ROGERS LEE HILL

Rogers Lee Hill was born in Glen Allen, Alabama, July 2, 1905, the son of Dr. Robert Leroy and Mary Orlena (Lee) Hill. He received his B.S. from Birmingham Southern Vanderbilt University Medical School from which he graduated in 1930 and was a recipient of the Founder's Medal. Dr. Hill interned at Vanderbilt University Hospital, Nashville, Tennessee, in 1931, became assistant resident in surgery in 1932 and resident surgeon in 1933.

Arriving in the Islands in 1933, he went to Lihue, Kauai, to work with Dr. Jay Kuhns and to become assistant physician at the Lihue Hospital. In 1936 he moved to Honolulu and opened an office for the practice of general surgery.

On March 27, 1934, Dr. Hill married Miss Eunice Hyde Wilcox on Kauai. Four children were born to the Hills: Rogers Lee, Jr., Martha Lee, Robert Scott, and Mary Anne.

During World War II the doctor was called to active duty with the Medical Corps, U.S. Navy in which he attained the rank of Lieutenant Commander and saw service in the Philippines. At the end of the war Dr. Hill returned to Honolulu and resumed his practice. In 1949 he was certified by the American Board of Surgery and in 1951 by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. He was attending surgeon at Children's, St. Francis and Kaneohe hospitals, assistant chief of surgery at the Queen's Medical Center, and consultant to the Hansen's Disease division of the Board of Health (1953). In 1950 Dr. Hill and Dr. James W. Cherry jointly authored a monograph on the treatment of burns which became a standard manual for training medical and nursing personnel. After Mrs. Hill's death in March, 1963, Dr. Hill moved back to Alabama for a year and then returned to Honolulu where he became coordinator of the Honolulu Integrated Surgical Residency Program at St. Francis and Kuakini hospitals and the Queen's Medical Center.

Dr. Hill died in Honolulu on June 30, 1969, within a few days of his 64th. birthday.

He was a member of the Honolulu County Medical Society (president 1947-1948), the Hawaii Medical Association (president 1950), the American Medical Association, Hawaii Chapter of the American College of Surgeons (president 1966), Alpha Kappa Kappa, Alpha Omega Alpha, and Central Union Church. Intensely interested in medical history, he was the founder and first president of the Hawaii Society of Medical History. Dr. Hill also served for many years in an advisory capacity to the Hawaii Medical Library.

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