A. M. Miller
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Arthur McQuiston Miller (August 6, 1861 – October 28, 1929) was an American educator, zoologist, geologist, and college football coach. He was the first football coach at the University of Kentucky in 1892. Miller was also a professor of geology and zoology and the first dean of arts and sciences at the University of Kentucky.
Early life
Miller was born on August 6, 1861 in Eaton, Ohio to parents Robert and Margaret Ann (nee McQuiston) Miller.[1] He spent his youth there, and enjoyed searching for trilobites as a pastime.[2] From 1880 to 1882, he attended the College of Wooster before transferring to Princeton University in 1883.[3] From Princeton, Miller received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1884 and a Master of Arts degree in 1887.[4] He remained there under a fellowship through 1889.[3] Miller spent a year as a professor at Wilson College and studied abroad for a year at the University of Munich.[3]
University of Kentucky
In 1892, he joined the faculty at Kentucky State College (now the University of Kentucky) as a professor of geology and zoology.[4] That year, he also coached the football team in its inaugural season. Students requested that Miller coach the team, despite his limited knowledge of the sport.[5] Kentucky finished with a 2–4–1,[6] and Miller allowed John A. Thompson, who was more familiar with the game, to coach the team the following season.[5]
By 1907, Miller was the head of the geological, zoological, and entomological departments at Kentucky, and "proved himself to be the friend and patron of pure athletics, as his heart co-operation and assistance can always be relied upon in any matter pertaining to the interests of the physical attitude."[7] From 1908 to 1917,[3] he served as the school's first dean of arts and sciences.[8] During the First World War, he worked as a field geology consultant and authored several scientific studies.[3] Miller retired from the University of Kentucky as a professor emeritus on June 30, 1925.[3] In June 1925, Miller was informed that he could be called upon to testify in defense of John T. Scopes, a University of Kentucky alumnus, during the Scopes Monkey Trial.[9] Miller wrote an article in the journal Science defending the teaching of evolution in Kentucky schools in 1922.[10]
Later life and legacy
Miller spent his retirement in Asheville, North Carolina.[3] He died of heart disease in Palatka, Florida on October 28, 1929 at the age of 68.[11][12] He is interred at Mound Hill Union Cemetery in Eaton, Ohio.[13] Miller Hall on the University of Kentucky campus was named in his honor in 1940.[8]
Published works
References
- ^ Geological Survey Affairs, Volume 35, p. 174, Kentucky Geological Survey, 1932.
- ^ Proceedings of the Geological Society of America, p. 283, Geological Society of America, 1936.
- ^ a b c d e f g John E. Kleber, The Kentucky Encyclopedia, p. 637, University Press of Kentucky, 1992, ISBN 0813117720.
- ^ a b The Kentuckian, p. 14, Kentucky State College, 1907.
- ^ a b History and Tradition, University of Kentucky, retrieved December 12, 2010.
- ^ Professor A.M. Miller Records by Year, College Football Data Warehouse, retrieved December 12, 2010.
- ^ The Kentuckian, p. 21, Kentucky State College, 1907.
- ^ a b Campus Guide – Miller Hall, University of Kentucky, retrieved December 12, 2010.
- ^ Kentucky Professor As Adviser.; TO DEFEND SCOPES IN SCIENCE'S NAME, The New York Times, June 29, 1925.
- ^ DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE; KENTUCKY AND THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION (PDF), Science, Vol. LV, No. 1416, p. 178, February 17, 1922.
- ^ DR. A. M. MILLER, KENTUCKY DEAN, DIES AT AGE OF 68, The Atlanta Constitution, October 30, 1929.
- ^ ARTHUR McQUISTON MILLER; Professor Emeritus of Kentucky University Dies in Florida, The New York Times, October 29, 1929.
- ^ Arthur McQuiston Miller, Find a Grave, retrieved December 12, 2010.
- ^ a b Arthur McQuiston Miller 1861 - 1929, Open Library, retrieved December 12, 2010.