Born in Lexington, Ky., on November 2, 1885. Nurseryman and Horticulturist. Businessman. Civic Leader. University of Kentucky, B.S., 1907. Died, May 31, 1965.
For eighteen years (1924-42), was a member of the University Board of Trustees, and a member of the Executive Committee. He also was a long-time member of the Athletics Board and served on the UK Alumni Association board of directors.
As a student at UK, he lettered in baseball; he was captain of the team 1905-07. He was a member of Lampas, Lamp and Cross, and Pi Kappa Alpha social fraternity. Then he took over as business manager of the 1907 "Kentuckian," the yearbook was about to fold; he obtained the promise of his grandfather that he would back the publication financially, if no other support were forthcoming.
He was active in several civic organizations: the American Red Cross; the Board of the St. Joseph Hospital and Chairman of the hospitals fund drive to build a new hospital on the south side of town; the Lexington Rotary Club, which he served as President, 1929-30; President, Henry Clay memorial Foundation. He served on the first zoning commission in Lexington. He was decorated by Pope Pius XII in 1958 as a Knight of St. Gregory, one of the highest lay honors of the Catholic Church. He was President of the Kentucky Nursery Association; President, Kentucky Horticulture Society, and held office in the American Association of Nurserymen and the Southern Nursery Association.
As a businessman he operated a successful nursery near Lexington, and was a Director of the Security Trust Company, Hurst Home Insurance Company, Frankfort, Natural Gas Company, the Columbia Gas System, Columbia Gas of Kentucky, and the General Telephone Company of Kentucky.
He attended Assumption College, Sandwich, Ontario, Canada, and received his B.S. the University of Kentucky in degree in agriculture at the University of Kentucky in 1907.
Louis Edward Hillenmeyer was named to the Hall of Distinguished Alumni in February 1965.
