Madalene Hill

Madalene Hill (November 7, 1913 – March 5, 2009) was an American horticulturalist, entrepreneur, writer, and educator known as the "Grand Dame of Herbs." She named and brought popular herb cultivars, such as 'Arp' and 'Hill Hardy' rosemary and 'Hilltop' oregano to U.S. and international markets. 'Madalene Hill,' also known as 'Hill Hardy,' Rosemary shrub growing in the United States National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. Her work led to popularizing the commercial sale of live and fresh-cut herbs as well as herb-based products for a variety of culinary, decorative, and medicinal uses in the United States starting in the second half of the 20th century. Inspiring generations of herbalists and herb enthusiasts, her advocacy for the appreciation and cultivation of herbs led to her recognition by the American Horticultural Society, the Herb Society of America, and the United States National Arboretum.

Early life Madalene Hill was born in Rock Island, Colorado County, Texas to a rice farming family. When she was three years old, Hill moved to Kansas, where her mother's relatives lived. As the eldest of 13 children, Hill's formal education ended at the age of 16 so that she could work to support the large family. She began working as a key punch operator at the Federal Land Bank in Wichita around the start of the Great Depression.

Two years after marrying in 1933, Hill moved with her husband to Houston, Texas. The couple had two children, Jerry and Gwen, before divorcing. Hill worked at American General Insurance Company and Brown Shipyard before becoming the first female office manager at IBM from 1949 to 1951.

In the late 1960s, Hill also began lecturing and writing about herb collecting and cultivating, contributing to the increased public interest in and availability of a wide variety of herbs by the early 1980s. Both women also published articles in publications like The Herb Companion. Hill, along with her daughter, are credited as being the first to market jalapeño jellies. fresh-cut herbs, and herb butters, chutneys, dressings, and vinegars.

The American Horticultural Society awarded Hill their Catherine H. Sweeney award in 2007. She also received the Helen de Conway Medal of Honor from the Herb Society of America.

She died on March 5, 2009, at the age of 95, following a short illness.