Scope and Contents
Dates
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1870 -- 1994
- Creation: 1857 -- 2019
Creator
- Miller, Russell E. (Person)
Language of Materials
Access
Conditions Governing Use
Biographical / Historical
Russell Elliott Miller was a Professor of History, University Historian and Archivist of Tufts University, and author of "Light on the Hill, A History of Tufts College from 1852 to 1952" and the second volume "Light on the Hill, A History of Tufts University since 1952." He was born in Bloomington, Minnesota, on April 25, 1916, to one of the last pioneer families in the Minnesota prairie. His mother spoke Dakota Sioux, which she had learned as a child. He received a B.A. in Education in 1937 and an M.A. in political science in 1939, both from the University of Florida at Gainesville. From 1942 to 1946, he served in the Army Air Corps as an enlisted man, rising to the rank of technical sergeant. Initially with personnel and classification, he was finally assigned to the historical section (intelligence) at the headquarters of the troop carrier command. In 1948 he earned a Master of Arts in history from Princeton University and came to Tufts that same year.
In 1952 he received a PhD from Princeton, and in 1964 Tufts appointed him Professor of History and University Historian and archivist. He taught courses ranging from the history of western civilization to the history of the American frontier. In 1966, he published "Light on the Hill, A History of Tufts College from 1852 to 1952." That year he received the Distinguished Service Award from the Tufts Alumni Association and became an honorary member of Phi Beta Kappa. In 1975 he became the Walter S. Dickson Professor of English and American History and chaired the Department of History from then until 1980. He was voted Emeritus Professor of English and American History in 1981 and received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree in 1983. In 1986, he completed the second volume of Tufts history, "Light on the Hill II, A History of Tufts University since 1952."
Extent
12.26 Linear Feet (24 boxes and 2 oversized folders)
210 Digital Object(s)
Arrangement
Custodial History
This collection, organized by subject, was created by Russell Miller in the process of preparing his history of Tufts University, Light on the Hill.
All material accessioned prior to 1997 was originally arranged by subject, and no attempt was made to recreate original order. Material relating to administering the collection was removed to the documentation files of the collection in the archives.
Most of the newsclippings, photographs, press releases, and correspondence have been separated from the subject files. These types of materials are present however, throughout the subject files as well.
Some files have been removed by DCA staff over time and incorporated into their own collections.
Processing status
- Status
- Completed
Repository Details
Part of the Tufts Archival Research Center Repository
35 Professors Row
Tisch Library Building
Tufts University
Medford Massachusetts 02155 United States
617-627-3737
archives@tufts.edu