Robert Thomas Hill

Robert T. Hill helped establish the Texas Geological Survey (a precursor to the Texas Bureau of Economic Geology). He also served as the first chairman of the geology department at the University of Texas at Austin, and worked for the U.S Geological Survey. Hill was known for his work mapping the Cretaceous layer in Texas, delineating the Balcones fault zone, and leading the first scientific expedition to explore and document the Rio Grande’s Big Bend canyons. In this way, Hill helped train and supervise many students and agency officials, and build the foundations of our understanding of the state’s natural resources.