In determining the philanthropic program of
the Jerome Foundation, the Directors have been guided by the
artistic interests and humanistic concerns evidenced in the life
of the Foundation's founder.
Jerome Hill, the grandson of railroad builder James Jerome Hill
and the son of Louis W. Hill, Sr., was born and grew up in St.
Paul, Minnesota. Manifesting an early interest in painting and
drawing, Hill attended St. Paul Academy where, as a student, he
decorated the walls of the chemistry laboratory with a series of
historical murals which survive to this day. At Yale, where he
majored in music, he created costumes and sets for the Dramat and
drew for the Record. He studied painting at the British Academy in
Rome and at the Academie Scandinav in Paris. His paintings and
drawings have been widely exhibited and are included in several
private and public collections.
