Arnold Hills

Arnold Frank Hills (12 March 1857 – 7 March 1927) was an English businessman, sportsman, philanthropist, and promoter of vegetarianism.

Hills was born in Lambeth, London, son of a manufacturing chemist.

Arnold Hills was also a keen sportsman who was the English mile (1878) and three mile champion (1879), and in his youth had played football and cricket (he was Captain of the 1st XI) for his school team Harrow. After leaving Harrow he attended University College, Oxford, where he earned the degree of B.A. (1880) and two football blues. He appeared as a forward for the University F.C. runner-up team in the 1877 FA Cup Final against Wanderers.

He continued to play as an amateur for Old Harrovians after he left, even winning a Corinthian's Cap whilst there; for England, against Scotland on 5 April 1879 at the Kennington Oval, when England won 5-4.

Hills was the first President of the London Vegetarian Society (1888) serving alongside the young Mahatma Gandhi on the Executive Committee. He was also the first President of the Vegetarian Cycling and Athletic Club and also served as President of a London Vegetarian Rambling Club. He founded The Vegetarian, an independent magazine, as well as the Vegetarian Federal Union (1889), of which he was also President. He also had close ties with the Temperance League. He founded the Oriolet Fruitarian Hospital at Loughton, under the medical direction of Josiah Oldfield.

In addition to his vegetarian activism, Hills was Managing Director of the Thames Iron Works, a large shipbuilding business in London which had existed since 1846. He chose to live for five years among his workers in a small house in the East India Dock Road in Canning Town and organised recreational centres for them.

...
Wikipedia