William Hillcourt
William Hillcourt, originally named Wilhelm Hans Bjerregaard-Jensen, was a significant figure in the Boy Scouts movement, born on August 6, 1900, in Aarhus, Denmark. His early experiences with scouting began when he received a copy of "Scouting for Boys," leading him to become an active member and leader within the Danish Boy Scouts. After relocating to the United States in 1926, he became involved with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), where he made notable contributions, including writing a new patrol leader handbook and serving as managing editor of Scouting magazine.
Hillcourt's influence extended to Boys' Life magazine, where he wrote under the pen name Green Bar Bill for several decades. His writings encompassed a range of topics related to camping, health, and nature, and were instrumental in shaping the educational resources for scouts. He married Grace Constance Brown in 1933 and spent significant time overseeing the Schiff Scout Reservation while remaining active in scouting leadership. Over the years, Hillcourt received numerous accolades for his contributions, including the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award and the Silver Buffalo, reflecting his impact on scouting both in the U.S. and internationally. He passed away on November 9, 1992, in Sweden, leaving behind a legacy that continues to influence scouting literature and practices.
On this Page
Subject Terms
William Hillcourt
Writer
- Born: August 6, 1900
- Birthplace: Auarhus, Denmark
- Died: November 9, 1992
- Place of death: Stockholm, Sweden
Biography
William Hillcourt was born Wilhelm Hans Bjerregaard-Jensen on August 6, 1900, at Aarhus, Denmark, to building contractor Johannes Hans Bjerregaard-Jensen and Andrea Kristina Pedersen Bjerregaard-Jensen. As a child, his father supervised the construction of railroad stations in several towns, and the family moved to these towns, where Hillcourt and his two older brothers attended school before the family returned to Aarhus. When Hillcourt was ten years old, he received a Danish translation of Scouting for Boys, written by Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts. Hillcourt joined the Danish Boy Scouts and served as a patrol leader, attaining the highest Danish scouting level, Knight-Scout, and attending the first World Jamboree for Boy Scouts in London in 1920.
Hillcourt continued his affiliation with the Danish Boy Scouts during his studies at the Pharmaceutical College in Copenhagen, serving as a local troop’s scoutmaster, editing the Danish scouting magazine, and preparing a Danish scouting manual. Inspired by his scouting adventures, Hillcourt crafted stories for boys. After his graduation in 1924, Hillcourt decided not to pursue pharmacy professionally and secured a job at a local newspaper as correspondent to the second World Jamboree in Denmark. In 1926, Hillcourt sailed to the United States, working at a Boy Scouts of America (BSA) camp in Bear Mountain, New York.
He later moved to New York City to work for BSA’s supply service and Americanized his name. Hillcourt met James E. West, the BSA chief executive who asked for Hillcourt’s opinions of American scouting. When Hillcourt criticized American scouting procedures for being inconsistent with Baden-Powell’s patrol system, West asked him to write a new patrol leader handbook.
Hillcourt joined the national BSA staff, an affiliation he retained through 1965. He became Scouting magazine’s managing editor in 1927, preparing material for troop leaders and retaining that position until 1931. The next year, Hillcourt began editing the official BSA magazine for children, Boys’ Life. His Boys’ Life column, written under the byline Green Bar Bill, ran from October, 1932 to April, 1988. Hillcourt also wrote instructional books for boys about camping, health, and nature.
On June 3, 1933, Hillcourt married Grace Constance Brown, a BSA employee. They moved to Mendham, New Jersey, to oversee the Schiff Scout Reservation and stayed there for two decades. Hillcourt organized a troop, serving as its scoutmaster. By 1939, Hillcourt officially became an American citizen. During World War II, he instructed soldiers at the army’s Second Service Command Tactical School.
Hillcourt relocated to North Brunswick, New Jersey, when the BSA office was transferred there in 1954. He moved to Manlius, New York, in 1979. He died on November 9, 1992, at Stockholm, Sweden, while traveling to promote scouting.
Hillcourt’s writing shaped the BSA throughout the twentieth century. He authored, revised, and updated numerous BSA publications. Reviewers recognized the practical value of Hillcourt’s writing. The Danish Boy Scout Association presented Hillcourt its Medal of Merit, and the BSA honored Hillcourt with its Distinguished Eagle Scout Award and prestigious Silver Buffalo. The BSA also translated Hillcourt’s books into several languages that sold millions of copies worldwide.