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PRINTER'S NO. 2073
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
411
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY FRANKEL, CALTAGIRONE, P. COSTA, READSHAW,
HENNESSEY, FREEMAN, GODSHALL, MILLARD, DAVIS, SOLOMON, REED,
D. COSTA, DUSH, SONNEY, MURT, WARD, BARBIN, MARSHALL, DeLUCA
AND NEILSON, JUNE 20, 2017
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
JUNE 20, 2017
A RESOLUTION
Honoring the life and legacy of Henry L. Hillman and recognizing
his exemplary contributions to Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Henry L. Hillman, who transformed western
Pennsylvania through his leadership and philanthropy, died on
Friday, April 14, 2017, at 98 years of age; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hillman, alongside his wife of more than 70
years, Elsie Hilliard Hillman, had an impact that went far
beyond financial, professional and political success; and
WHEREAS, Born on Christmas Day in 1918, Mr. Hillman was the
fifth of seven children to John and Juliet Hillman and grew up
watching his father build the last great industrial empire in
Pittsburgh; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hillman graduated from the Taft Boarding School
in Watertown, Connecticut, before earning a bachelor's degree
from Princeton University in 1941; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hillman proudly served his country in the United
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States Navy during World War II where he trained as a fighter
pilot but never had the opportunity to deploy for combat
himself; and
WHEREAS, After the war, Mr. Hillman returned to Pittsburgh
and eventually took the reins of the company his father started,
The Hillman Company, after his father died in 1959; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hillman ran The Hillman Company for more than 30
years, where he excelled at buying and selling properties for a
profit; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hillman had a business prowess that soon moved
him past the Carnegie and Mellon family heirs to become the
wealthiest man in Pittsburgh and a constant fixture on the
Forbes 400 list of richest Americans; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hillman had a strong national reputation as
someone with the ability to read and respond to changes in the
business environment; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hillman had a talent of giving sound advice to
other corporate leaders that soon led him on a path to investing
in technology startups across the nation, including playing a
prominent role in the development of Silicon Valley in the
1970s; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hillman stepped away from day-to-day operations
of The Hillman Company in the late 1980s and retired as chairman
of the board in 1993 at 75 years of age; and
WHEREAS, At the height of his career, Mr. Hillman served on
the boards of 10 major companies, including Chemical Banking
Corporation, PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., and General
Electric; and
WHEREAS, Although he was a very successful businessman, Mr.
Hillman contributed even more to his community through his
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gracious and often private philanthropy which he focused on
intently well into his 90s, and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hillman believed that Pittsburgh's renaissance
should be more than brick and mortar and that individuals,
nonprofit organizations and businesses should also invest in and
care about people of every background, neighborhood and faith;
and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hillman, through both the Hillman Foundation,
which was started by his father in 1951, and the Henry L.
Hillman Foundation, donated millions of dollars to spur the
advancements of science, technology and medicine, three fields
in which Mr. Hillman had a very strong interest; and
WHEREAS, In 1999, Mr. Hillman, through his foundations,
donated $10 million to establish the Hillman Cancer Center in
Shadyside, which has become the University of Pittsburgh Medical
Center's (UPMC) flagship cancer treatment and research facility;
and
WHEREAS, Six years later, in 2005, Mr. Hillman's foundation
donated the largest single grant in the history of the
University of Pittsburgh, $20 million, to start the Hillman
Fellows Program for Innovative Cancer Research at UPMC; and
WHEREAS, In 2008, the Henry L. Hillman Foundation gave $10
million to Carnegie Mellon University for a research building
which was called the Hillman Center for Future Generation
Technologies; and
WHEREAS, It is truly a measure of Mr. Hillman's long-term
dedication to service that not only were his and his wife's
charitable efforts record breaking, but the result of those
efforts will continue to be part of the fabric of the Pittsburgh
region for years to come; and
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WHEREAS, Mr. Hillman's thoughtful and unique perspective on
philanthropy was displayed in his comment about the Hillman
Cancer Center in June 2005: "Buildings do not treat cancer.
People do"; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hillman's contributions to the University of
Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University spurred research and
made Pittsburgh one of the leading centers for technology,
biotechnology and medical research in the nation; and
WHEREAS, On a personal level, Mr. Hillman was known to have a
great sense of humor and to be gracious in the way he treated
his colleagues and employees; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hillman was known to carefully consider every
problem and was never afraid to tackle the toughest challenges
by carefully examining the pros and cons, even making lists when
necessary; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hillman greatly enjoyed talking to people and
asking how they could make a difference, how they could inspire
others, and take advantage of future opportunities; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hillman was a fiercely private man who demurred
on interview requests and took pride in having his wife Elsie
take the spotlight; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hillman's long history of public service in
Pittsburgh is unlikely to be matched any time soon, as he
proudly served as chairman or board member for the Allegheny
Conference on Community Development, the Regional Industrial
Development Corporation of Southwestern Pennsylvania, the Urban
Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, ACTION-Housing, Inc., and
the Pittsburgh Regional Planning Commission; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hillman was also on the board of Children's
Hospital in Pittsburgh for more than 40 years; and
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WHEREAS, As a long-time supporter of arts and culture, Mr.
Hillman donated millions of dollars to the Carnegie Museums, the
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra;
and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hillman's beloved wife Elsie preceded him in
death in August 2015; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hillman has said that he would like to be
remembered for "having done right" by his family and community;
and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hillman has been instrumental in raising
Pittsburgh's standing around the world, as the city's reputation
for science, innovation, research, cultural and educational
institutions and quality of life is a direct result of the
immense investment of time, critical thinking and financial
support of Mr. Hillman and his late wife; and therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor the life
and legacy of Henry L. Hillman and recognize his exemplary
contributions to Pennsylvania.
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