School of Engineering's Al Hilliard Inducted Into Alumni Hall of Fame

“Ole Miss changed the trajectory of my life and laid the foundation for

everything I’ve been blessed to accomplish,” Hilliard said. “To be honored by the university that has meant so much to me—and to generations of my family—is incredibly humbling. I am deeply grateful to be recognized alongside such an accomplished group of alumni.”

Hilliard was raised in a farming family outside of Hernando and came to Ole Miss as a first-generation college student. As a freshman, he earned an Air Force ROTC scholarship, which allowed him the financial freedom to continue to excel in the classroom and earn his degree.

Upon graduation, he began his career as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force, attaining the rank of captain and receiving the USAF Commendation Medal for outstanding achievement. Perhaps more importantly, he left the service with a winning mindset.

“I really do credit Ole Miss and the Air Force for helping me because when I started, I was able to leapfrog some of my peers who had graduated at the same time because they didn't have the leadership that I had. That mindset is the part that a lot of people miss out on, almost like athletes. You learn that the job is not done until it's done.”

Hilliard exemplified that mindset during a career that spanned three decades for one of the world’s largest corporations. During his ExxonMobil career, he worked in over 20 countries, directing complex technology operations and influencing enterprise-wide solutions across the energy sector.

“I tell people all the time I had no intentions of staying there 33 years. In fact, I thought about leaving a couple of times because I sort of had an entrepreneurial spirit. But what I learned with ExxonMobil being so large, you can be your own little entrepreneur within the company. And so that was sort of the way I treated things. I started a lot of new things for the company,” Hilliard said. “ExxonMobil was amazing to work with too, because they really believe in training and giving new opportunities and being able to travel around the world. I tried to make the most out of each opportunity I had, regardless of where it was.”

The University of Mississippi holds deep significance for Hilliard and his family. In addition to his own achievements, three of his brothers, two nephews and two nieces are also proud Ole Miss alumni.

Hilliard served on the university’s School of Engineering Advisory Council from 2017 to 2025 and was honored with the Engineer of Distinction Award in 2018 and the Engineer of Service Award in 2024. He has been an active member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., for over 45 years and is a proud alumnus of the Eta Beta Chapter at Ole Miss. He is deeply committed to mentoring and community service.

Hilliard and his wife, the former Harriet Nailor (BA 83, MD 87), live in Houston, Texas. They have two sons, a daughter-in-law and three grandchildren.

“The School of Engineering specifically, it’s transformed my life exponentially,” Hilliard said. “It’s changed my life and changed my family's life. So, I feel a little bit indebted to Ole Miss. It was such a positive thing for me, so it makes it easy to give back, makes it easy to come back here.”

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