John L. Hillman (1889)
HILLMAN, JOHN LINNAEUS (1865-1957), American minister, educator, and college president, was born in Licking County, Ohio, on July 8, 1865. He was a student at the Academy of Ohio Wesleyan University when he was converted at sixteen following a religious experience that made a deep impression upon him. He continued his college work at Ohio Wesleyan University and graduated in 1886 with the B.A. degree. That same year he entered the Central Ohio Conference on trial. His theological training was received at Boston University School of Theology. After his graduation in 1889 he returned to his home conference until 1896.
Hillman displayed great ability as an evangelist. At one evangelistic meeting in Marion, Ohio, 1,000 persons professed conversion under his ministry.
After five years in the Pittsburgh Conference, Hillman returned to Ohio in 1909 to accept the pastorate of Youngstown Trinity Church. His emphasis on evangelism led to an increase in the church’s membership by 800 in three years. And when he took the pastorate of a Des Moines, Iowa church in 1912, he was able to double the church’s membership and retire its outstanding indebtedness through his personal evangelism and able management.
In thirty years, Hillman was credited with having brought over 6,000 converts into the M. E. Church.
In 1917 Hillman was named president of Simpson College, Indianola, Iowa, a post he held with great distinction for seventeen years. After his retirement he continued as president-emeritus and professor of Bible.
During Hillman’s administration, the entrance and graduation standards were increased, the college gained considerable recognition for the quality of its students and faculty, the endowment funds were doubled, and the administration building (later to be named in his honor) was built.
Hillman was one of the first to notice the work of George Washington Carver, and Simpson College gave the great Negro scientist the first honorary degree he ever received.
Greatly admired by his colleagues in the church, Hillman was elected as a delegate to five General Conferences. From 1918 to 1936 he held membership in the University Senate of the M. E. Church. From 1924 to 1936 he was a member of the Book Committee in charge of the church’s Book Concern. He was twice chairman of the General Conference Committee on Education and was active on the General Conference’s Commission on Evangelism.
Hillman’s work in the church and education won him recognition by a number of colleges and universities which awarded him honorary degrees. Baldwin-Wallace College and Ohio Wesleyan University conferred the D.D. degree upon him, and College of the Pacific awarded him the LL.D. degree. Simpson College gave him the L.H.D. degree.
John Hillman died July 13, 1957 in Des Moines, Iowa.
Journal of the South Iowa Conference, 1958.
Who’s Who in America.