by design | May 31, 2026 | Columnist, Hill, Ray Hill's Archives, Stories In This Week's Focus:
By Ray Hill Some years ago, both political parties in Connecticut were careful to bolster their respective tickets with ethnically balanced tickets. Aside from the old “Yankee” population, there were Jews, Italians and a substantial Polish population to think about. ...
by design | May 25, 2026 | Columnist, Hill, Ray Hill's Archives, Stories In This Week's Focus:
By Ray Hill Among Tennessee’s most colorful characters is Harvey Horatio Hannah. Doubtless, few readers today recognize Hannah’s name, but during his lifetime, he was one of Tennessee’s most notable public figures, a man widely renowned for his speaking ability....
by design | May 17, 2026 | Columnist, Hill, Ray Hill's Archives, Stories In This Week's Focus:
By Ray Hill James Davis Porter served two terms as governor of Tennessee and remained one of the most notable of the Volunteer State’s citizens. Lawmaker, judge, chief executive, highly successful businessman and college president, James D. Porter lived a full and...
by design | May 10, 2026 | Columnist, Hill, Ray Hill's Archives, Stories In This Week's Focus:
By Ray Hill There was a time when John H. Savage was one of the most prominent men in Tennessee. With his long, wavy locks of hair and a moustache that drooped below his chin, Savage resembled a mix between an outlaw and a Chinese Mandarin, especially with his dark,...
by design | May 3, 2026 | Columnist, Hill, Ray Hill's Archives, Stories In This Week's Focus:
By Ray Hill Warren Robinson Austin served in the United States Senate before resigning his seat to accept an appointment from a president of the other political party to become America’s ambassador to the United Nations. Prior to his election to the Senate, Austin had...
by design | Apr 26, 2026 | Columnist, Hill, Ray Hill's Archives, Stories In This Week's Focus:
By Ray Hill Readers will likely be surprised to learn that I frequently write columns well in advance of their publication. As this is written, President-elect Donald Trump is naming various nominees to the sundry offices and departments of the federal government....
