A recently retired family medicine physician with Kelsey-Seybold Clinic in Houston, Texas, Dr. Harriet Hilliard (BA chemistry 83, MD 87) is originally from Greenville, Mississippi.
Alumna Dr. Harriet Hilliard (BA chemistry 83, MD 87)
How did your interest in studying chemistry develop?
I always enjoyed my math and science classes in high school. I attended Greenville High School and took chemistry, physics, and calculus (to name a few). Chemistry always seemed interesting and intellectually challenging. Learning chemistry also offered a great foundation for my healthcare plans.
Talk about your time at the University of Mississippi.
I was very studious while at UM. Since I had to return home every summer to work, I took maximum class hours each semester and with a premed/chemistry major, I didn’t have much time outside of studying. However, I found time for volunteer service, which included, serving as a Late-nite Phone Counselor for a Mental Health Service.
I got a BA in chemistry. This allowed me to get the foundation that I needed for medical school and also to have exposure to other Liberal Arts courses outside of the sciences. Sociology was especially interesting and Dr. Vaughan Grisham was one of my favorite professors. He seemed to enjoy teaching and also seemed to enjoy inspiring his students.
I have always felt very proud that I was able to attend UM, get great grades, and graduate with honors. I was also inducted into the highest Academic Honorary that was on campus, at the time.
Discuss your path since graduation and your career goals.
I graduated from UM 5/1983 and entered UMMC as a 1st year medical student in 8/1983. I graduated with my MD in 5/1987 and began a Family Medicine Residency. I completed an internship at Ohio State University. However, my last two years of residency were completed in Dallas, Texas, at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center’s Family Medicine Program. Thereafter, I became a medical director of the John Peter Smith Community Clinic
that was located in the Stop Six Community of Fort Worth, Texas. Twenty years ago, my husband Al and I moved to Houston, Texas (due to his job relocation with Exxon/Mobil Corporation). I became a Family Medicine staff physician with one of the largest Multi-Specialty group in Houston, TX and after 19 years with the Kelsey-Seybold Clinic I retired 2/2021.
I’ve experienced the blessings of being a working professional mom, with two talented sons and a husband who was a Global IT Manager for his company. Al and I are both proud Mississippians and some of our fondest memories associated with UM involve our attendance at the BARs (Black Alumni Reunions). We have started a scholarship at UM, in honor of our moms. Although our sons chose other universities (Cedric is a Notre Dame University graduate; AJ is a Texas A & M graduate), we want to be instrumental in helping young bright minds find their way to UM.
We are part of a Family of UM Alumni:
Al—1983 graduate of the School of Engineering (computer science)
Harriet—1983 graduate of the College of Liberal Arts (chemistry)
3 of my brother-in-laws (George Hilliard was our 1st; he graduated in 1977 and he was inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame in 2009.)
2 great nephews and 2 great nieces
Al and I want to help make a difference at UM, although from afar. Presently, he is a member of the UM Advisory & Advancement Council and I have been supportive of his efforts. In the near future, I hope to network with the College of Liberal Arts.
Why should a prospective student consider coming to UM to study?
UM is a great university for academics. Its setting/campus is beautiful and it offers every opportunity for one to get the foundation needed to succeed in life.
Anything else you’d like to say.
The University of Mississippi has all the attributes to continue to be a Flagship institution and Al and I hope to help it to set an example for how things should be in the state of Mississippi and in the USA.