Arthur Lewis Miller, 1892-1967 [RG3713.AM]

HISTORY NEBRASKA MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID

RG3713.AM: Arthur Lewis Miller, 1892-1967

Papers: 1934-1964
Plainview, Pierce County and Kimball, Kimball County, Neb.: Mayor of Kimball; State Legislator, 43rd District; State Health Director; U.S. Congressman, 4th Congressional District
Size: 10.0 cu.ft.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Arthur Lewis Miller, son of Rene J. and Ida Bell Miller, was born on a farm near Plainview, Pierce County, Nebraska, on May 24, 1892. He graduated from Plainview High School in 1911 and then taught for two years in rural schools. Following this, Miller worked his way through Loyola Medical College of Chicago. Upon graduation in 1919, he set up medical practice in Kimball, Nebraska in 1919.

Miller served as Mayor of Kimball in 1933 and 1934. In 1934 he lost both of his lower legs in a hunting accident and used artificial limbs for the rest of his life. This accident put an early end to Miller’s medical career, so he decided to concentrate on politics. He served Nebraska’s 43rd Legislative District in the Unicameral from 1937-1941. He was unsuccessful in his quest for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 1940, which went to Dwight Griswold, but he did serve as State Health Director in 1941 and 1942.

In 1942 Miller was elected to the first of eight consecutive terms in the U.S. Congress, representing Nebraska’s 4th Congressional District. During his years in Congress, Miller helped to originate the weekly Nebraska delegation breakfast in Washington, D.C. He wrote legislation compelling the hospitalization of alcoholics and pushed legislation dealing with the problems of narcotics addicts. He also introduced bills to modify foster child and adoption laws and to strengthen the Board of Public Welfare. From 1953-1955 he served as chairman of the House Insular Affairs Committee.

Miller opposed most foreign aid measures and public power projects. He once conducted an investigation of school textbooks because he thought some of them made too many anti-American and pro-Russian observations.

Miller was defeated in his attempt for a ninth term by Donald F. McGinley in 1958. After he left Congress, Miller was appointed director of the Interior Department’s Saline Water Project, a post he held until 1961. He then became medical director of the Hermitage Methodist Home in Alexandria, Virginia. He retired in 1966, residing in Chevy Chase, Maryland. He died there on March 16, 1967. Miller was survived by his wife, the former Margaret Jo Kipp of Bayard, Nebraska, and a son by a previous marriage, Dr. Richard K. Miller.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

This collection consists of thirty-five volumes and one box of manuscript material arranged in eight series: 1) Scrapbooks, 1937-1960; 2) Speeches of A.L. Miller, 1934-1961; 3) Articles and Editorials by A.L. Miller, 1959-1960; 4) Congressional Reports, 1951-1960; 5) Speeches and Articles of Others, 1935; 1947-1948; 1955-1960; 6) Correspondence and News Releases, 1953-1960; 7) Special Topics, ca. 1956-1958; and 8) Miscellany.

This material relates to the political career of Arthur L. Miller, 1937-1958. Also covered is his role as the Director of the Saline Water Project, 1958-1961. Through scrapbooks, speeches, writings, and correspondence, Miller’s careers in public service are traced.

The bulk of this collection is comprised of the scrapbooks of Series 1. Covering the years 1937 through 1960, these volumes document Miller’s career in the Nebraska Unicameral, 1937-1941; as State Health Director, 1941-1942; as a member of the U.S. Congress representing Nebraska’s 4th District; and as Director of the Interior Department’s Saline Water Project during 1959-1960. These scrapbooks also include information on Miller’s campaigns and opponents, important political issues he faced, and his stands on political problems of the time. Most of the volumes contain only newspaper clippings, although several of the books are comprised exclusively of Miller’s statements as entered into the Congressional Record. Several photographs are also included.

Series 2 contains speeches, 1934-1961, delivered by A.L. Miller. Topics include Armistice Day, physicians, fascism and communism, Memorial Day, medical progress, the New Deal, the expansion and centralization of government, the 80th Congress, Abraham Lincoln, land reclamation, irrigation, statements before the Interior and Insular Affairs Committee, chemical additives in food, pesticides, primary elections, the Republican Party, nutrition, campaign addresses, water supply, America’s future, reciprocal trade acts, the National Guard and Reserve programs, conversion of saline water, and women’s influence in politics and medicine.

The articles and editorials by A.L. Miller, 1959-1960, of Series 3 all relate to water supply. Series 4 consists of Congressional Reports, 1951-1960, in which A.L. Miller was involved. These include reports on an investigation of the use of chemicals in food, cosmetics, and pesticides; irrigation and reclamation; the saline water program; and the Interior and Insular Affairs Committee.

