Robert Miller diaries
Collection 4575
1941, 1949, 1951-1997, undated(0.8 Linear feet ; 2 boxes)
Table of Contents
Summary Information
- Repository
- Historical Society of Pennsylvania
- Title
- Robert Miller diaries
- ID
- 4575
- Date
- 1941, 1949, 1951-1997, undated
- Extent
- 0.8 Linear feet ; 2 boxes
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Randi M. Kamine.
- Language
- English
- Abstract
- The collection contains four bound journals and twelve folders in the form of diaries. The documents show the progression of a life of thought and teaching. Professor Miller wrote about political current events and contemporaneous foreign relations. He was an avid reader and traveler. Professor Miller’s interests included long distance running, walking, tennis, and playing poker. On occasion he discussed these personal activities, but these activities were not the focus of the diaries. He discussed very little of his emotional or inner life, with the exception of his teaching from which he took significant satisfaction.
Preferred citation
Cite as: [Indicate cited item or series here], Rober Miller diaries (Collection 4575), Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
Background note
Professor Robert Miller (1915 – October 24, 1997) was an historian and teacher. He attended Princeton University where he was in the undergraduate class of 1937 and the graduate class (MA and PhD) of 1940. During World War II, Miller served 45 months with the Army Signal Corp in the African arena. He was also present at the invasion of Italy and was in Germany in 1945. For his service, he was awarded the E.T.O Ribbon with nine battle stars.
Miller served on the faculty of the History Department at Temple University for 34 years until his retirement in 1982 at the age of 67. Miller was a very popular professor at Temple where he won the coveted Lindbach Award for Distinguished Teaching. He retired from Temple in 1982. The Princeton Alumni Weekly described him as a “fabulous history professor.”
Unmarried, Miller traveled alone extensively throughout the United States, China, Japan, the South Pacific, Australia, Africa, and Europe. At Princeton he was on the swimming, baseball and basketball teams. He was an avid poker player. In his later years, he played in two weekly poker games. He was a distance walker and a distance runner at home and overseas. He resided in Logan Square East in Center City Philadelphia for many years.
Scope and contents note
The collection, housed in two boxes, includes four volumes (1951-1954) and twelve folders (1955-1997). The finding aid folders are in the order of which they were received when the collection was given to HSP. Each folder contains several years. Professor Robert Miller was a keen and thoughtful observer. He left behind diaries of his travels and his thoughts on the politics of his day. Two handwritten documents are not dated. In the first undated entry, Professor Miller described a trip throughout the United States in the 1940s. First arriving in Phoenix by car, Professor Miller continued by bus to various destinations. A second undated document is a treatise on the “welfare state.” Written as a letter, this document gives the reader an idea of Professor Miller’s political leanings. These early undated writings set the tone for those that followed. Extensive descriptions of this travels were a staple of his writings. Professor Miller’s writes little of his emotional life. He expresses his keen interest in teaching and occasionally says a few kind words about his colleagues. However, he sounds most excited describing his travel adventures. He expresses his political ideas often but not in the depth or fervor one might expect from a History professor. Professor Miller taught and lived in Philadelphia for many decades. He was a true Philadelphian. He reports on the highlights of the city (as an avid runner, he ran all over the city) and also notes the downside of the city – mainly the street crime, which is a recurring theme.
Other documents in the collection include dates and where they were written. Professor Miller was methodical in keeping up with his diaries. The diaries are written in over a period of over five decades. This gives the reader the depth and breadth of his thinking through those very changing times. These diaries would be interesting to those who want to delve in the culture and politics of the 20th century. It is interesting to track the evolution and maturation of his thinking through the dynamic latter half of the 20th century. An historian researching the changes that dominated American culture after the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War, Watergate, and the other dramatic events of these decades may use Professor Miller’s diaries as an example of how American views changed over time, at least among middle class, urban academics.
Administrative Information
Publication Information
Historical Society of Pennsylvania ; 2023.
1300 Locust StreetPhiladelphia, PA, 19107
215-732-6200
Access restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Provenance
Gift of the Estate of Robert Miller.
Processer's notes
Professor Miller’s particular style of writing is one of going from subject to subject, never staying with events for more than a few paragraphs. The same subject will emerge many times over the years. Often the redundancy does not reflect a new way of thinking or new insights. These documents are a personal diary. There was no impetuous on his part to explore any topic any more deeply than he desired to do so.
Almost all United States and world events, large and small, are mentioned in at least a cursory way. At the beginning of the inventory of each folder (which encompasses several years), there is a brief chronology of the events that folder covers. However, the reader should be advised that Professor Miller does not hold to any consistent chronology in his diaries. He may wander off to any topic in any given year.
