George Watts Hill (October 27, 1901 – January 20, 1993) was an American banker, hospital administrator and philanthropist who played a key role in the socioeconomic development of Durham, North Carolina, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Research Triangle Park.
[3] He was also instrumental in health care reform, the desegregation of Durham, the education of children with learning disabilities, and the removal of the Speaker Ban Law.
Following a ten-month honeymoon around the world, the couple made their home in Harwood Hall, the mansion that his grandfather, George Washington Watts, had built.
As World War II unfolded, Hill became a political advocate for the United States joining the Allied Forces.
He was an active member of the Fight for Freedom group in 1941, and, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he looked for a way to join the armed forces.
Following the war, Hill continued to work in Durham at the family businesses and at Watts Hospital, as well as with organizations that promoted better medical care for North Carolinians.
During his tenure, the board was involved with the Speaker Ban debate, consolidation of the university system, the sale of public utilities, and general planning questions.