
Clint Hill (Secret Service) Biography: Net Worth, Age, Parents, Children, Wife, Height, Cause of Death, Books
Biography
Clinton J. Hill (January 4, 1932 – February 21, 2025), also known as Clint Hill, was a celebrated U.S. Secret Service agent who served under five presidents, from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Gerald Ford.
Born in Larimore, North Dakota, and raised in Washburn, Hill joined the Secret Service in 1958 after serving in the U.S. Army. He is best known for his courageous actions on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, when he leaped onto the presidential limousine to shield President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy during the president’s assassination.
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Credited with saving Mrs. Kennedy’s life, Hill received the Treasury Department’s highest award for bravery. He later served as Special Agent in Charge of the Presidential Protective Division and retired in 1975 as Assistant Director.
Hill co-authored several bestselling books, including Mrs. Kennedy and Me and Five Presidents, sharing his experiences. He was honoured with North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award in 2018.
United States Secret Service agent | |
Clint Hill | |
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Wiki Facts & About Data | |
Real Name: | Clinton J. Hill |
Stage Name: | Clint Hill |
Born: | 4 January 1932 (age 93 years old) |
Place of Birth: | Larimore, North Dakota, United States |
Died: | 21 February 2025 (age 93 years), Belvedere, California, United States |
Nationality: | American |
Education: | Washburn Public Schools, Concordia College |
Height: | 1.77 m |
Parents: | Jennie Hill, Chris Hill |
Siblings: | Janice Hill |
Spouse: | Gwen Brown Hill (m.1960-2018) |
Girlfriend • Partner: | Not Dating |
Children: | Chris Jeffrey Hill, Corey Jonathan Hill |
Occupation: | Author • Secret Service Agent |
Net Worth: | $4 million (USD) |
Early Life & Education
Clinton J. Hill, also known as Clint Hill, was born on January 4, 1932, in Larimore, North Dakota, a small town in Grand Forks County. He was of Norwegian descent, reflecting the strong Scandinavian heritage common in the region.
He was raised in a community where Protestantism, particularly Lutheranism, was prevalent due to the area’s Norwegian-American population.
Hill was adopted as an infant by Chris Hill and Jennie Hill, a couple from Washburn, North Dakota, after being born to an unwed mother at a Fargo maternity home. His adoptive parents provided a stable, working-class upbringing in Washburn, a town on the Missouri River.
His father, Chris, worked as a mechanic and later as McLean County’s highway engineer, while his mother, Jennie, was a homemaker known for her community involvement. Clint had one sibling, an adopted sister named Janice Hill, who was also welcomed into the family from a Fargo maternity home.
Growing up in Washburn, Hill’s early life was shaped by small-town values, community activities, and outdoor pursuits, such as hunting and fishing.
He attended Washburn Public Schools, where he excelled academically and athletically, playing football, basketball, and baseball. His leadership skills were evident as he served as class president and was involved in school plays and music, playing the trumpet.
After graduating high school in 1950, Hill pursued higher education at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, earning a bachelor’s degree in history and physical education in 1954. At Concordia, he was a standout athlete, lettering in football, basketball, and baseball, and was remembered for his discipline and work ethic.
Following college, Hill served in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1957, where he was stationed in counterintelligence at Fort Holabird, Maryland, honing his skills in observation and security—qualities that later defined his Secret Service career.
Career
Clint Hill’s career as a United States Secret Service agent, spanning from 1958 to 1975, was marked by distinguished service and dedication, during which he protected five U.S. presidents and their families.
After graduating from Concordia College and serving in Army counterintelligence, Hill joined the Secret Service in September 1958. He was first assigned to the Denver field office, where he investigated cases such as check forgery and coordinated security for President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s visits to Colorado.
In November 1959, Hill was transferred to the White House detail, beginning his presidential protection duties under Eisenhower. He later served under President John F. Kennedy, becoming a key member of the Presidential Protective Division.
Hill’s most defining moment came on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, during Kennedy’s assassination. Assigned to protect First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, Hill rushed to the presidential limousine as shots rang out, leaping onto its rear to shield the First Lady and the wounded president.
His swift and courageous actions, famously captured in the Zapruder film, are credited with saving Mrs. Kennedy’s life. For this, he received the Treasury Department’s Exceptional Service Award. The traumatic event left a lasting emotional toll, as Hill later expressed deep sorrow over not being able to save the president.
Hill continued to serve the Kennedy family until November 1964, then provided protection under Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon. He steadily rose through the ranks, becoming Special Agent in Charge (SAIC) of the Presidential Protective Division in 1970, responsible for overseeing all aspects of presidential security.
In 1972, he was promoted to Assistant Director of the Secret Service, managing protective operations nationwide. Hill’s final assignment was under President Gerald Ford before retiring in May 1975 after 17 years of exceptional service.
In retirement, Hill became an author and public speaker, co-writing several bestselling memoirs, including Mrs. Kennedy and Me (2012), Five Days in November (2013), Five Presidents (2016), and My Travels with Mrs. Kennedy (2022). These works offered rare insights into his career and the presidents he served, helping to preserve key moments in American history.
Personal Life
Clint Hill was born on January 4, 1932, and passed away on February 21, 2025, at the age of 93. He was married to Gwen Brown Hill in the early 1960s, and their marriage lasted until Gwen’s death in 2018.
They had two sons, Chris Jeffrey Hill and Corey Jonathan Hill, who maintained private lives with limited public information. He stands approximately 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall, which is suitable for the physical demands of Secret Service work.
He died on February 21, 2025, at 93, with no specific cause of death publicly disclosed in available sources, though natural causes or age-related health issues are possible given his advanced age.
Net Worth
Clint Hill’s net worth at the time of his death in February 2025 was estimated to be around $4 million.
His wealth primarily stemmed from his U.S. Secret Service pension earned over 17 years of service, royalties from his bestselling books such as Mrs. Kennedy and Me, Five Presidents, and My Travels with Mrs. Kennedy, and income from public speaking engagements.
Hill’s prudent financial management and modest lifestyle also contributed to his financial stability.
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