Processing note
The original manuscript diaries given to HSP were in relatively good order. However, there are entries where it was not clear when the entries were written. In these cases, HSP did their best to reconstruct the order as written. A guide containing extensive, interpreted notes on Miller's diaries is available upon request in HSP's library.
Controlled Access Headings
Corporate Name(s)
- Estate of Robert Miller.
Special thanks
To Holly Beth Wilson, Processing Archivist, Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries, Philadelphia, 19122, for providing copies of copies of the Temple News, 1945-1946; The Templar, (with a photo of Dr. Miller), 1951 ; The Templar, (with photo), 1952; The Templar (with photo), 1966.
Chronology of events covered in the collection, 1949-1997
Joseph Stalin in power: 1924-1953
Cold War: March 1947 – December 26 1991
Korean War: June 1950 – July 1953
Eisenhower President: January 1953 – January 1961
The Cuban Revolution: 1953 and 1959.
Earl Warren on the Supreme Court: 1953 -1969
Cuban Missile Crisis: October 16 1962 – October 29 1962
John Kennedy President: January 1961 – November 22, 1963
Lyndon Johnson President: November 22 1963 – January 20, 1969
Israeli 6 Day War: June 5, 1967. (Johnson was President)
Richard Nixon President: January 1969 – Nixon resigns Aug 9, 1974
Oil Crisis and OPEC: 1970s
Watergate scandal: Jun 17, 1972 – Aug 9, 1974
Vietnam: November 1, 1955 – April 30 1975
My Lai Massacre: March 16, 1968; Convicted: William Calley
United States energy crisis: October 1973–January 1974
Ronald Reagan presidency: January 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989
Iran–Contra affair: August 20, 1985 – March 4, 1987
The Cold War: March 1947 – December 1991
Dissolution of the Soviet Union: December 26, 1991
The Gulf War: August 2, 1990 – February 28, 1991
Bill Clinton presidency: January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001
First Chechen War : Dec 11, 1994 – Aug 31, 1996
Waco Siege: Mount Carmel Center, Elk, Texas, U.S.: February 28 – April 19, 1993 (51 days)
Bibliography
Princeton Alumni Weekly. (paw.princeton.edu/memorial/Robert-Professor Miller)
Collection Inventory
| Box | Folder | |||
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Four loose notes and notations on travels and politics by Professor Miller 1941, 1949, undated SummaryFrom the start of the diaries, it is clear that Professor Miller's primary interests are travel and politics. These first notations describe his travels across country and Canada. His political leanings are indicated in a letter. He writes of his awareness of the bombing of Hiroshima and his belief he can do more for democracy by writing as opposed to fighting. |
1 | 1 | ||
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Diary 1951-1955 Topics include: Truman, Russia, Korean War, Schuman Plan, bombing of Pearl Harbor, integration and civil rights, intimations of the Vietnam war, Eisenhower, and Miller's political leanings and travels through the United States. SummaryIn these diaries, Miller voices his broad interest in Russian and Korean current events. They also include his observations of the developing events in Southeast Asia and the debate among legislators that's starting to take place about the possibility of interference. |
1 | 2 | ||
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Diary 1955-1958 Topics include: American Civil War, Cold War, Alabama bus boycott, Civil Rights, and international travel. SummaryAside from detailed descriptions of his travels, Professor Miller also discussed current events and the United States Civil War. Current events he covered include Dwight Eisenhower’s administration and the Cold War, U. S. Supreme Court under Chief Justice Earl Warren, Joseph Stalin, and the emerging civil rights movement. There are comments on the Soviet press, as well as Egypt’s agreement with the Communists to purchase arms. |
1 | 3 | ||
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Diary 1959-1962 Topics include: Civil Rights, Soviet Union, American power, France and West Germany, Nuclear War, China, and Miller's travels. SummaryIn these diaries that head into the 1960s, Miller sees the waxing and waning of American power in the previous two decades. Two topics on his mind in early 1959 are the Soviet Union and the cultural events surrounding integration. Professor Miller writes about the far east and Laos, and the Cuban Revolution. Other topics discussed are the relationship between France and West Germany and the Cold War. |
1 | 4 | ||
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Diary 1963-1966 Topics include: Race and sports (e.g. Jackie Robinson), India, Panama, Vietnam, and Miller's favorite acitivies/hobbies. SummaryOn international matters, he discusses in these diaries the violence between Muslims and Hindus in India, Cuba’s ties to Russia, and the Asian economy. In 1965 Professor Miller turns his attention to Vietnam and the complexities of United States foreign policy. On personal matters, Dr. Miller describes his favorite activities: travel, walking, running, poker, and baseball. |
1 | 5 | ||
