Robert L. Miller
Encyclopedia
Robert L. Miller, Sr., also known as Bobby Miller (July 24, 1927–February 11, 2011), was a politician
and civic leader from Campbellsville
in Taylor County
in central Kentucky
. He was principally known for his work as the mayor
of the small city of Campbellsville from 1966 to 1998.
during the latter portion of World War II
. He was a licensed land surveyor
and a retired employee of Tennessee Gas Transmission Company, based in Gabe in Green County
, Kentucky. Miller was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Campbellsville and a trustee of Methodist-affiliated Lindsey Wilson College
in Columbia
in Adair County
. He was active in Gideons International
, a religious group which distributes Bible
s to schools, hotel rooms, and other public places. Miller was a benefactor of the Boy Scouts of America
, which awarded him its Silver Beaver Award.
On August 31, 1947, Miller married Bernice Chapman (July 28, 1931–December 1, 2000). The couple had a son and two daughters, eight grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. On May 17, 2002, Miller married Jeania Judd, who had three children from a previous marriage.
position of mayor, Miller, a Republican
, was defeated on November 2, 1998, by Realtor Paul E. Osborne
of Osborne-Humphress Realty Company, also a Democrat. On Miller's passing, Osborne described his former opponent as "a visionary who donated countless hours of his time to make the community better. I would say that most of Campbellsville's growth was because of his leadership." Osborne credits Miller with the development of the water line to the city from Green River Lake
, the expansion of Campbellsville City Park, addition of a new municipal swimming pool, and the establishment of a professional, rather than volunteer, fire department. Osborne recalls that Miller worked all day at Tennessee Gas and then came to City Hall, where he remained as long as needed visiting with constituents and handling municipal business. According to Osborne, Miller "never heard of a problem he didn't like. He tried to solve all of them."
The Central Kentucky News-Journal, a twice-weekly publication, reported in a 1998 interview as Miller left office that Miller had always stressed the need to treat all persons the same: "Someone's problem is important to them, so I've got to make it important to me. I may not be able to solve it, but we can sure take the time to look at it." Miller did not become a full-time mayor until 1986, when he retired from Tennessee Gas.
Barry Bertram, the retired Commonwealth's Attorney from Campbellsville, noted that he and Miller had been friends for more than a half century: "You hardly ever run across anyone who didn't like Bob. He was the epitome of the public servant ... he loved his job as mayor, and he loved people. He was a genuine person with fine Christian principles."
Frank Metzmeier, a retired dentist and Campbellsville City Council member, described Miller as "one of the more outstanding members of our community. His commitment has never been surpassed . . . He looked beyond individual needs to the community as a whole." Metzmeier recalls that during the late 1970s and early 1980s, when Campbellsville experienced years of consecutive heavy rains, that Miller was often found "in the middle of the night helping to sweep basements" of his constituents. Robert Miller, Jr. (born 1949), said that his father got along well with people because he respected them: "He didn't like to tell people 'no' if he could help it. . . . He was the kind of person who could make the most of his time. He loved Campbellsville as much as anyone could. Some may love it just as much, but no one could love it more."
Since his retirement, Miller had regularly played golf
and helped to develop Windsor Gardens and Bluegrass Estates. In his last four years, Miller was afflicted with Alzheimer's disease
.
, a retired Taylor County High School
teacher and independent historian, recalls that early in Miller's tenure as mayor, public complaints went directly to the mayor's residence, rather than to a municipal secretary. Gorin-Smith said that Bernice Miller kept a notepad beside the telephone for "every drain that had to be cleaned out, every basement that needed to be pumped, every street light that was out, and every street sign that needed to be replaced. You could not visit at their house more than twenty minutes when the phone would ring, and the Millers would write down what needed to be done."
A longstanding Fruit of the Loom
factory, formerly known as Union Underwear, closed its Campbellsville plant in 1998 after forty-six years in business. Gorin-Smith recalls that the city of Campbellsville had been planning to build a sewer system to treat wastewater from the plant. Miller met with Fruit of the Loom owner William F. "Bill" Farley, who purchased the company in 1985. Farley promised Miller that the Campbellsville plant would remain operational. Some four years after the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement
, however, Fruit of the Loom bowed to globalization
and ended its operation in Campbellsville, as also did the Indiana
-based Batesville Casket Company
. "That really hurt Bob to be betrayed like that," said Gorin-Smith."
