Walter A. Hill
Agricultural engineer Walter A. Hill was born on August 9, 1946 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. His mother was a school teacher, and his father, a minister of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Hill’s high academic performance in high school earned him a scholarship to attend Lake Forest College in Illinois, where he received his B.S. degree in chemistry in 1968. He continued his studies on a Ford Foundation fellowship at the University of Chicago, where he received his M.A. degree in chemistry in 1970. Hill went on to earn his M.S. in soil chemistry at the University of Arizona in 1973, and his Ph.D. degree in agronomy and environmental chemistry from the University of Illinois College of Agriculture in 1978.
Upon receiving his M.A. degree, Hill spent several years teaching chemistry and general science in the Chicago Public School system. Following the completion of his Ph.D. degree, Hill moved to Alabama to teach soil science at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University). There, he encouraged his students to engage in research projects, and, in 1980, his teaching was honored when he was named a Danforth Associate. Hill has served in several positions at Tuskegee, including director of 1890 Land Grant Research and Extension Programs, the George Washington Carver Agricultural Experiment Station, founder and director of the Carver Integrative Sustainability Center and project director of the Wal-Mart Foundation-sponsored Sustainable Agriculture Consortium for Historically Disadvantaged Farmers. In 2012, Hill was appointed dean of the College of Agriculture, Environment & Nutrition Sciences at Tuskegee University.
Hill has authored journal articles, books and academic conference proceedings on plant-environment relationships for sustainable agriculture and advanced life support systems, and on small and historically disadvantaged farmer and rural community development at. In 2008, he served as the co-editor of Access & Equity Issues in Agricultural & Rural Development. Hill has also been active in the local farming community. He is founder and co-leader of the Alabama Agricultural Land Grant Alliance, and the Black Belt Family Farm Fruit & Vegetable Marketing and Innovation Center. In 2001, he received an honorary doctorate from Lake Forest College.
Walter Andrew Hill was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on December 15, 2012.
A2012.248
Male
12/15/2012
Hill
A
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
University of Arizona School of Law
University of Chicago
Lake Forest College
Walter
New Brunswick
HIL15
All Seasons Except Winter
New Jersey
Jamaica
To God be the glory.

Alabama
8/9/1946
Tuskegee
United States
Sweet Potatoes, Greens
Agricultural engineer Walter A. Hill (1946 - ) is the dean of the College of Agriculture, Environment & Nutrition Sciences at Tuskegee University.
Tuskegee University
Beige, Brown
Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of Walter A. Hill's interview
Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Walter A. Hill lists his favorites
Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Walter A. Hill describes his mother's family background
Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Walter A. Hill describes his father's family background
Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Walter A. Hill talks about his father's family and his ministry
Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Walter A. Hill talks about his father's growing up and education
Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Walter A. Hill talks about how his parents met
Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Walter A. Hill describes his parents' personalities and who he takes after
Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Walter A. Hill talks about his siblings
Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Walter A. Hill describes his earliest childhood memories
Tape: 2 Story: 6 - Walter A. Hill describes the sights, sounds and smells of his childhood
Tape: 2 Story: 7 - Walter A. Hill talks about his interest in sports
Tape: 2 Story: 8 - Walter A. Hill talks about his interest in science growing up
Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Walter A. Hill talks about his high school teachers
Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Walter A. Hill talks about his extracurricular activities
Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Walter A. Hill talks about growing up in North Little Rock, Arkansas
Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Walter A. Hill talks about his decision to attend Lake Forest College
Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Walter A. Hill talks about his experience at Lake Forest College
Tape: 3 Story: 6 - Walter A. Hill talks about the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Tape: 3 Story: 7 - Walter A. Hill talks about his experience at the University of Chicago
Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Walter A. Hill talks about the importance of groups
Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Walter A. Hill talks about his experience teaching in Chicago
Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Walter A. Hill talks about his developing interest in agriculture
Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Walter A. Hill talks about his experience at the University of Arizona
Tape: 4 Story: 5 - Walter A. Hill talks about his mentors at the University of Arizona
Tape: 4 Story: 6 - Walter A. Hill talks about his decision to pursue his Ph.D. degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Tape: 4 Story: 7 - Walter A. Hill talks about his decision to join the faculty at Tuskegee University
Tape: 5 Story: 1 - Walter A. Hill talks about his experience at Tuskegee University
Tape: 5 Story: 2 - Walter A. Hill talks about Tuskegee University's science funding
Tape: 5 Story: 3 - Walter A. Hill talks about Tuskegee University's department of agriculture
Tape: 5 Story: 4 - Walter A. Hill talks about George Washington Carver's impact on the agriculture department
Tape: 5 Story: 5 - Walter A. Hill talks about his research with sweet potatoes - part one
Tape: 5 Story: 6 - Walter A. Hill talks about his research with sweet potatoes - part two
Tape: 6 Story: 1 - Walter A. Hill talks about the politics of farming - part one
Tape: 6 Story: 2 - Walter A. Hill talks about the politics of farming - part two
Tape: 6 Story: 3 - Walter A. Hill talks about the politics of farming - part three
Tape: 6 Story: 4 - Walter A. Hill talks about the politics of farming - part four
Tape: 6 Story: 5 - Walter A. Hill talks about his students at Tuskegee University
Tape: 6 Story: 6 - Walter A. Hill talks about his hopes and concerns for the African American community
Tape: 6 Story: 7 - Walter A. Hill talks about his volunteer activities
Tape: 7 Story: 1 - Walter A. Hill talks about the Southern Food Systems Education Consortium
Tape: 7 Story: 2 - Walter A. Hill talks about his graduate students
Tape: 7 Story: 3 - Walter A. Hill reflects upon his career
Tape: 7 Story: 4 - Walter A. Hill reflects upon his legacy
Tape: 7 Story: 5 - Walter A. Hill talks about his family
Tape: 7 Story: 6 - Walter A. Hill talks about how he would like to be remembered
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