Hill, Nathaniel P.

Nathaniel Peter Hill (1832-1900), professor of chemistry, was born in Montgomery, New York, on February 18, 1832. When he entered Brown in 1853, he had already been managing a farm after the death of his father. Although he did not graduate, he was appointed instructor in chemistry applied to the arts in 1858 and professor of chemistry in 1859. He worked to secure funds for the chemistry laboratory, which was built in 1862. He resigned in 1864 and, after studying mining in Colorado and Europe for three years, he organized the Boston and Colorado Smelting Company in 1867. He was mayor of Black Hawk, Colorado, in 1871, a member of the Colorado territorial council in 1872 and 1873, and United States Senator from Colorado from 1879 to 1885. He was also president of an oil company, a smelting company and a real estate development, and principal owner of the Denver Republican. Brown awarded him a master of arts degree by special vote in 1894. He died in Denver on May 22, 1900.