Gorin-Smith said that Miller appreciated local history and was instrumental in the creation of the Hiestand House Museum at 1070 Campbellsville ByPass, which is named for the family of Gorin-Smith's father, David Hiestand Mitchell (1919-1995). Gorin-Smith recalls Miller's role in improvements to the Taylor County Hospital and the municipal library. Miller was also involved in the establishment of elderly housing complexes on Buckner Street and at Jackson Tower. "Ever friendly, helpful and kind, Bob Miller singly made more significant contributions to this town than any other individual in the 20th century, said Gorin-Smith.
James Alvin Hardy (born ca. 1937), a Campbellsville University
administrator and Baptist
minister who formerly served on the Campbellsville City Council and as mayor pro-tem, said that Miller was the most unselfish man with whom he had worked: "The most important thing was that his real love for the whole community was evident in anything he attempted to do. And he loved the employees of the city . . . he was quick to help them in a personal way, not just as mayor."
Another councilman, Charlie Shaw, said that Miller would frequently be seen picking up trash alongside the road, weeding a flower bed, or straightening a street sign. Shaw recalls that Miller told him he wanted to be remembered as honest and fair and that Miller had tried his best in all endeavors. Shaw said that "If a man leaves this world with that [attitude], then he has been successful."
Richard RoBards, former publisher of the Central Kentucky News-Journal, said that Miller was not without criticism but that the former mayor "had a big heart and Campbellsville was always right in the middle of it."
Municipal mechanic Joseph "Curly" Giles, who also worked with Miller for Tennessee Gas Transmission, said there was "no finer man anywhere than Bobby Miller. He was a good boss, and as long as you did your job right, he was happy."
Services for Miller were held at Parrott and Ramsey Funeral Home in Campbellsville, with the Reverend Ron Young and the Honorable Barry Bertram officiating. Burial was in Brookside Cemetery. On the day of the funeral, flags were flown at half-staff in Campbellsville in Miller's honor at the direction of current Mayor Tony W. Young.
Rob Collins Bell offered this summation of the Miller legacy to Campbellsville:
Three days after Miller's passing, Samuel B. Harden (born ca. 1923) of Campbellsville, a former Taylor County sheriff
, county judge, and property tax valuation administrator, also died. "We lost two civic leaders in a short time," noted current Taylor County Judge-Executive Eddie Rogers.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and civic leader from Campbellsville
Campbellsville, Kentucky
Campbellsville is a city in Taylor County, Kentucky, United States. The population within city limits was 10,498 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Taylor County, and the home of Campbellsville University...
in Taylor County
Taylor County, Kentucky
Taylor County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 22,927. Its county seat is Campbellsville. The county is named for President Zachary Taylor, who served from 1849 to 1850. Taylor is a moist county...
in central Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. He was principally known for his work as the mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of the small city of Campbellsville from 1966 to 1998.
Background
Miller was born in Taylor County to the late Martin K. Miller and the former Birdie Mae Baumgardner. He was a veteran of the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during the latter portion of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was a licensed land surveyor
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
and a retired employee of Tennessee Gas Transmission Company, based in Gabe in Green County
Green County, Kentucky
Green County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1793. As of 2000, the population was 11,518. Its county seat is Greensburg. The county is named for Nathanael Greene...
, Kentucky. Miller was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Campbellsville and a trustee of Methodist-affiliated Lindsey Wilson College
Lindsey Wilson College
Lindsey Wilson College is a private four-year college affiliated with the United Methodist Church in an open ecumenical atmosphere. The 45 acre campus is located in Columbia, Kentucky. The school currently offers associate degrees in 11 areas of study, bachelor degrees in 20 areas of study and...
in Columbia
Columbia, Kentucky
Columbia is a city in Adair County, Kentucky, United States, just above Russell Creek. The area was settled around 1802 by Daniel Trabue. The post office was opened on April 1, 1806 by John Field, who also ran a local store. The population was 4,014 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of...
in Adair County
Adair County, Kentucky
Adair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2010, the population is 18,656. Its county seat is Columbia, Kentucky. The county is named for John Adair, then Speaker of the House in Kentucky and later Governor of Kentucky ....
