Summary
William Read Miller (November 23, 1823 – November 29, 1887) was the 12th Governor of Arkansas. Born in Batesville, Arkansaw Territory; Miller was Arkansas's first native born governor. Serving two terms in the turbulent period after Reconstruction, Miller's four-year administration marked the beginnings of New Departure Democrats in Arkansas. Running on a platform of economic growth via reconciliation between whites and freedmen, Miller often was opposed by members of his own party during the infancy of the Lost Cause ideology.[citation needed] His plans to pay back a large state debt including the Holford Bonds, valued at $14 million ($493 million today), were often interrupted by racial violence, and his support for public schools and universities was often combated by those in his own party.[citation needed]
William Read Miller | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 12th Governor of Arkansas | |
| In office January 11, 1877 – January 11, 1881 | |
| Preceded by | Augustus Hill Garland |
| Succeeded by | Thomas James Churchill |
| 39th and 42nd Arkansas State Auditor | |
| In office 1857–1860 | |
| Governor | Elias Nelson Conway |
| Preceded by | A.S. Huey |
| Succeeded by | H.C. Lowe |
| In office 1861–1864 | |
| Governor | Henry Massey Rector Thomas Fletcher Harris Flanagin |
| Preceded by | H.C. Lowe |
| Succeeded by | James R. Berry |
| In office 1866–1868 | |
| Governor | Isaac Murphy |
| Preceded by | James R. Berry |
| Succeeded by | James R. Berry |
| In office 1874–1877 | |
| Governor | Augustus Hill Garland |
| Preceded by | Stephen Wheeler |
| Succeeded by | John Crawford |
| In office 1887 | |
| Governor | Simon Pollard Hughes Jr. |
| Preceded by | A.W. Files |
| Succeeded by | W.S. Dunlop |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 23, 1823 Batesville, Arkansaw Territory, U.S. |
| Died | November 29, 1887 (aged 64) Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Resting place | Mount Holly Cemetery, Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. 34°44′15.3″N 92°16′42.5″W / 34.737583°N 92.278472°W |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Susan Elizabeth Bevens
(m. 1849) |
| Children | 3 |
| Profession | Lawyer, politician |
| Signature |  |
Miller desired an unprecedented third gubernatorial term in 1881, but the Democrats instead nominated Thomas Churchill, a Democratic hard-liner and former major general in the Confederate States Army. Following his defeat, Miller served on boards of several railroads and as a trustee of the University of Arkansas. He also served as Arkansas State Auditor for 12 of the 30 years between 1857 and his death in 1887, making him the third-longest tenured Auditor in Arkansas history.
Early life edit
Miller was born on November 23, 1823, on a farm near Batesville, Arkansaw Territory, to John and Clara Moore Miller. Miller's father was a farmer and register of the United States General Land Office active in Democratic politics, including serving as a presidential elector twice.[1] At the age of thirteen, Miller is said to have publicly challenged notable local and fervent Whig Fent Noland regarding Martin Van Buren's credentials. He also saw the Arkansas Territory achieve statehood on June 15, 1836. Miller was educated in local schools when the workload on the family farm allowed, and he showed an early interest in law. Although discouraged from pursuing the legal profession by his father, Miller moved from the family farm to Batesville to read law after turning twenty-one in 1844.
Political career edit
Miller's political career blossomed upon moving to Batesville, which was the fourth-largest city and one of the most politically prominent cities in Arkansas at the time.[Note 1] He was elected Independence County Clerk in 1848, and married Susan Elizabeth Bevens, the daughter of Third District Judge William Bevins, the following year.[3]
Governor Elias Conway of the prominent Conway Family appointed Miller to become State Auditor when C.C. Danley resigned the post in 1854. Miller resigned as Independence County Clerk and accepted the statewide office.[4] Conway himself had served as State Auditor from 1835 to 1849, and the post raised Miller's political profile significantly. Miller was reelected to that position in 1858, 1860, 1862, and again in 1874 after the Reconstruction period ended.
He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1868. He was elected Governor of Arkansas in 1876, and was reelected in 1878. He was the first native born Arkansas governor.[5] The Miller administration focused on public education and the state's financial problems. He signed legislation that funded the State Blind Asylum and the Arkansas Industrial University. After leaving office he served as the Deputy Treasurer of Arkansas in 1881 and 1882. In 1886, Miller was again elected to the position of State Auditor.
Death edit
Miller is buried at the historic Mount Holly Cemetery in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Notes edit
- ^ Per 1850 United States Census.[2]
References edit
- ^ "Governors" (2005), p. 69.
- ^ "Population of such Cities, Towns, Townships, Hundreds, &c., in the United States" (PDF). 1850 United States Census. United States Census Bureau. p. 3. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
- ^ "Governors" (2005), p. 70.
- ^ "Governors" (2005), p. 69.
- ^ "William Read Miller (1877-1881)". Ohio State House Museum. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
Further reading edit
- Donovan, Timothy P.; Gatewood, Willard B. Jr.; Whayne, Jeannie M., eds. (2005). The Governors of Arkansas (2 ed.). The University of Arkansas Press. ISBN 9781557283313. OCLC 31782171.
External links edit
- Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture entry
- National Governors Association