David B. Miller Papers

Dr. David B. Miller was born on September 26, 1940 to George E. Miller and Corlis Davis Miler. He grew up in the town of his birth, Metropolis, Illinois, graduating from Metropolis High School in 1958.

Dr. Miller went on to earn his History B.A. from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana in 1962 and his History M.A. three years later. In 1965 he taught 8th grade English and history at Jefferson Junior High in Champaign. He also began working on his Ph.D. through the University of Kansas. Dr. Miller finished his Ph.D. in 1973.

In 1968 David Miller took a temporary job as a history instructor for Wichita State University. That fall he became a history professor and Director of graduate studies for Black Hills State College.

Dr. David Miller additionally taught extension classes at Ellsworth Air Force Base, Northwest College's summer campus at Yellowstone National Park, and other campuses as well. Not only did he teach, Dr. Miller wrote many books and articles-mostly about history-including The South Dakota Story which is used as a textbook in South Dakota middle schools. When he was not teaching or writing, David Miller was consulting for the US Park Service, The National Park Service, the Bureau of Land management, the State Historical Society, the South Dakota Archaeological Research Center. He was a board member of the South Dakota Humanities council, which chose him as its Friend of the Humanities in 1993.

He was very interested in railroad. After the state of South Dakota took over the Milwaukee Road railroad track in 1981, David Miller became a member of South Dakota's railroad board, in addition to participating in the Northern Hills Railroad Authority. Dr. Miller also did a costumed portrayal of (among others) railroad magnate James J. Hill.

Despite being so busy, David Miller had time to be a very good teacher. The BHSU University's Student Senate chose him as the Outstanding Faculty member in 1987, 1989, and 1993. In 1997 he won the Distinguished Faculty Award from BHSU. In 1997 Dr. David Miller was awarded the Robinson Award from the State Historical Society, honoring his lifetime of achievement. That year, Governor Janklow has a day named in his honor.

On May 3, 1997, Dr. Miller died after a months of fighting cancer, leaving behind his parents, sister, wife, nine kids, and two grandchildren.