Concise Encyclopedia of Tufts History
Sauer, Anne
Branco, Jessica
Bennett, John
Crowley, Zachary
2000
Hill, Robert W., 1883-1966
Robert W. Hill (1883-1966), A1904, H1964, a Universalist, civic leader, and special justice, served as vice-chairman of the Trustees of Tufts College and president of the Tufts General Alumni Association as part of his numerous affiliations with the institution. He was a recipient of the Tufts Distinguished Service Award in 1941. | |
Born in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1883, Hill graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Tufts in 1904.He received his law degree from Harvard and was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1910.Interested in civic affairs, Hill was a member of the Salem School Committee, Common Council, and Republican's City Committee. He served as government appeal agent for Salem in World War I and then as chairman of the Salem Selective Service Board during World War II. From 1920 until 1957, Hill had been a special justice of the First District Court of Essex. He was a trustee of the Universalist Convention from 1928 to 1934 and president of the Essex, Massachusetts, historical society from 1942 to 1944.He was an alumni trustee for Tufts from 1921 until 1946, at which time he was made trustee for life. Judge Hill served as vice-chairman of the trustees, chairman of the finance committee, president of the Tufts General Alumni Association from 1932 to 1936, and organized the Tufts Alumni Council in 1934.In 1964, Hill was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters by the university. He was married to Grace Dennis, with whom he had one son, Richard. Hill died on August 23, 1966 at his summer home at Conomo Point, Essex, Massachusetts. | |
Hill Hall, a dormitory on the Medford Campus is named in his honor. | |
Source: VF | |
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