A Brother’s Influence, a School’s Impact:
The Dana M. Hill Jr. ’67 Scholarship
Peter Hill ’71 entered Hopkins as a freshman at a school where expectations ran high—academically, personally, and in the discipline of everyday life. It was a demanding place to find your footing, but with the steady encouragement of his older brother, Dana ’67, Peter found his. Today he honors Dana’s memory—and gives voice to his own gratitude for a Hopkins education—through the Dana M. Hill Jr. ’67 Scholarship Fund, which he established in 2024.
Below, Peter reflects on Dana, his parents’ commitment to education, his own years at Hopkins, and the inspiration behind the scholarship.
Dana Hill '67 HGS
1. You’ve written about how your time at Hopkins shaped your life. When you look back now, what stands out the most?
“My answer is probably similar to a lot of alums. Hopkins was rigorous from an academic standpoint. Given the small class sizes and the interaction between teachers and kids—you had to call teachers ‘sir,’ wear ties—you couldn’t hide and there was a high level of accountability.”
At the time, Hopkins carried the formality of its era. Dress codes, weekly performance reports, and strict expectations made the School a structured, exacting environment—one that left little room for coasting. “In all candor, there was a lot of homework, and I was really inefficient at doing homework. I was a better athlete than I was a student—a two-sport captain. The rules were tough at Hopkins, and you were held accountable.”
For Peter, the structure and rigor were both daunting and humbling. But he did not face that challenge alone—his elder brother Dana ’67, back at Hopkins in a newly created advisory position, helped him navigate expectations and stay on track. That combination of rigor and support shaped the habits and resilience Peter would carry into college at Georgetown University and beyond. While Hopkins’ approach has modernized since his time, Peter said the core of high expectations and accountability remains.
Peter Hill '71 HGS
2. Could you tell us more about your brother Dana and what he loved most about Hopkins?
Because the family could only afford to send one child to Hopkins at a time, Peter did not enroll until the ninth grade—after Dana had graduated. By then, Dana had returned to the School as a student advisor. “He kept a watchful eye over me as an older brother would,” Peter said. “He was kind of a life coach.” During Peter’s first two years, Dana was alongside him in a steady, almost paternal way, offering guidance and—when necessary—gentle discipline. “On more than one occasion, he took me aside and gave me a stern conversation.”
Peter remembers Dana as more serious and academically inclined. “He was more of an intellectual. I was a happy-go-lucky nuthead,” he recalled. “He was a better student than I was. I was a better athlete, but he was a smarter individual.” Dana was also deeply involved in the arts, working behind the scenes in Hopkins’ theatrical productions and participating in the music program—interests that shaped both his school life and legacy. The time the brothers spent together at Hopkins left a lasting imprint on Peter. “He was an older brother and a mentor. It was a unique opportunity for us to spend that time together,” he said.
Dana passed away at age nineteen, during his sophomore year in college. In his brother’s memory, Peter established the Dana M. Hill, Jr. ’67 Scholarship, awarded to Upper School students with a demonstrated interest in music or theater production—students whose passions mirror Dana’s own. “A scholarship is about paying it forward in perpetuity,” Peter said. “That is what really matters. Supporting Hopkins in this way, and honoring my brother through it, was an easy decision.”
3. You credit Hopkins with preparing you for Georgetown and Columbia and for your professional success. In what ways do you think the Hopkins experience continues to set students apart today?
Hill recalls that roughly 20 percent of his graduating class went on to Ivy League institutions—an achievement that impressed him then and continues to do so now. Over time, he has watched his classmates build distinguished careers and has been equally struck by the breadth of talent among current students.
“What’s cool about Hopkins and being a Hopkins student is it’s not just about being a bunch of smart kids—it’s also a balance of students who are good at various things.” He points to the School’s ability to balance academic, athletic, and social strengths, as well as its expanding geographic reach across New Haven, Fairfield, and Hartford Counties. While facilities, technology, and pedagogy have evolved, he sees those changes as positive extensions of a consistent core philosophy.
4. You’ve spoken about the lasting impact of a Hopkins education. Why is expanding access to that experience—through scholarship aid—important to you?
In addition to honoring his brother, the Dana M. Hill Jr. ’67 Scholarship embodies Peter’s family legacy and celebrates his parents’ commitment to education. “My parents were highly educated—my grandmother went to Smith, my mom had a graduate degree from Radcliffe, and my father went to Yale. My parents also had the foresight to seek out Hopkins.” For Peter, extending the benefit of a Hopkins education was a natural continuation of his family legacy. It ensures that the values his parents held dear—education, opportunity, and personal growth—continue to be honored and passed on to future generations.
Reflecting on his own career, Peter sees the influence of those Hopkins lessons at every turn. “Hopkins was formative in my life. If I hadn’t had the challenges of Hopkins, I’m not sure I would have handled the challenges in my work career.” When Peter took his first job in life insurance after graduating from Georgetown, his father worried it might be too difficult, as only one in 10 new hires survived the first year. “It was brutal, but I was too stubborn to fail,” Peter said. “I think that bedrock was nurtured in the years I had at Hopkins. It was hard, but I did not let it get me down. I wanted to do well enough to get into a good business school. I applied to Columbia, then asked to defer my admission. I spent two years selling insurance, and that actually ended up paying for my graduate school.”
“All of that harkens back to my experience at Hopkins, which taught me perseverance, determination, and resilience. Those are the things I learned there, and now I’m just trying to pay it forward.”
5. You’ve seen Hopkins through several generations of leadership. What gives you confidence in its future, and what do you think will be most important for its success moving forward?
Peter speaks with admiration for Hopkins’ leadership and faculty. “Having a key leader at the top is really important. I was fortunate to spend a couple of hours with Matt Glendinning. I am fond of Matt and I think he’s the right guy for the job. He’s broad-minded and a good communicator.”
He also credits Hopkins’ School culture as being a primary element in its continued success. Citing a textbook definition of culture as a collection of behaviors, he says, “Hopkins has a culture that is attributable to the behavior of everyone who’s there.” He notes the depth, commitment, and high caliber of the faculty, alongside a talented and diverse student body, which together create a dynamic synergy. “Hopkins is a place where intelligent people come to do meaningful work.”