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Collection on Paul A. Miller

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: RITArc-0696

Scope and Contents

Box 1 contains Mr. Miller's biographical sketches, correspondence, memos, press releases and news clippings and other miscellaneous documents created during his years as President of RIT.
Box 2 is arranged chronologically and contains various articles and papers written by Paul A. Miller, as well as many of his speeches and remarks made during his presidency at RIT.

Dates

  • Creation: 1969-1993

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to researchers.

Biographical / Historical

Paul Ausborn Miller (1917-2015) was born March 22, 1917 in East Liverpool, Ohio to Harry Ausborn and Mamie Elizabeth (née Stewart) Miller. After graduating high school, he attended West Virginia University (WVU), where he earned his B.S. in Agriculture in 1939. Miller then accepted a position as a County Agricultural Agent with the WVU Agricultural Extension Service. During World War II, he served as a 1st lieutenant in the United States Army Air Corps. He married Catherine Spiker on December 9, 1939 with whom he had two children.

Following the war, Miller attended Michigan State University (MSU) where he earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology and Anthropology in 1953. He had started teaching at MSU as early as 1947, serving as professor from 1947-1962. From 1959-1962, he also served as the provost for MSU. He left Michigan in 1962, when he was appointed the president of his alma mater, WVU.

After serving as WVU's president for four years, Miller was selected by President Lyndon B. Johnson to be the Assistant Secretary of Education for the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW). During his time with HEW, Miller was asked to oversee the development of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

In 1968, Miller began working as a Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, while simultaneously teaching at the North Carolina State University as a Professor of Adult Education. He left North Carolina in 1969, when he was selected as the president of the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).

Miller's presidency was during an important period of growth for the university. RIT had recently relocated to a new campus in the suburbs of Henrietta and plans were in the works to add new programs to the college's curriculum. In 1973, a ninth college was added, Institute College, as a place for emerging programs to properly develop. Meanwhile, the rest of the school was growing academically as well. During Miller's tenure, new degrees were added in external technology, bio-communications, and glassblowing. To face these challenges, Miller created a position for a university provost to oversee the development of RIT's academic curriculum within the confines of Miller's new balanced budget procedures. He left the presidency in 1978, though continued to serve at RIT as a professor emeritus.

Miller received several honors throughout his lifetime. In 1996, he was inducted into the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame. The following year, he received the Award of Distinguished Rural Sociologist of the Rural Sociological Society of America along with his second wife, Francena (née Lounsbery) Miller. He was also named a Fellow of the American Sociological Association.

Paul Miller died June 5,2015, he was 98 years old.

Extent

2 Box(es) (Two document boxes) : 9 folders total

Language

English

Overview

Collection of records deposited in the RIT Archives over a period of years.

Arrangement

Collection is arranged by material type and then chronologically.

Related Materials

Paul A. Miller papers, RITArc.0067
Paul A. Miller administrative files, RITArc.0079
Paul A. Miller speeches and reports, RITArc.0079
Paul A. Miller digital audio recording, RITArc.0634

Processing Information

Finding aid was created by Jess Andrews and edited by Jody Sidlauskas in February 2018.

Title
Collection on Paul A. Miller
Status
Published
Subtitle
RIT Archive Collections
Author
Jess Andrews/Jody Sidlauskas
Date
22 February 2018
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
  • Collection on Paul A. Miller

Repository Details

Part of the RIT Archives Repository

Contact:
Rochester NY 14623 USA