Series 5 contains speeches and articles written by experts and researchers, 1935; 1947-1948; 1955-1960. These relate to the interests of A.L. Miller while a physician and as a politician. The speeches discuss the training of good doctors, Abraham Lincoln, land reclamation, conservation of natural resources, chemical additives in food, water pollution, and saline water conversion programs. The articles study chemicals found in foods, drugs in animal feeds that may prove harmful to humans, pesticides, the North Platte irrigation project, destruction of crops by insects, the Mid-State Reclamation Project, and the conversion of saline water.

The correspondence and news releases, 1953-1960, of Series 6, consist of material written by and received by A.L. Miller. These items also deal with Miller’s political concerns and they discuss chemical additives, the perishable agricultural commodities act, a symposium in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1906, the Mid-State Reclamation Project, the Kennedy-Ives Labor Bill of 1958, agricultural policies, and the saline water project.

Series 7 contains a variety of topical material which includes items dealing particularly with A.L. Miller’s 1958 congressional campaign and the Republican Party campaign of 1958. Also included is the 1957 Soil Conservation Service Report for Nebraska, as well as Miller’s notebook of special issues. These issues include agriculture, chemical additives, the economy, flood control, foreign aid, government spending, irrigation, public power, Russia, and scandals. The miscellany of Series 8 includes A.L. Miller’s personal papers and souvenirs, newspaper clippings, excerpts from the Congressional Record, programs and loose papers.

Note: For additional photographs, please see the photo component [RG3713.PH].

INVENTORY

Series 1 – Scrapbooks, 1937-1960

Volume

1. 1937
2. 1938
3. 1938-1939
4. 1939-1940
5. 1940-1955
6. 1941-1943
7. 1943-1945
8. 1944
9. 1945: Congressional Record (Miller’s speeches)
10. 1945-1946
11. 1946-1947: Congressional Record (Miller’s speeches) and a few news releases
12. 1948: Congressional Record (Miller’s speeches)
13. 1948-1949
14. 1948-1950
15. 1949: Congressional Record (Miller’s speeches)
16. 1949: Presented to A.L. Miller on occasion of his visit to the Far East
17. 1949-1950
18. 1949-1955 (primarily 1954-1955)
19. 1950: Congressional Record (Miller’s speeches)
20. 1950-1952
21. 1951-1952: Congressional Record (Miller’s speeches)
22. 1951-1953 (primarily 1952)
23. 1953
24. 1953
25. 1953: Congressional Record
26. 1953-1954
27. 1953-1954
28. 1954: Congressional Record
29. 1955
30. 1956
31. 1956: Congressional Record
32. 1957-1958: Congressional Record
33. 1957-1958
34. 1958
35. 1959-1960

Series 2 – Speeches given by A.L. Miller, 1934-1964

Box 1
Folder

1. 1934-1946
2. 1950-1953
3. 1954-1955, Feb.
4. 1955, Mar.-1956
5. 1957-1958
6. 1959
7. 1960, June-Sept. 8
8. 1960, Sept. 16-Oct.
9. 1960, Nov.-Dec. and undated
10. 1961; 1964
11. Undated and Fragments

Series 3 – Articles and Editorials by A.L. Miller, 1959-1960

Box 1
Folder

1. 1959-1960: Discussing water supply and conservation

Series 4 – Congressional Reports, 1951-1960

Box 1
Folder

1. 1951-1960

Series 5 – Speeches and Articles by Others and kept by A.L. Miller, 1935-1960

Box 1
Folder

1. Speeches, 1935; 1947-1948; 1955
2. Speeches, 1956-1957
3. Speeches, 1958-1960
4. Articles, 1950-1955
5. Articles, 1956
6. Articles, 1957-1958

Series 6 – Correspondence and News Releases written and received by A.L. Miller, 1953-1960

Box 1
Folder

1. 1953-1957
2. 1958-1960

Series 7 – Special Topics, ca. 1956-1958

Box 1
Folder

1. “Miller for Congress,” 1958 campaign
2. 1958 Republican Party material
3. Soil Conservation Service Report for Nebraska, 1957 (volume 1)
4. A.L. Miller’s notebook of Issues, ca. 1956-1958 (see oversize volume 2)

Series 8 – Miscellany

Box 1
Folder

1. Personal Papers and Souvenirs including military papers and public service award
2. Newspaper clippings
3. Newspaper clippings
4. Excerpts from Congressional Record
5. Programs, Loose papers
6. Award presented to Dr. A.L. Miller (see oversize vol. 1)

Subject headings:

Conservation — Nebraska
Drugs — law and legislation — United States
Flood control — Nebraska
Food law and legislation — United States
Irrigation — Nebraska
Kimball County (Neb.) — History
Mid-State Project (Neb.)
Miller, Arthur Lewis, 1892-1967
Natural resources — Nebraska
Nebraska. Dept. of Health
Nebraska. Legislature, 1937-1941
Physicians — Nebraska
Reclamation of land — Nebraska
Republican Party
Republican Party — Nebraska
U.S. Congress. House of Representatives, 1943-1958
Water — Law and legislation
Water resources

08-03-2007 Revised TMM