Carla Anderson Hills

Carla Anderson Hills
Carla Anderson Hills
Born	January 3, 1934 (age 92); Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Attorney, government official
Years active	1959–present
Known for	5th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; 10th United States Trade Representative; first woman to hold both positions

Carla Anderson Hills (born January 3, 1934) is a distinguished American attorney and former government official. Affiliated with the Republican Party, she held the position of the 5th United States secretary of housing and urban development during President Gerald Ford’s administration (1975–1977) and later served as the 10th United States trade representative under President George H. W. Bush (1989–1993). Hills was a trailblazer as the first woman to occupy both roles, the third female member of a presidential cabinet, and the first woman appointed to both cabinet and cabinet-level posts. She is currently the longest-serving living former U.S. Cabinet official.

Early life, education, and family

Hills was born in Los Angeles in 1934 to parents Carl H. Anderson and Edith A. Hume. She completed her undergraduate studies at Stanford University after attending St Hilda's College, Oxford. In 1958, she earned her LL.B. from Yale Law School, the same year she married Roderick M. Hills. The couple had four children: Laura H. Hills (born 1961), Roderick M. Hills Jr. (born 1964), Megan E. Hills (born 1966), and Alison M. Hills (born 1970).

Career

After gaining admission to the California bar in 1959, Hills worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in Los Angeles from 1959 until 1961. Between 1962 and 1974, she co-founded the law firm Munger, Tolles & Hills (now known as Munger, Tolles & Olson) alongside her husband in Los Angeles. In 1972, she took on a role as an adjunct professor at UCLA. Recognized for her expertise in federal procedure and antitrust legislation, Hills authored key texts including Federal Civil Practice and Antitrust Advisor. She also held the presidency of the National Association of Women Lawyers.

Before her appointment as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Hills served as a United States Assistant Attorney General, leading the Civil Division at the U.S. Department of Justice. Initially considered for an assistant U.S. Attorney General position by Elliot L. Richardson in 1973, this opportunity was reiterated by William B. Saxbe in 1974 following Richardson’s departure amid the Watergate affair.

Her nomination to head HUD during the Ford administration sparked some debate due to her relatively limited background in housing issues. As Secretary, she authorized the demolition of the dilapidated Pruitt-Igoe public housing complex in St. Louis. President Ford later commended her as a strong advocate for HUD’s interests, noting her frequent appeals on budget decisions that were mostly successful. Additionally, she was among President Ford’s candidates to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by Justice William O. Douglas; however, John Paul Stevens was ultimately appointed.

From 1978 through 1989, Hills returned to private legal practice. In 1978, she and her husband established Latham, Watkins & Hills, which became the Washington DC office of Latham & Watkins. She also chaired the board of trustees at the Urban Institute between 1983 and 1988.

U.S. Trade Representative

Between 1989 and 1993, Hills held the position of U.S. Trade Representative under President George H. W. Bush. Charged with implementing the provisions of the 1988 Omnibus Foreign Trade and Competitiveness Act, she notably employed Section 301—referred to by her as a “crowbar”—to levy tariffs as high as 100% against nations perceived to engage in unfair trade practices with the United States, initially focusing on Japan, Brazil, and India before reassessing Japan’s policies.

A committed proponent of free trade, Hills served as the chief U.S. negotiator for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a transformative accord that significantly redefined commerce across North America. In recognition of her contributions, she was awarded Mexico’s highest honor for non-citizens, the Order of the Aztec Eagle, in 2000—a notable diplomatic accolade.

Under her guidance, the Bush administration emphasized concluding negotiations on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) Uruguay Round. Renowned for her negotiation skills, Hills collaborated with representatives from 97 countries accounting for two-thirds of global merchandise commerce to reduce tariffs and dismantle trade barriers. This round aimed to modernize GATT since its previous update during the Tokyo Round in 1976, addressing competitive challenges confronting U.S. industries.

Career after public service

Beginning in 1993, Hills has operated as a consultant and keynote speaker through Hills & Company International Consultants, which merged with Dentons Global Advisors ASG in 2022. She resigned from Time Warner’s board alongside Ted Turner in 2006. Presently, Hills holds positions on international advisory boards for prominent organizations such as American International Group, The Coca-Cola Company, Gilead Sciences, J.P. Morgan Chase, Rolls-Royce, and the U.S.-China Business Council.

In 2008, Yale University bestowed upon her an honorary degree, among other institutions that have acknowledged her achievements. She also played a foundational role as a trustee of the Forum for International Policy.

In 2020, Hills joined more than 130 former Republican national security officials in endorsing Joe Biden for the U.S. presidency, expressing reservations about President Trump’s suitability for an additional term.

By July 2022, Hills co-established a coalition of U.S. business and policy leaders dedicated to advancing U.S.-China relations through constructive dialogue and engagement.

North American community

In 2005, Hills contributed to the Task Force on the Future of North America, which issued the report Building a North American Community, sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations. The document encouraged enhancing trade facilitation among the United States, Canada, and Mexico by upgrading infrastructure, simplifying border procedures, and promoting language education integration. It also proposed supporting primary and secondary education to increase awareness about North America, including initiatives for teacher exchanges and training programs aimed at overcoming language obstacles and nurturing a shared North American identity. The report highlighted efforts to recruit Mexican language instructors to teach Spanish in schools across the U.S. and Canada.

Affiliations

Co-chair, Council on Foreign Relations
Chair, National Committee on United States-China Relations
Member of executive committee, Trilateral Commission
Executive committee member, Institute for International Economics (IIE), currently the Peterson Institute
Director at ChevronTexaco (since 1993)
Director at American International Group
Director at Lucent Technologies
Director at AOL Time Warner
Director at Results for Development Institute
Board member of Inter-American Dialogue
Trustee of Forum for International Policy
U.S. board member of International Crisis Group
Advisory board member of Partnership for a Secure America
Counselor and trustee at Center for Strategic and International Studies
Advisory board member of National Bureau of Asian Research

Awards and honors

Hills was featured in the 1979 Supersisters trading card set with her name and image.

In 1993, she was honored with the U.S. Senator John Heinz Award for Greatest Public Service by an Elected or Appointed Official, presented annually by the Jefferson Awards.

External links

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