Background
Hill was born on September 11, 1791 New York City, New York, United States.
Businessman educator Missionary
Hill was born on September 11, 1791 New York City, New York, United States.
At the age of sixteen Hill graduated from Columbia College and embarked on a mercantile career. Later he entered the Protestant Episcopal seminary at Alexandria, Virginia, and in 1830 was ordained priest in Norfolk by Bishop Richard C. Moore.
He received honorary degrees from several American universities.
Hill was an enthusiastic Phil-Hellenist, and volunteered at once for service on a foreign mission to Greece, the first established by his church. He and his wife Frances proceeded immediately to Athens, arriving as the Greek Kingdom was being established. They at once opened schools for both boys and girls--the first schools in Athens since the expulsion of the Turks.
When the Greek government in the following year provided for the education of boys, the Hills devoted themselves entirely to the education of girls. In this they were remarkably successful, increasing their enrolment in a relatively expensive private school from 167 in the first year to 700 in 1880, and at the same time broadening the training to include not only elementary but also secondary and normal courses. Their school acquired great prestige as providing the best education for girls in the whole Greek-speaking world and attracted many pupils from the wealthiest and most enlightened families.
The training of teachers was one of their principal aims, and through their own example at Athens and that of numerous schools founded by their graduates they exercised a profound influence on female education in Greece, and their school served as prototype for many others. This was facilitated by the fact that they made no effort to proselytize but worked always in cordial cooperation with the Greek Church and government, giving advice and help in the development of the national schools. Along with their other work they conducted a free school in the Agora for the poorer classes. Hill gained the respect of foreigners as well as natives and for thirty years was chaplain of the British Legation.
A scholar and theologian as well as educator, Hill translated a number of books into Greek.
Five years before his death he became blind but still continued to direct the work with the aid of his very capable wife. His funeral was the occasion for a remarkable demonstration of popular sorrow. At the request of the ministry it was public and observed with all the honors due to a taxiarch or grand commander. Theatres and shops were closed and the trams ceased running. The municipality of Athens erected a marble monument over his grave.
Hill was a member of the Episcopalian church.
Although Hill's manner was somewhat blunt and abrupt, he was a devoted friend to the people he served for more than fifty years and was regarded by the Greeks as one of themselves.
In 1821 Hill married Frances, the daughter of John W. Mulligan of his native city.