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Diary 1967-1970 Topics include: Vietnam, Israel 6-day war, Civil Rights, Riots, travel, tennis, and poker. SummaryThese diaries focus on the Vietnam War and Israel, among other topics. (The death toll in Vietnam passed 16,000 at the beginning of 1968. There were rumors the U.S. and China could go to war. Vietcong terrorism increased in the South. The Israeli Six Day War started on June 7, 1967.) His discussion of Israel includes both sides of the argument concerning Israel’s actions and even its existence. He notes that China now has the H-bomb. Departing from political discussions are some racsist comments on athletic agility versus ethnic intelligence. |
2 | 1 | ||
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Diary 1971-1973 Topics include: Vietnam, Israel/Palestine, Anti-Semitism, Richard Nixon, China, India, and Pakistan. SummaryIn 1971, the wide ranging implications of the Vietnam War is hitting home for Miller. He writes about the “tortuous situation” and the impact on the war on the domestic economy. He analyzes the legacy of World War II and its implications for Vietnam. Crime becomes a newer writing subject. He mentions anti-Semitism in the context of how Jews are treated in Russia. Civil rights continue to be top of mind, and Miller’s views comport with those of many Americans at the time. |
2 | 2 | ||
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Diary 1974-1977 Topics include: energy/oil crisis, Richard Nixon, Watergate, Vietnam, Cambodia, death penalty, Islam, teaching at Temple University, Pentagon Papers, and Miller's travels. SummaryTwo handwritten letters written by Professor Miller were found among these pages. Either they were not sent, or they were drafts or copies. One was to Senator Richard Schweiker, and the other was written to the ACLU. Miller writes about the Watergate scandal intermittently through the years 1974-1975, as well as President Richard Nixon’s resignation. His thoughts on international affairs centers around the age of imperialism. |
2 | 3 | ||
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Diary 1978-1982 Topics include: American Civil War, protests of 1960s, Supreme Court, Civil Rights, Soviet Union, China, Vietnamese refugees, nuclear arms, Ronald Reagan, and the end of Miller's teaching career. Summary1978 was the tenth anniversary of the report on the Commission on Civil Disorders created by President Lyndon Johnson after the protests of the 1960s. Professor Miller gives an analysis of its findings. He is increasingly becoming more aware of conservation and renewable energy, and religion starts to pepper his writing. The Vietnam War was approaching a climax and in these diaries, he discusss the ending of the war, its implications, and the roles of Soviet Union and China in the world to come. |
2 | 4 | ||
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Diary 1983-1986 Topics include: Soviet Union, potential American decline, Israel, Jessie Jackson, Reagan’s "Star Wars" and presidency, and Temple teacher’s strike. SummaryWhile current events at this point are quite different from those of the 1940s, when Miller began writing, many themes are consistent throughout. The Soviet Union is still the Soviet Union (soon to be Russia), and Miller reflects on our relationship to that country. He discusses the influx of the refugees fleeing to Israel. He notes in passing that, in 1984, Jessie Jackson is the first Black man to run for President.Miller was not onboard with President Ronald Reagan’s Star War proposals and notes that some studies had deemed them dangerous. |
2 | 5 | ||
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Diary 1987-1993 Topics include: American industry, innovation in technology, Iran-Contra, racism, organized religion, teaching a course at Temple, dissolution of Soviet Union, Reagan and the U. S. Supreme Court, and Bill Clinton. SummaryMiller is well into retirement with these diaries. His interests remain basically the same, and his outlook is one of interested spectator rather than sophisticated thinker. However, as the years pass, his writings become more analytical. He is alerted to “the decline in conventional American industry before the assault from abroad.” He is hopeful that American ingenuity in computer science will lead the way in that industry. Racism, especially in sports, continues to be a topic of his writings. He has an inklings of America’s turn to the right with Reagan’s appointment of Supreme Court justices. Miller uses some of his strongest words in describing the Iraqi War, to which he was opposed. He feels “great euphoria” at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton. |
2 | 6 | ||
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Diary 1994-1997 Topics include: ecology, O.J. Simpson trial, Black anti-Semitism, Clinton-Dole administration, Miller's travels through the years. SummaryWith Miller's final writings, he muses over his travels through the years, and he expresses a decline in his overall activity, although he still enjoys walking and jogging when able. Thoughts about the Clinton adminstration and the trial of O. J. Simpson appear, but these diaries are mostly introspective. |
2 | 7 | ||
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