William Silas Hill (January 20, 1886 – August 28, 1972) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

for nine terms. His career was largely focused on agriculture. He studied at the Colorado State College of Agriculture, was a farmer, Secretary of the Colorado State Farm Bureau, and while a Congressman worked on agricultural issues.

Early life and education

Born in

Kelly, Kansas Kelly is an unincorporated community in Nemaha County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the community and nearby areas was 27. History Kelly had its start by the building of the Kansas City, Wichita and Northwest ...

, William Silas Hill attended the public schools, Kansas State Normal at

Emporia, Kansas Emporia is a city in and the county seat of Lyon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 24,139. Emporia lies between Topeka and Wichita at the intersection of U.S. Route 50 with Interstates 335 ...

, and Colorado State College of Agriculture at

Fort Collins A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

Career

He homesteaded near

Cheyenne Wells, Colorado Cheyenne Wells is the Statutory Town that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Cheyenne County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 758 at the 2020 United States Census. History The community was named for the ...

from 1907 to 1915. He was superintendent of Cache la Poudre Consolidated School of

Larimer County, Colorado Larimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 359,066. The county seat and most populous city is Fort Collins. The county was named for William Larimer, Jr., the founder of Denver. ...

from 1919 to 1922. Secretary of the Colorado State Farm Bureau in 1923. He served in the State house of representatives 1924-1926. He engaged in the mercantile business at

Fort Collins, Colorado Fort Collins is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Larimer County, Colorado Larimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 359 ...

from 1927 to 1953. Hill was elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

to the

77th Congress The 77th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1941, ...

and to the eight succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1959). He served as chairman of the Select Committee on Small Business (

83rd Congress The 83rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 1953, until January 3, 1955, during the last two weeks of the Truman administration, with ...

) and was particularly focus on improving the fate of small metal mines in the western United States. He supported agricultural issues and served on agriculture-related subcommittees, including the end of the quota system on livestock slaughter, studying the Federal crop‐insurance program, and for a prohibition of controls on commodity margins. Hill voted in favor of the

Civil Rights Act of 1957 The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was the first federal civil rights legislation passed by the United States Congress since the Civil Rights Act of 1875. The bill was passed by the 85th United States Congress and signed into law by President Dwigh ...

. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1958 to the

86th Congress The 86th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 195 ...

. He retired in 1958 and operated a farm southwest of Fort Collins until 1969. He served as a delegate to

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...

in 1964.

Personal life

He married Rachel Trower and they had a son, Alden Trower Hill and a daughter, Marjorie Hill Hunter. W.S. Hill died in

, August 28, 1972. He was interred in

Grandview Cemetery, Fort Collins Grandview Cemetery is a cemetery in Fort Collins, Larimer County, Colorado. The land for the cemetery was purchased in 1887; at the time it was west of the city limits of Fort Collins. Mountain Home Cemetery had been used prior to this, but it ...

. His papers were donated to the Special Collections and University Archives of the

Wichita State University Wichita State University (WSU) is a public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 areas of study in ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hill, William Silas 1886 births 1972 deaths American Presbyterians Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Colorado Republican Party members of the Colorado House of Representatives 20th-century American politicians People from Nemaha County, Kansas People from Cheyenne County, Colorado Politicians from Fort Collins, Colorado