James Michael Hill (also James McDool Hill; October 12, 1899 – March 3, 1962) was a

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Victoria,

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, Canada and first president of St. Thomas College. The son of James S. Hill and Margaret Parris Fitzpatrick, James M. Hill was born in Upper Bay du Vin,

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

. His date of birth is shown in provincial government birth records as October 28, 1899, however, it is otherwise shown as October 12, 1899. His birth or baptismal name is recorded as James McDool Hill, however, other documents including the official record of death state James Michael Hill. Hill's father was a building contractor in

Chatham Chatham may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Chatham Islands (British Columbia) * Chatham Sound, British Columbia * Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi * Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...

. Hill received his early education in Chatham and later attended St. Thomas College in the same town where he was an outstanding student. He received theological training at

Université Laval Université Laval is a public research university in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The university was founded by royal charter issued by Queen Victoria in 1852, with roots in the founding of the Séminaire de Québec in 1663 by François de Montmo ...

and was ordained in 1923. Upon returning to Chatham at age 24, Hill was appointed to the faculty of St. Thomas College where he served as teacher (1923-1927), acting rector (1927-1929), and rector-president (1929-1945). St. Thomas College attained degree-granting status in 1934 while Hill was rector; as a result, the office of rector was superseded by the office of president and Hill became the college's first president. Enrollment at St. Thomas College grew from 185 students in 1937 to 289 in 1944. Hill received an honorary

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ran ...

degree from Université Laval in 1937. Hill was an extensive promoter of the community-based cooperative movement in the Maritimes through the work of Reverend Moses M. Coady, head of the extension department of

St. Francis Xavier University St. Francis Xavier University is a public undergraduate liberal arts university located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is a member of the Maple League, a group of primarily undergraduate universities in Eastern Canada. History St. Franc ...

. In 1939 Hill was appointed president of the Northumberland County Credit Union. Hill resigned as president of St. Thomas College in 1945 and became the first priest of St. Thomas Aquinas parish in Campbellton under the Diocese of Bathurst. The following year in 1946, Hill was consecrated as

Bishop of Victoria The Bishop of Victoria, Hong Kong was (from 1849 to 1951) the Ordinary of a corporation sole including Hong Kong and South China that ministered to 20,000 Anglicans. Bishops *18491865 (ret.): George SmithHandbook to the Diocese of Victoria (Hong K ...

. He exuded great energy but was always "a very gentle and gracious soul." In 1960 his alma mater St. Thomas College had its name changed by the provincial government to St. Thomas University; that same year, St. Thomas University honoured Hill with an honorary

Doctor of Law A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL ...

degree. He died in 1962 at age 62. His name is honored in Chatham by the

James M. Hill Memorial High School James M. Hill Memorial High School is one of two public, English language high schools in the city of Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada. It serves principally students from the south side of the Miramichi River, from the smaller communities of C ...

References

External links

Hill, James M. - Dictionary of Miramichi Biography, pg. 458
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hill, James M. 1899 births 1962 deaths 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Canada Academic staff of St. Thomas University (New Brunswick) People from Northumberland County, New Brunswick St. Thomas University (New Brunswick) alumni Université Laval alumni Roman Catholic bishops of Victoria in Canada