. He was active in Gideons International
Gideons International
Gideons International is an evangelical Christian organization dedicated to distributing copies of the Bible in over 94 languages and 194 countries of the world, most famously in hotel and motel rooms. The organization was founded in 1899 in Janesville, Wisconsin, as an early American parachurch...
, a religious group which distributes Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
s to schools, hotel rooms, and other public places. Miller was a benefactor of the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
, which awarded him its Silver Beaver Award.
On August 31, 1947, Miller married Bernice Chapman (July 28, 1931–December 1, 2000). The couple had a son and two daughters, eight grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. On May 17, 2002, Miller married Jeania Judd, who had three children from a previous marriage.
Mayoral service
After more than three decades in the nonpartisanNonpartisan
In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....
position of mayor, Miller, a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, was defeated on November 2, 1998, by Realtor Paul E. Osborne
Paul E. Osborne
Paul Edward Osborne is a realtor who served as the mayor of Campbellsville in Taylor County in central Kentucky from 1999 to 2002....
of Osborne-Humphress Realty Company, also a Democrat. On Miller's passing, Osborne described his former opponent as "a visionary who donated countless hours of his time to make the community better. I would say that most of Campbellsville's growth was because of his leadership." Osborne credits Miller with the development of the water line to the city from Green River Lake
Green River Lake
Green River Lake is a reservoir in Adair, Taylor, and Casey counties in Kentucky lying in the section of Kentucky known as the Highland Rim. The lake was formed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in 1969 by impounding the Green River. The dam is an 11 mile drive equidistant from the...
, the expansion of Campbellsville City Park, addition of a new municipal swimming pool, and the establishment of a professional, rather than volunteer, fire department. Osborne recalls that Miller worked all day at Tennessee Gas and then came to City Hall, where he remained as long as needed visiting with constituents and handling municipal business. According to Osborne, Miller "never heard of a problem he didn't like. He tried to solve all of them."
The Central Kentucky News-Journal, a twice-weekly publication, reported in a 1998 interview as Miller left office that Miller had always stressed the need to treat all persons the same: "Someone's problem is important to them, so I've got to make it important to me. I may not be able to solve it, but we can sure take the time to look at it." Miller did not become a full-time mayor until 1986, when he retired from Tennessee Gas.
Barry Bertram, the retired Commonwealth's Attorney from Campbellsville, noted that he and Miller had been friends for more than a half century: "You hardly ever run across anyone who didn't like Bob. He was the epitome of the public servant ... he loved his job as mayor, and he loved people. He was a genuine person with fine Christian principles."
Frank Metzmeier, a retired dentist and Campbellsville City Council member, described Miller as "one of the more outstanding members of our community. His commitment has never been surpassed . . . He looked beyond individual needs to the community as a whole." Metzmeier recalls that during the late 1970s and early 1980s, when Campbellsville experienced years of consecutive heavy rains, that Miller was often found "in the middle of the night helping to sweep basements" of his constituents. Robert Miller, Jr. (born 1949), said that his father got along well with people because he respected them: "He didn't like to tell people 'no' if he could help it. . . . He was the kind of person who could make the most of his time. He loved Campbellsville as much as anyone could. Some may love it just as much, but no one could love it more."
Since his retirement, Miller had regularly played golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
and helped to develop Windsor Gardens and Bluegrass Estates. In his last four years, Miller was afflicted with Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
.
An historian's perspective
Betty Jane Gorin-SmithBetty Jane Gorin-Smith
Betty Jane Mitchell Gorin-Smith, known as Betty Jane Gorin-Smith , is an independent historian from Campbellsville in Taylor County in central Kentucky, best known for her book Morgan Is Coming!': Confederate Raiders in the Heartland of Kentucky, a study of Confederate General John Hunt Morgan's...
, a retired Taylor County High School
Taylor County High School
Taylor County High School is a U.S. high school in the city of Campbellsville, Taylor County, Kentucky. It is one of the two high schools in Campbellsville, the other being Campbellsville High School...
teacher and independent historian, recalls that early in Miller's tenure as mayor, public complaints went directly to the mayor's residence, rather than to a municipal secretary. Gorin-Smith said that Bernice Miller kept a notepad beside the telephone for "every drain that had to be cleaned out, every basement that needed to be pumped, every street light that was out, and every street sign that needed to be replaced. You could not visit at their house more than twenty minutes when the phone would ring, and the Millers would write down what needed to be done."
