Trinity Alumnus Named Harvard Fellow
Retired Gen. Tom Hill, a Trinity Trustee, chosen as the first military fellow at Harvard’s Institute of Politics
Tom Hill

San Antonio – Trinity University alumnus and member of the Board of Trustees, retired Gen. James “Tom” Hill ’68  will join Harvard University’s Institute of Politics (IOP) as a 2016 Fall Resident. Hill, a San Antonio businessman and former military commander, is president of JT Hill Group, Inc.

A retired four-star U.S. Army general, Hill will lead discussions on the role of the military in national security policy formulation and execution. “What a privilege to be chosen as the first military fellow at the IOP,” Hill said. “Harvard students have a storied history of service to the nation, including military service in each of our nation’s wars. Though, like most Americans, few will serve in uniform, a better understanding and appreciation of the role of our military helps them be better informed citizens,” Hill added.

Hill’s strong ties and contacts with opinion and policy makers throughout the government’s executive and legislative branches, the military, defense industry, academia, and think tanks made him an excellent candidate for the Fellows Program. Additionally, he has traveled and worked in more than 70 countries, providing Hill a keen understanding of foreign militaries and governments, both in and beyond Latin America.

Retired from the U.S. Army after 36 years of active service, Hill is a highly decorated combat infantryman, soldier, diplomat, and widely respected leader. He participated in combat operations in Vietnam, Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and peacekeeping duties in Haiti. His last assignment was Combatant Commander, United States Southern -Command, leading all U.S. forces in Central and South America and the Caribbean.

An active and supportive alumnus, Hill was named Trinity University’s Distinguished Alumnus in 2003. He was appointed a University Trustee in 2015. Last year, he and former Trustee Jim Dicke donated one of the late professor Phil Evett’s works of art, Millennium 2000, an 8-foot tall wood sculpture installed in the foyer of the Dicke Art Building.

Harvard’s IOP Fellows Program is central to the Institute’s dual commitment to encourage student interest in public life and to increase interaction between the academic and political communities. Resident Fellows interact with students, develop and lead weekly study groups, and participate in the intellectual life of the Harvard community. The IOP Fellows program offers a unique opportunity for political practitioners to spend the semester at Harvard interacting with and learning from students. The IOP was established in 1966 as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy.

Sharon Jones Schweitzer '75 helps tell Trinity's story as a contributor to the University communications team.

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