George Watts Hill
Encyclopedia
George Watts Hill was an American banker, hospital
administrator and philanthropist
who played a key role in the socioeconomic development of Durham
, North Carolina
, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
and the Research Triangle Park
. He was also instrumental in health care reform
, the desegregation
of Durham, the education of children with learning disabilities
, and the removal of the Speaker Ban Law
.
and Annie Louise Watts, George Watts Hill grew up in Durham and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
where he earned a bachelor's of science in commerce in 1922 and law degree in 1924. He married Ann Austin McCulloch on September 30, 1924. Following a ten-month honeymoon
around the world, the couple made their home in Harwood Hall, the mansion that his grandfather, George Washington Watts
, had built.
George Watts Hill briefly worked in law before, in 1926, joining the board of trustees of Watts Hospital
, built in 1895 by his grandfather and had faced deficits for several years. Hill managed to reduce losses during his administration of the hospital. He also began running a farm on the site of the Quail Roost Hunt Club, a hunting lodge about ten miles north of Durham that was used by George Watts, the Duke family, and other Durham business people in the late 19th century. Hill eventually acquired Guernsey cattle
, which he continued to breed and sell for decades, becoming one of the top Guernsey breeders in the nation.
During the 1920s, Hill also began serving two terms on the Durham City Council. In 1936 and 1937, he oversaw the construction of the Hill Building
in downtown Durham. By this time, Hill had been named the president of the Durham Bank & Trust Co. and also president of the Home Security Life Insurance Company. In 1940, the family moved from Harwood Hall to a new home at Quail Roost.
As World War II
unfolded, Hill became a political advocate for the United States joining the Allied Forces
. He was an active member of the Fight for Freedom group in 1941, and, after the attack on Pearl Harbor
, he looked for a way to join the armed forces. He applied for a commission in the Navy
, but was asked to join the Office of the Coordinator of Information
, which eventually became the Office of Strategic Services
. Hill did research and administrative work during the early part of the war. He spent some time working in England
and Scotland
and later in Washington, D.C.
. His work during the later part of the war involved securing war supplies and devices, including secret explosive devices and spy gadgets. Some of these items are owned by the North Carolina Museum of History
in Raleigh
.
Following the war, Hill continued to work in Durham at the family businesses and at Watts Hospital, as well as with organizations that promoted better medical care for North Carolinians. His work with the Hosptial Care Association and the Hospital Savings Association led to their eventual merger with Blue Cross Blue Shield. In 1957, he began partnering with other local businessmen to develop what would eventually become Research Triangle Park
. During 1963, Hill served on the Durham Interim Committee, a group appointed by the mayor of Durham to help ease racial tensions caused by segregation
.
Hill active in service and philanthropy towards the University of North Carolina. He was appointed to its Board of Trustees in 1955 and served on the executive committee. During his tenure, the board was involved with the Speaker Ban debate
, consolidation of the university system, the sale of public utilities, and general planning questions. According to UNC President William C. Friday
, George Watts Hill “was the one member of the board that stood with me all the way through the Speaker Ban thing.”
In 1962, Hill moved to a new home in Chapel Hill and donated his Quail Roost Home and some of its land to the University, intending it to be used as a conference center. Other parts of the Quail Roost property remained with Hill's son, John Sprunt Hill II. The conference center plan was never fully realized, and the University eventually sold the property. Hill remained on the board of trustees (later the board of governors) until 1981. He continued to donate monetarily until his death.
Hill's wife Ann died died in 1974. The following year, Hill married Anne Gibson Huchinson, a Durham teacher with two daughters and a son. One of the daughters had a learning disability, which prompted Hill to invest in a new program designed to help students with learning disabilities. This program eventually became a school, the Hill Center in Durham.
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
administrator and philanthropist
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
who played a key role in the socioeconomic development of Durham
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
and the Research Triangle Park
Research Triangle Park
The Research Triangle Park is a research park in the United States. It is located near Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill, in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina...
. He was also instrumental in health care reform
Health care reform
Health care reform is a general rubric used for discussing major health policy creation or changes—for the most part, governmental policy that affects health care delivery in a given place...
, the desegregation
Desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
of Durham, the education of children with learning disabilities
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
, and the removal of the Speaker Ban Law
North Carolina Speaker Ban
On June 26, 1963, the North Carolina General Assembly passed the Act to Regulate Visiting Speakers, later known as the Speaker Ban Law. The law forbade anyone to speak on a University of North Carolina campus who was a known member of the Communist Party, or who was known to advocate overthrow of...
.
Biography
Born in New York City, the son of John Sprunt HillJohn Sprunt Hill
John Sprunt Hill was a North Carolina lawyer, banker and philanthropist who played a fundamental role in the civic and social development of Durham, North Carolina, the expansion of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the development of rural credit unions in North Carolina during...
and Annie Louise Watts, George Watts Hill grew up in Durham and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
where he earned a bachelor's of science in commerce in 1922 and law degree in 1924. He married Ann Austin McCulloch on September 30, 1924. Following a ten-month honeymoon
Honeymoon
-History:One early reference to a honeymoon is in Deuteronomy 24:5 “When a man is newly wed, he need not go out on a military expedition, nor shall any public duty be imposed on him...
around the world, the couple made their home in Harwood Hall, the mansion that his grandfather, George Washington Watts
George Washington Watts
George Washington Watts was an American manufacturer, financier and philanthropist. Alongside James B. Duke, he co-founded the American Tobacco Company, as well as Watts Hospital, the first hospital in Durham, North Carolina, which prompted the establishment of Duke University.-Biography:Born in...
