Pursuit of knowledge led to worlds he’d never dreamed of as a boy

Article: Charleston Daily Mail

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – In the fall of 1963, the management of the Kopperston No. 1 coal mine decided they no longer needed Paul Hill Sr.

He had lost jobs before. But the veteran miner had worked at the Wyoming County site long enough to allow for the hope of a little job security.

Now that security was gone, and he was left with a pregnant wife, five children and few options.

With nowhere else to go, Hill returned his family to their farm in Lincoln County. There was no plumbing, little money and just enough food to get by.

It was then that Hill made a promise to himself: He would get an education and build a better life.

His fifth child, Paul Jr., remembers it well. Read the full story »