Patty Hill
Encyclopedia
Patty Smith Hill is perhaps best known for co-writing the tune which became popular as Happy Birthday to You
. She was an American
nursery school
, kindergarten
teacher
, and key founder of the National Association Nursery Education (NANE) which now exists as the National Association For the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
, just outside of 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.
, with whom she is credited as co-writing the tune to the song Good Morning To All. The tune became even more popular as Happy Birthday to You
. during the 20th century. Hill and her sister Mildred wrote the song (Mildred wrote the tune; Patty wrote the original lyrics) while Patty was principal and Mildred was a teacher at the Louisville Experimental Kindergarten School. This kindergarten was an early experiment in modern educational methods, and was honored, along with the Hill sisters, at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893
.
. She and Mildred J Hill were posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame
on 12 June 1996.
Happy Birthday to You
"Happy Birthday to You", also known more simply as "Happy Birthday", is a song that is traditionally sung to celebrate the anniversary of a person's birth...
. She was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
nursery school
Nursery school
A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of one and five years, staffed by suitably qualified and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare...
, kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
, and key founder of the National Association Nursery Education (NANE) which now exists as the National Association For the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Early life
Patty Smith Hill was born in 1868 in Anchorage, KentuckyAnchorage, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,264 people, 729 households, and 643 families residing in the city. The population density was 744.0 people per square mile . There were 750 housing units at an average density of 246.5 per square mile...
, just outside of 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
Centre College
Centre College is a private liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky, USA, a community of approximately 16,000 in Boyle County south of Lexington, KY. Centre is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution. Centre was founded by Presbyterian leaders, with whom it maintains a loose...
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 progressive education movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Patty developed the Patty Hill blocks and in 1924 helped create the Institute of Child Welfare Research at Columbia University Teachers College. The Patty Hill blocks were large blocks with which children could create giant constructions.Happy Birthday
Hill is perhaps best known as the sister of Mildred J. HillMildred J. Hill
Mildred J. Hill was an American songwriter and musicologist, who composed the melody for "Good Morning to All", later used as the melody for "Happy Birthday to You".-Biography:...
, with whom she is credited as co-writing the tune to the song Good Morning To All. The tune became even more popular as Happy Birthday to You
Happy Birthday to You
"Happy Birthday to You", also known more simply as "Happy Birthday", is a song that is traditionally sung to celebrate the anniversary of a person's birth...
. during the 20th century. Hill and her sister Mildred wrote the song (Mildred wrote the tune; Patty wrote the original lyrics) while Patty was principal and Mildred was a teacher at the Louisville Experimental Kindergarten School. This kindergarten was an early experiment in modern educational methods, and was honored, along with the Hill sisters, at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
.
Later life and honors
Patty Smith Hill died in New York, New York, and is buried in Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. She and Mildred J Hill were posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame
Songwriters Hall of Fame
The Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. It was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The goal is to create a museum but as of April, 2008, the means do not yet exist and so instead it is an online...
on 12 June 1996.
See also
- Kenwood HillKenwood HillKenwood Hill is a neighborhood on the south side of Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Its boundaries are New Cut Road, Kenwood Drive, Southside Drive and Palatka Road. The hill, earlier known as Sunshine Hill and then Cox's Knob, was used by Native Americans to spot buffalo. By 1868 Benoni Figg owned the...
— Louisville neighborhood Patty Hill lived in - List of famous Louisvillians