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Administrative Policy Records of the University of Florida Office of the President (J. Hillis Miller)

 Series
Identifier: Series P10

Scope and Content

Series P10 contains the administrative records of J. Hillis Miller, fourth President of the University of Florida, documenting the policies and activities of his administration. Included are Miller's letters and memos to the academic colleges, campus committees, and university organizations. Of particular note are the records related to political activity in the faculty and student bodies, the development of the College of Medicine and the Cancer Research Laboratory, enrollment expansion in the late 1940s, coeducation, and pressures to racially integrate the university's professional schools.

Dates

  • Creation: 1946-1956
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1947-1953

Creator

Access

University Archives collections are available for research. Portions of the collections may be restricted due to the requirements of applicable state and federal laws, including but not limited to FERPA and HIPAA, and in accordance with best practices as defined by the Society of American Archivists.

Biographical/Historical Note

J. Hillis Miller, fourth president of the University of Florida, was born August 29, 1899 in Front Royal, Virginia. He attended the Randolph-Macon Academy before entering the University of Richmond where he received his A.B. in 1924. Miller did his graduate work in psychology at the University of Virginia (A.M. 1928) and Columbia University (Ph.D. 1933). He specialized in counseling and personnel administration. From 1925 to 1928, he was an instructor in Psychology at William and Mary. In 1930, he joined Bucknell University as Dean of Freshmen and Assistant Professor of Psychology. In 1933 he was promoted to Dean of Students. From 1935 to 1941, Miller was President of Keuka College before being appointed Associate Commissioner of Education for the State of New York.

Miller's selection as President of the University of Florida came in 1947. The postwar enrollment boom was in full swing and the University was experiencing its first year as a coeducational institution. His primary efforts were in the area of building construction and staff development. A $15,000,000 building program was undertaken and many existing academic programs were expanded. During his brief administration, ten doctoral degree programs were added. He was also instrumental in the development of the medical colleges.

Miller died unexpectedly on November 14, 1953. Vice President John S. Allen served as acting president until the appointment of J. Wayne Reitz. In 1959, the J. Hillis Miller Health Center was dedicated in memory of his work to establish Florida's first medical school.

Extent

16.5 Linear feet (40 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Administrative records of J. Hillis Miller, fourth President of the University of Florida, documenting the policies and activities of his administration.

Arrangement

The series is divided into two subseries: Correspondence, and Genre Files.

Physical Location

University of Florida Smathers Library Building

Processing Information

This finding aid was revised in July 2022. Recognizing that historical terms do not always completely or directly map to contemporary terms, that historical terms can be offensive or inaccurately describe a person or group, and that the presence of both historical and contemporary terms may be useful for researcher discovery, the archivist has attempted to employ historical terms as they originally appear in the context of the collection, in the description, along with contemporary terms in brackets. In the case of direct quotes and published works, the archivist has retained the language as it originally appeared.

Title
A Guide to the Administrative Policy Records of the University of Florida Office of the President (J. Hillis Miller)
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid created by Dept. Staff
Date
February 2012
Description rules
Finding Aid Prepared Using Dacs
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Description is written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida Repository

Contact:
George A. Smathers Libraries
PO Box 117005
Gainesville Florida 32611-7005 United States of America
352-273-2755