Hill was born in Bridgeton, New Jersey, on April 28, 1936. His father, Morton, worked as a dentist; his mother, Alvenia (Gates), was a housewife.The Lores of Cumberland County, New Jersey Hill studied at Brown University, earning a bachelor's degree in 1957. He subsequently undertook postgraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating from its law school in 1960 before obtaining a master's degree in American studies the following year. He then joined the United States Foreign Service.
