Hill Family Fund gives $200,000 to UA Walton College for endowment
by March 19, 2026 12:29 pm 492 views
The Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas has received a $200,000 donation from the Jay F. and Patricia P. Hill Family Fund to establish the Jay F. Hill Portfolio Manager Endowment in support of the college’s investment management program.
U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Little Rock, a former banker, is the Hill Family Fund trustee and established the endowment in honor of his father, Jay Hill, who died Oct. 10, 2022, at the age of 96. The endowment will provide annual scholarship and stipend support to the undergraduate student leader of the Walton College Portfolio Management program. The program provides students with hands-on experience managing real investment portfolios and developing advanced financial analysis skills.
“My father and grandfather were terrific mentors and role models when it came to financial stewardship and setting out long-term investment goals,” Rep. Hill said. “For more than six decades, they helped Arkansas municipalities and school districts build and enhance public infrastructure and facilities and guided the investment portfolio needs of families and institutions across the state.”
Jay Hill, a 1951 graduate of the University of Arkansas, was a veteran of World War II and the Korean War and a longtime Arkansas investment executive. He spent most of his career with Hill, Crawford & Lanford Inc., a Little Rock firm originally founded by his father in 1933. He served as chairman and CEO from 1986 to 1990.
“The fund recognizes his lifelong commitment to prudent investing, ethical leadership and service to Arkansas communities,” according to a news release. “Jay F. Hill’s principled approach to financial management benefited families and communities across Arkansas,” Chancellor Charles Robinson said. “We are deeply grateful to Congressman Hill and the Hill family for honoring that legacy by helping prepare generations of Walton College portfolio management students to steward resources wisely and serve clients with integrity and care.”
Each year, faculty leaders of the Portfolio Management program will recommend a top-performing student to receive support from the endowment. In addition to scholarship funding, the recipient will receive a stipend to participate in conferences, workshops and professional development opportunities that further strengthen analytical and investment management skills.
“This generous gift celebrates the very best of what Walton College strives to do — prepare talented students for meaningful careers and responsible financial leadership,” said Brent Williams, dean of the Sam M. Walton College of Business. “The Hill family’s commitment will directly impact students for generations and reinforces the importance of experiential learning in shaping the next generation of investment professionals.”
To recognize the legacy of Jay Hill, the Walton College will install a commemorative plaque and portrait in the principal classroom used for the Portfolio Management course.