, had built.
George Watts Hill briefly worked in law before, in 1926, joining the board of trustees of Watts Hospital
Watts Hospital
Watts Hospital, located in Durham, North Carolina was the city's first hospital, operating between 1895 and 1976.The hospital opened in 1895, funded entirely by George W. Watts, as a private, 22-bed, modern hospital dedicated to the care of Durham's white citizens and offered free care to those...
, built in 1895 by his grandfather and had faced deficits for several years. Hill managed to reduce losses during his administration of the hospital. He also began running a farm on the site of the Quail Roost Hunt Club, a hunting lodge about ten miles north of Durham that was used by George Watts, the Duke family, and other Durham business people in the late 19th century. Hill eventually acquired Guernsey cattle
Guernsey cattle
The Guernsey is a breed of cattle used in dairy farming. It is fawn and white in colour, and is particularly renowned for the rich flavour of its milk, as well as its hardiness and docile disposition.-Milk:...
, which he continued to breed and sell for decades, becoming one of the top Guernsey breeders in the nation.
During the 1920s, Hill also began serving two terms on the Durham City Council. In 1936 and 1937, he oversaw the construction of the Hill Building
Hill Building
The Hill Building is a 17-story modernistic skyscaper located in Durham, North Carolina. Built in 1935-1937, the Hill Building was designed by New York City Architecture firm Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, best known for the design of the Empire State Building....
in downtown Durham. By this time, Hill had been named the president of the Durham Bank & Trust Co. and also president of the Home Security Life Insurance Company. In 1940, the family moved from Harwood Hall to a new home at Quail Roost.
As World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
unfolded, Hill became a political advocate for the United States joining the Allied Forces
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
. He was an active member of the Fight for Freedom group in 1941, and, after the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, he looked for a way to join the armed forces. He applied for a commission in the Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, but was asked to join the Office of the Coordinator of Information
Office of the Coordinator of Information
The Office of the Coordinator of Information was an intelligence and propaganda agency of the United States Government, founded on July 11, 1941 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, prior to U.S. involvement in the Second World War...
, which eventually became the Office of Strategic Services
Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency...
. Hill did research and administrative work during the early part of the war. He spent some time working in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and later in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. His work during the later part of the war involved securing war supplies and devices, including secret explosive devices and spy gadgets. Some of these items are owned by the North Carolina Museum of History
North Carolina Museum of History
The North Carolina Museum of History is located in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. Permanent exhibits focus on the state’s military history, decorative arts, the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, and more. Visitors will see a variety of short-term and traveling exhibits...
in Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
.
Following the war, Hill continued to work in Durham at the family businesses and at Watts Hospital, as well as with organizations that promoted better medical care for North Carolinians. His work with the Hosptial Care Association and the Hospital Savings Association led to their eventual merger with Blue Cross Blue Shield. In 1957, he began partnering with other local businessmen to develop what would eventually become Research Triangle Park
Research Triangle Park
The Research Triangle Park is a research park in the United States. It is located near Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill, in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina...
. During 1963, Hill served on the Durham Interim Committee, a group appointed by the mayor of Durham to help ease racial tensions caused by segregation
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
.
Hill active in service and philanthropy towards the University of North Carolina. He was appointed to its Board of Trustees in 1955 and served on the executive committee. During his tenure, the board was involved with the Speaker Ban debate
North Carolina Speaker Ban
On June 26, 1963, the North Carolina General Assembly passed the Act to Regulate Visiting Speakers, later known as the Speaker Ban Law. The law forbade anyone to speak on a University of North Carolina campus who was a known member of the Communist Party, or who was known to advocate overthrow of...
, consolidation of the university system, the sale of public utilities, and general planning questions. According to UNC President William C. Friday
William C. Friday
William Clyde "Bill" Friday He was born in Raphine, Virginia and raised in Dallas, North Carolina. He served as the head of the University of North Carolina system from 1956 to 1986....
, George Watts Hill “was the one member of the board that stood with me all the way through the Speaker Ban thing.”
In 1962, Hill moved to a new home in Chapel Hill and donated his Quail Roost Home and some of its land to the University, intending it to be used as a conference center. Other parts of the Quail Roost property remained with Hill's son, John Sprunt Hill II. The conference center plan was never fully realized, and the University eventually sold the property. Hill remained on the board of trustees (later the board of governors) until 1981. He continued to donate monetarily until his death.
Hill's wife Ann died died in 1974. The following year, Hill married Anne Gibson Huchinson, a Durham teacher with two daughters and a son. One of the daughters had a learning disability, which prompted Hill to invest in a new program designed to help students with learning disabilities. This program eventually became a school, the Hill Center in Durham.