at Camp Lee. He oversaw the construction of new shops and training facilities that supported the training of over 62 different soldier specialties.  He retired from active duty in April 1942.

General Hartman was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his outstanding service during World War I.