Evening star., 1939-12-30
Kelly Miller Dies;
Former Howard u.
Arts College Dean
Associated With School
Almost so Yeurs as
Student and Teacher

Kelly Miller, former dean OF tne
college of arts and sciences and re-
tired professor of sociology at How
ard University, whose mathematical
proficiency and writings made him
one of the outstanding Negro edu-
Gators of the day, died yesterday at
his home, 2225 Fourth street NV,
after a weeks illness following a
heart attack. He was 76 years ago.
Associated with Howard as stu
dent and teacher for almost so
years. Prof. Miller was instrumental
in bringing the school to its present
position of prominence among Ne
gro institutions of learning Dean
Of the college of arts and sciences
from 1907 to 1918, he later served
as professor of sociology, devoting
his talents to problems Of the Ne
gro race.
Since his retirement in 1884 Prof.
Miller had spent much of his time
developing the university's library
section dealing with the Negro race
and writing for newspapers and pc
riodicals.
Native Of South Carolina.
Born in Winnsboro, S. c., July 49,
1868, Prof. Miller was the son OF
Kelly and Elizabeth Miller. His
father was a freed slave. He evil
denced an unusual precocity while
attending school in his home State,
and showed such an aptitude for
mathematics that his family sent
him to Washington to attend How
ard Preparatory School.
He was graduated from the uni
versity in 1886 with a B. A. degree.
attended the graduate school of
Johns Hopkins University for two
years, and returned to Howard to
receive his masters degree in 1901.
For several months thereafter he
taught in the newly-founded Wash
ington high school,
Prof. Miller began teaching at
Howard while still studying for his
masters degree, was made regular
member of the faculty in the early
COS, and supervised committee ap-
pointed at that time to revamp the
curriculum of the school.
Began Writing.
During his term as dean of the
college of arts and sciences, he
taught and headed the department
of mathematics. He later trans
ferred to the department of sociol-
ogy, and became distinguished as a
logician and thinker and began the
writings which made him famous.
Among his works were Race Ad-
justment," published in 1908, and
Out of the House of Bondage" ;"
printed in 1914, both later being
used as sociology texts in many uni
versities. Among his many PAM
phlets was one entitled The Dis
grace of Democracy" an open letter
to President Wilson, which ran to
more than 250,0O0 copies and was
printed in the Congressional
Record.
Subsequently, Prof. Miller was
made a member of the American
Academy of Political and Social
Science, the American Sociological
Society, the American Association
for the Advancement of Science,
the National Educational Associa-
ton, the American Negro Academy
and the Walt Whitman Interna-
tional Fellowship.
Most Distinguished Alumnus.
He was regarded as Howard
University's most distinguished
alumnus.
Informed of his death yesterday,
Mordecai Johnson, president of
Howard University, said, Prof.
Miller will be greatly missed, par
ticularly by Howard University,
where he ran the gamut of edu-
cation from the schools infancy
to its present status"
He is survived by his widow, Mrs.
Annie May Miller; two sons, DR..
Kelly Miller, jr, of New York City
and Paul Butler Miller of Washing
ton: two daughters, Mrs. Irene M.
Reid and Miss May Miller, both of
this city, and brother, Robert G.
Miller of Winnsboro.
Funeral services will be held at l
pm. Tuesday in Andrew Rankin
Memorial Chapel at Howard Uni
versity, with burial In Lincoln Me-
mortal Cemetery.