Robert A. Miller (Oregon politician)
Encyclopedia
Robert Aubrey Miller was an American
attorney and Democratic Party politician in the state of Oregon
. Born in Oregon, he served in the Oregon House of Representatives
and as an aide to Governor Sylvester Pennoyer
.
, near the city of Eugene
on October 22, 1854. The son of Elizabeth Ann Miller (née Aubrey) and James Naper Tandy Miller, he attended the local public schools of Jacksonville, Oregon
. Miller then attended the University of the Pacific in San Jose, California
, from 1874 to 1875 before returning to Oregon where he graduated from Willamette University
in Salem
. On March 7, 1887, Miller was admitted to the Oregon bar
.
. He won re-election in 1888, serving a second term representing District 19 in Southern Oregon
’s Jackson County
. Miller was then appointed as an aide to Oregon Governor Sylvester Pennoyer
in the position of Lieutenant-Colonel, serving six years in the post.
In 1890, he ran as the Democratic Party candidate for the 52nd United States Congress
from Oregon's At-large congressional district
. Miller lost to incumbent Republican Binger Hermann
in the November election,
though Democrats picked up 78 seats in the U.S. House in that election. In 1892, he was a presidential elector for the Democrats, and then from 1893 to 1897 was the registrar at the United States Land Office in Oregon City
. In 1938, Miller was the Democratic candidate in a special United States Senate
election to complete the term of Frederick Steiwer
, who had resigned. Miller lost the election to Republican Alexander G. Barry
.
bar, followed by the federal bar in Oregon in 1904. On September 11, 1893, he married Sarelia W. Grubbe. In 1890, he received a diploma from the New York Chautauqua
, a correspondence school. Known as Colonel Bob Miller, he helped set up the Chautauqua system in the Pacific Northwest
. By 1910 he had moved to Portland
and entered private legal practice. In Portland, he was involved in the Commercial Societies A.F. & A.M., the National Geographic Society
, the Masons, and the Scottish Rite
. Colonel Robert Miller died in Portland on October 8, 1941, at the age of 86.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attorney and Democratic Party politician in the state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. Born in Oregon, he served in the Oregon House of Representatives
Oregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
and as an aide to Governor Sylvester Pennoyer
Sylvester Pennoyer
Sylvester Pennoyer was an American educator, attorney, and politician in Oregon. He was born in New York, attended Harvard Law School, and moved to Oregon at age 25. A Democrat, he served two terms as the eighth Governor of Oregon from 1886 to 1895. He joined the Populist cause in the early 1890s...
.
Early life
Robert Miller was born in Lane County, OregonLane County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siuslaw National Forest *Umpqua National Forest *Willamette National Forest -Government:...
, near the city of Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
on October 22, 1854. The son of Elizabeth Ann Miller (née Aubrey) and James Naper Tandy Miller, he attended the local public schools of Jacksonville, Oregon
Jacksonville, Oregon
Jacksonville is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, a few miles west of Medford. It was named for Jackson Creek, which runs through the community and was the site of one of the first placer gold claims in the area. It includes Jacksonville Historic District which was designated a U.S....
. Miller then attended the University of the Pacific in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, from 1874 to 1875 before returning to Oregon where he graduated from Willamette University
Willamette University
Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...
in Salem
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
. On March 7, 1887, Miller was admitted to the Oregon bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
.
Political career
In 1886, he was elected as a Democrat to serve in the Oregon House of RepresentativesOregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
. He won re-election in 1888, serving a second term representing District 19 in Southern Oregon
Southern Oregon
Southern Oregon is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon south of Lane County and generally west of the Cascade Range, excluding the southern Oregon Coast. Counties include Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, and Josephine. It includes the Southern Oregon American Viticultural Area, which consists of the...
’s Jackson County
Jackson County, Oregon
-National protected areas:* Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument* Crater Lake National Park * Klamath National Forest * Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest * Umpqua National Forest -Demographics:...
. Miller was then appointed as an aide to Oregon Governor Sylvester Pennoyer
Sylvester Pennoyer
Sylvester Pennoyer was an American educator, attorney, and politician in Oregon. He was born in New York, attended Harvard Law School, and moved to Oregon at age 25. A Democrat, he served two terms as the eighth Governor of Oregon from 1886 to 1895. He joined the Populist cause in the early 1890s...
in the position of Lieutenant-Colonel, serving six years in the post.
In 1890, he ran as the Democratic Party candidate for the 52nd United States Congress
52nd United States Congress
The Fifty-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C...
from Oregon's At-large congressional district
Oregon's At-large congressional district
Oregon's At-large congressional district is a former United States Congressional District. During its existence, Oregon voters elected a Representative of the United States House of Representatives At-large from the entire state.-History:...
. Miller lost to incumbent Republican Binger Hermann
Binger Hermann
Binger Hermann was an American attorney and politician in Oregon. A native of Maryland, he immigrated to the Oregon Territory with his parents as part of the Baltimore Colony. Hermann would serve in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly and as a Republican in the United States Congress...
in the November election,
though Democrats picked up 78 seats in the U.S. House in that election. In 1892, he was a presidential elector for the Democrats, and then from 1893 to 1897 was the registrar at the United States Land Office in Oregon City
Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City was the first city in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated. It is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon...
. In 1938, Miller was the Democratic candidate in a special United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
election to complete the term of Frederick Steiwer
Frederick Steiwer
Frederick Steiwer was an American politician and lawyer in the state of Oregon. A native of the state, he was county district attorney and member of the Oregon State Senate from Eastern Oregon and a veteran of World War I. A Republican, he was elected to the United States Senate and served there...
, who had resigned. Miller lost the election to Republican Alexander G. Barry
Alexander G. Barry
Alexander Grant Barry was an American attorney and politician in the state of Oregon. A native of Astoria, he was a World War I veteran and briefly a United States Senator from late 1938 to early 1939...
.
Later years
In May 1893, he passed the Supreme Court of the United StatesSupreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
bar, followed by the federal bar in Oregon in 1904. On September 11, 1893, he married Sarelia W. Grubbe. In 1890, he received a diploma from the New York Chautauqua
Chautauqua
Chautauqua was an adult education movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Chautauqua brought entertainment and culture for the whole community, with...
, a correspondence school. Known as Colonel Bob Miller, he helped set up the Chautauqua system in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
. By 1910 he had moved to Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
and entered private legal practice. In Portland, he was involved in the Commercial Societies A.F. & A.M., the National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
, the Masons, and the Scottish Rite
Scottish Rite
The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry , commonly known as simply the Scottish Rite, is one of several Rites of the worldwide fraternity known as Freemasonry...
. Colonel Robert Miller died in Portland on October 8, 1941, at the age of 86.