Jack Hill (politician)

Jack Hill
Hill speaking in Reidsville in 2010
Member of the Georgia Senate
from the 4th district
In office
1991 – April 6, 2020
Preceded byJoe Kennedy
Succeeded byBilly Hickman
Personal details
Born(1944-07-15)July 15, 1944
Reidsville, Georgia, U.S.
DiedApril 6, 2020(2020-04-06) (aged 75)
Reidsville, Georgia, U.S.
Political partyRepublican (2002–2020)
Other political
affiliations		Democratic (before 2002)
Spouse
Ruth Ann Nail
​
(m. 1972)​

Jack S. Hill (July 15, 1944 – April 6, 2020) was an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he represented Georgia's 4th District in the Georgia State Senate.[1] At the time of his death, he was the longest-serving Georgia State Senator.[2]

Personal

Jack Hill was born in Reidsville, Georgia.[3] He was a retired grocer[4] and his wife, Ruth Ann, was an elementary school principal. Together, they had three children and seven grandchildren.

Hill was a graduate of Reidsville High School and Georgia Southern University.

He served in the Georgia Air National Guard for 33 years, both as a unit commander and State Inspector General.[5] Hill died on April 6, 2020.[2] His wife, Ruth Ann Nail Hill, died less than three weeks later on April 24, 2020.[6]

Political career

Re-elected in 2018 to his 15th two-year term, Senator Hill was first elected to the Georgia State Senate in 1990.

Senator Hill was the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and under his leadership Georgia maintained the highest bond rating awarded, a "Triple A," from the national rating agencies.[7]

Senator Hill also served as the Vice Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee. He also served on the Natural Resources and the Environment and Regulated Industries and Utilities, and was an ex-officio member of the Finance Committee.[8] Past chairmanships include: K-12 Education, Ethics, and Higher Education.

Senator Hill represented Georgia's 4th Senatorial District which includes: Bulloch, Candler, Effingham, Emanuel (pt.), Evans and Tattnall (pt.) counties.

Legacy

Gordonia-Alatamaha State Park was renamed Jack Hill State Park following his death.[9] In February 2021, Georgia Southern University announced plans to build the Hill Convocation Center to replace Hanner Fieldhouse; the new arena was named after both Jack and Ruth Ann Hill and is projected to open in the fall of 2024.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Jack Hill". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Georgia's longest-serving state senator, Jack Hill, has died". WSB-TV. April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  3. ^ Galloway, Jim. "Dear school bus driver: Don't panic over health insurance loss. Not yet". ajc.com. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on June 15, 2016. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  4. ^ Getz, Jason. "Jack Hill". ajc.com. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  5. ^ "Georgia State Senate" (PDF). www.senate.ga.gov. Georgia State. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  6. ^ "Ruth Ann Hill, Widow of Senator Jack Hill Passed Away". Archived from the original on 2020-05-05. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  7. ^ Gould Sheinin, Aaron. "State Maintains "Triple A" Bond Rating But Danger Lurks". ajc.com. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  8. ^ "Georgia State Senate". www.senate.ga.gov. The State of Georgia. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  9. ^ "Jack Hill State Park". State Parks & Historic Sites. Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  10. ^ Hackle, Al (April 15, 2021). "Planned 'convocation center' will also be new GS basketball arena". Statesboro Herald. Retrieved September 22, 2021.