A longstanding Fruit of the Loom
Fruit of the Loom
Fruit of the Loom is an American company which manufactures clothing, particularly underwear. The company's world headquarters is in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is currently a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway.-Company profile:...
factory, formerly known as Union Underwear, closed its Campbellsville plant in 1998 after forty-six years in business. Gorin-Smith recalls that the city of Campbellsville had been planning to build a sewer system to treat wastewater from the plant. Miller met with Fruit of the Loom owner William F. "Bill" Farley, who purchased the company in 1985. Farley promised Miller that the Campbellsville plant would remain operational. Some four years after the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
, however, Fruit of the Loom bowed to globalization
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
and ended its operation in Campbellsville, as also did the Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
-based Batesville Casket Company
Batesville Casket Company
Batesville Casket Company is a manufacturer of caskets and cremation urns. The company is a subsidiary of Hillenbrand, Inc., and is headquartered in Batesville, Indiana....
. "That really hurt Bob to be betrayed like that," said Gorin-Smith."
Gorin-Smith said that Miller appreciated local history and was instrumental in the creation of the Hiestand House Museum at 1070 Campbellsville ByPass, which is named for the family of Gorin-Smith's father, David Hiestand Mitchell (1919-1995). Gorin-Smith recalls Miller's role in improvements to the Taylor County Hospital and the municipal library. Miller was also involved in the establishment of elderly housing complexes on Buckner Street and at Jackson Tower. "Ever friendly, helpful and kind, Bob Miller singly made more significant contributions to this town than any other individual in the 20th century, said Gorin-Smith.
James Alvin Hardy (born ca. 1937), a Campbellsville University
Campbellsville University
Campbellsville University, also known as CU, is a private university in Campbellsville, Kentucky, the seat of Taylor County. Founded as Russell Creek Academy, a Baptist institution, the university currently enrolls more than 3,000 students and is open to students of all denominations...
administrator and Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
minister who formerly served on the Campbellsville City Council and as mayor pro-tem, said that Miller was the most unselfish man with whom he had worked: "The most important thing was that his real love for the whole community was evident in anything he attempted to do. And he loved the employees of the city . . . he was quick to help them in a personal way, not just as mayor."
Legacy
Mike Ramsey, a former Campbellsville councilman, said no other person had done as much for the Campbellsville community as Miller: "It's not only the big things . . . it was the little things that nobody ever knew about that made all the difference. The Miller legacy lives on."Another councilman, Charlie Shaw, said that Miller would frequently be seen picking up trash alongside the road, weeding a flower bed, or straightening a street sign. Shaw recalls that Miller told him he wanted to be remembered as honest and fair and that Miller had tried his best in all endeavors. Shaw said that "If a man leaves this world with that [attitude], then he has been successful."
Richard RoBards, former publisher of the Central Kentucky News-Journal, said that Miller was not without criticism but that the former mayor "had a big heart and Campbellsville was always right in the middle of it."
Municipal mechanic Joseph "Curly" Giles, who also worked with Miller for Tennessee Gas Transmission, said there was "no finer man anywhere than Bobby Miller. He was a good boss, and as long as you did your job right, he was happy."
Services for Miller were held at Parrott and Ramsey Funeral Home in Campbellsville, with the Reverend Ron Young and the Honorable Barry Bertram officiating. Burial was in Brookside Cemetery. On the day of the funeral, flags were flown at half-staff in Campbellsville in Miller's honor at the direction of current Mayor Tony W. Young.
Rob Collins Bell offered this summation of the Miller legacy to Campbellsville:
It was such an honor to know this remarkable man. During his time as mayor of Campbellsville, our community experienced a lot of positive growth and development. He was light years ahead of his colleagues in park development, public roadway projects and community projects that are still vibrant and relative to the people of Taylor County today. Bobby Miller's personality was always warm and he made friends everywhere he went."
Three days after Miller's passing, Samuel B. Harden (born ca. 1923) of Campbellsville, a former Taylor County sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
, county judge, and property tax valuation administrator, also died. "We lost two civic leaders in a short time," noted current Taylor County Judge-Executive Eddie Rogers.