Patty Hill
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Patty Hill | |
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Born | Patty Smith Hill March 27, 1868 Anchorage, Kentucky, U.S. |
Died | May 25, 1946 New York City, U.S. | (aged 78)
Resting place | Cave Hill Cemetery |
Occupations |
|
Notable work | "Happy Birthday to You" |
Relatives | Mildred J. Hill (sister) |
Awards | Columbia University (Honorary doctorate), induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame |
Patty Smith Hill (March 27, 1868 – May 25, 1946)
Patty Smith Hill was born in 1868 in Anchorage, Kentucky, just outside Louisville. Her parents were passionate people who instilled in Patty and her siblings the importance of education, the value of play, and the necessity of advocating for others. Her father, William Wallace Hill, was born in Bath, Kentucky, graduated from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky in 1833, and earned a doctorate of Theology from Princeton University in 1838. He dedicated his entire life to ministry and education, which took the Hill family from Kentucky to Missouri to Texas. Her mother, Martha Jane Smith, was William's second wife (his first died in childbirth), and was born in Pennsylvania, but as an adolescent moved with her brother to live with their aunt and uncle on their plantation in Danville. Martha Jane was intent on learning and passing along education to others, evidenced, for example, by the fact that she taught the slaves on the Grimes plantation to read and write.
Hill's parents were committed to their children's education; her father is reported to have told his daughters to understand the value of a good education, and that it was, "a tragedy for women to marry for a home. Don't live with law kin! Don't even if you have to live in a hollow tree!" Empowered by her parents' encouragement, Patty graduated valedictorian of her class from the Louisville Collegiate Institute in 1887.
Early childhood education
Hill was an authority and leader in the
"Happy Birthday to You"
Hill is perhaps best known as the sister of
Later life and honors
Patty Smith Hill, who never married, was awarded an honorary doctorate degree by
See also
- Kenwood Hill— Louisville neighborhood Patty Hill lived in
- List of people from the Louisville metropolitan area
References
- ^ a b Snyder, Agnes. Dauntless Women in Childhood Education, 1856–1931. 1972. Washington, D.C.: Association for Childhood Education International. p. 233-270.
- ^ "Patty Smith Hill | American educator". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
- ISBN 9780674627345. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
- ISBN 0813128838. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
External links
- The Happy Birthday Song and The Little Loomhouse
- Mikkelson, Barbara & David P. "Happy Birthday, We'll Sue" at Snopes.com: Urban Legends Reference Pages.
- Patty Hill at IMDb
- Patty Hill discography at Discogs